European city breaks
The husband, partner, son or daughter who arranges this short break in Paris won’t be short of brownie points on Mother's Day. Two nights’ B&B in the three-star Hotel Bergère Opéra, situated between Grands Boulevards and the Opera Garnier, costs £204 per person including return Eurostar tickets departing March 16. To book call Short Breaks on 0870 027 6076.
What better place for mothers to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life than a 14th-century monastery? OK, the monks are long gone and the monastery is now Mandarin Oriental’s luxury Prague hotel but three nights in this beautiful city should recharge even the most rundown batteries. Three nights’ B&B accommodation at the Mandarin Oriental (based on two sharing) and return flights with British Airways can be yours for £430 per person. Seasons in Style; +44 (0)1244 202 000.
Yummy mummies could drop heavy hints to someone about forking out for this shopping trip to Milan. Thomson is offering two nights in the fashionistas' paradise from £243 per person, based on two people travelling on March 16 or 17. The price includes B&B accommodation at the four-star Grand Hotel Plaza and return flights from London Heathrow with British Airways. Fuel supplements and taxes may apply. Call Thomson Tailor-made Cities and Short Breaks on 0870 606 1476.
Something different …
Indulge your fleet-footed mum's passion for dancing with a 50-minute lesson at the Elmayer school in Vienna. And, if learning to dance like a native Wiener isn’t enough, domestic goddesshood also beckons with an apfelstrudel baking lesson at the Café Residenz. Prices for this short break in the Austrian capital start from £429 per person and include three nights’ B&B accommodation in a four-star hotel, return flights from Heathrow with transfers, a half-day city tour and a Vienna Card - a 72-hour public transport pass with reductions on museum entrance fees, shops and restaurants. To book this package call Austria travel on