The concept of staying in a castle hotel isn’t new but it associated with being expensive. While staying in a castle hotel is a luxurious experience it doesn’t have to break the bank! With that in mind, here are my top 5 recommendations for Castle Hotel Destinations for Spring Break!
Thornbury Castle
Thornbury, South Gloucestershire, England
Behind its heavy oak doors, this magnificent castle resonates with history. Its claim to fame is being visited by Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Thornbury Castle is over 500 years old. With its roaring fires, beautiful oriel windows, and sumptuous modern cuisine, Tudor Hall is a place of tranquility.
You can try the Thornbury Castle wine which is produced from the castle’s own vineyard which is 500 years old. There is plenty to see and do beyond the castle gates with its heritage trail where you will learn about the human activity in the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. In 2004, a local resident while digging a pond discovered 11,000 Roman coins.
The castle is conveniently located for enjoying a range of attractions, from historic ships and buildings to exotic gardens.?
Brunel’s SS Great Britain – The ship that changed the world! You can experience the sights, sounds and smells that Victoria passengers and crews enjoyed
Bristol Aquarium?is an indoor aquarium that has over 40 displays and 7,000 animals to see. In addition to underwater exhibits, it also has the Urban Jungle botanical house, containing exotic plants from around the world.
Bristol Zoo Gardens?is an adventure for the younglings into an exciting animal kingdom. Since 1836, the zoo provides a safe home for many species including lions, penguins, and gorillas.?This is all set within 12 acres of beautiful grounds
If this isn’t enough activity for you, then London is only 2 hours away.?
The hotel requires a minimum 2 night stays and unfortunately does not accept children under the age of 8.?
Book your room at Thornbury Castle now!
Fonab Castle
Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland
A 5-star hotel located in the heart of Scotland is unique and luxurious. Fonab Castle is approx 90 minutes north of Edinburgh. The hotel rooms will transport you to another world as you drive through the entrance to this magnificent castle. Whether it?s a romantic getaway at an idyllic oasis of comfort or the excitement of exploring the natural beauty of Perthshire and Scotland, this luxury destination really is the cr?me de la cr?me of vacations.
All rooms have?‘smart’ TVs,?indulgent hospitality trays and?Nespresso coffee machines. Furnishings also include?Egyptian cotton?bedding from?The White Company,?luxury bathrobes?and?slippers?for ultimate comfort.?Free WiFi.?
There are many attractions and places of interest for the family which is close by and the choices are as extensive as your imagination.
Bungee jumping, Highland safaris, walking, trekking, climbing, quad-biking, windsurfing, cycling, mountain biking, zorbing, paintballing, world-class fishing, horse-riding, and white-water rafting. There really is a lot to do here!
Book your room at Fonab Castle now!
Kilkea Castle
Castledermot, Co. Kildare, Ireland
Just an hour from Dublin, located in the small village of Kilkea, County Kildare, this stunning 12th-century Irish castle stands as an important landmark of Irish History. With its luxurious bedrooms steeped in history, style and comfort, and depending on which room you are in, you will be able to see the Rose Garden, River Greese or the castle courtyard.?
Kilkea Castle is able to offer incredible accessibility whilst remaining a true escape from the quarrels of city life.?
Within the 180-acre estate, Kilkea Castle offers a variety of activities from the challenging 19-hole golf course to the family activity of Archery, from the ancient sport of Falconry to fishing in the River Greese or explore the beautiful Irish countryside by walking or horseback.
Book your room at Kilkea Castle now!
Bovey Castle
Dartmoor National Park, England
Idyllically set in the heart of England’s Dartmoor National Park, Bovey Castle is the perfect retreat whatever the occasion. You can choose either from the Castle, the Lodges or the Rose Cottage for luxury overnight accommodation. The hotel is easy to locate, just 45 minutes’ drive from Exeter International Airport and 4 hours’ drive from central London?
The park has more than 275 acres guaranteeing that there is something to do for everyone. Learn how to use a bow, air rifle or air pistol under expert supervision. If you prefer not to shoot, you can learn to Fly Fishing or how Cider and Sloe Gin is made.
For the children aged between 7 & 14 years, there are supervised indoor and outdoor activity sessions. The Bovey Ranger activities include survival skills such as
- campfire building
- building shelters
- camouflage face painting
- mega ball games
- archery
- Apple pressing
- pond dipping
- raft building
- canoeing
- golf lessons
- moorland adventures
Then there is Falconry, Hawk Walk (which is approximately 1.5 hours long) or Hot Air Ballooning with flights taking place either in the early morning or early evening. Perfect for those who want a more leisurely activity.?
Book your room at Bovey Castle now!
Augill Castle
Near Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, England
This is my top pick for Castle Hotel Destinations for Spring Break
Built-in 1841 as Victorian gentleman’s country residence, the castle has all the fairytale romance of a turreted hideaway. This is very much a family retreat and, as such, the castle owners Wendy and Simon, together with their young family, do all they can to ensure their guests leave feeling that they have stayed with friends.
The castle can be a peaceful, relaxed and decadently romantic place to stay, but has a genuine family-friendly vibe too, whether you’re with toddlers or teenagers, grandparents, relatives or friends.?
The Library has books, games, and toys and is perfect for building train tracks or drawing and painting. There is a cinema and outside twenty acres to explore. Here you’ll find a well-loved tree house, tennis court, and playground.
For teenagers, those twenty acres provide plenty of scope to lose or find themselves and WiFi works almost everywhere in the castle. Beyond that, the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales offer a whole world of adventure and activities on the doorstep. Why not get out and explore the Eden Valley on two wheels?
Rail services from London are at Kirkby Stephen, Darlington, and Penrith.
How to get there
Augill Castle is at the geographical center of the British Isles. Just four miles outside the small market town of Kirkby Stephen. It is a two hours’ drive from Manchester & Leeds, an hour from Lancaster, York & Newcastle. Teesside Airport is 45 minutes’ drive to the East. Newcastle Airport is 75 minutes away from the North. Manchester Airport is two hours South.
Closer to home, the castle’s own slice of paradise, the Eden Valley, offers endless opportunities for less energetic days. As well as some of the best and most uncrowded walking paths in Britain, there are villages, caves, riverbanks, castles, waterfalls, and gorges to explore on foot, on your bike or by car.?
Book your room at Augill Castle now!
With Spring holidays coming up why not try a Castle Hotel Destinations for Spring Break?
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This was such a detailed and well written article on where to travel out to during the spring summer that I actually read it twice to be sure that I completely understood all of the reasons why you decided to write such a good review. I have been to boven and augil castle in england and I must say that review of yours was 100% justified. I hope to check on other places anytime soon because I travel alot
With spring break around the corner, it would be nice to plan a day away with my family. Especially after the rigours of cleaning and discarding unnecessary materials.
My son loves game of thrones and the likes, I’m sure he’ll absolutely enjoy a castle like holiday. I’ll really give this serious thought. However, I hope the logistical issues are not nightmarish because I currently reside in Ottawa.
These are definitely some really interesting spots I can visit with my friends. I love how these castles are hundreds of years old and I’m sure that once inside it will make me feel like I’ve been transported back in time. I wonder what size the rooms are, I bet they are enormous. You mentioned that the Fonab Castle has free WiFi, does the other castles have WiFi too? It wouldn’t be a big deal and probably it would be better not having the distractions of modern technology anyway.
Hi Son,
Most hotels nowadays have wifi just depends on where all in the hotel you have access to it!
Castle hotel is really a nice place to be this spring especially those that will like to take a break from work
out of all the cattle listed I seems to like Augill Castle.looking at the structure alone. It seems like a place to have a romantic time with my wife and children and taking pictures of this place to show to people will be nice
This is a very interesting article about the different castles around the world that can be included as a vacation destination. I really never thought about traveling to a castle for a vacation until I came across this article but now I plan to include that on our future travel destinations especially since the prices are within a normal vacation budget.
My favorite pick on the castles to visit would be Kilkea Castle in Ireland because of the location and the rooms they offer there to stay in.
Hi Tarun,
I have read your article on castle hotel destinations for spring break and i am very excited about this, this is an amazing holiday destination. you have described about the hotel very carefully, i am going to share your article with my online friends. thank you so much for publishing this article.
What an amazingly fun idea. I think the hard part would be coming home again! I really like how Augill Castle appears to make an effort to include and make the kids feel important too. It looks like a great place to take the family for a fun escape. Thank you for this post and opening up some new ideas for me.
Hi Tricia
glad you like the post!
like any holiday, coming back is always the worst bit! other than having fun, the kids will also learn some history and how things worked back in the day when there wasnt any tablets and smart phones!
Hi , The spring is hitting up spontaneously . So , it’s the time for vacation or taking a day off to different beautiful places . Castle hotel Destinations are the best places for that . Augill Castle , Thornbury Castle , Bovey Castle , Kilkea Castle etc are such beautiful places. There are many facilities which are definitely worth to be experienced . People will love it . Thanks for sharing such a wonderful information with us .
Lovely post, Tarun. I always thought the castle hotels were a costly affair but you have already dispelled this myth. It would indeed be a memorable time to stay in one of these. The concept of castle hotels is similar to the heritage hotels in India’s Rajasthan. There too, some famous Rajput palaces and forts have been converted into luxurious hotels. Other than in movies and storybooks, I have never been up close to a castle in real life. Staying in one of those as a guest? It would be heavenly!
Hi Sukumar,
Glad you like the post! Yes, can you imagine staying in a castle? just awesome!
have you stayed in any of the heritage hotels in india? if you have you will love these even more!
First and foremost i must confess that this picture of Castle Hotel on your article is really beautiful. Its really a good place to go relax during spring season.Your review on it is very detailed leaving the reader with little or no other option than finding money to make there a must visit. It would really be a good adventure time to catch some fun and get to know new places. Thanks so much for this informative post. it was really helpful
Hi,
Thank you for the informative post about Castle Hotel Destinations for Spring Break, I really learnt great ideas from it, personally,. You have written lots of helpful article which encouraged lots of people about Castle Hotel for Spring Break. This is top pick for Castle Hotel Destinations for Spring Break,i want to go there. I will definitely be back to your website for some more of your helpful information.
These are all breathtaking! I would love to visit them all 🙂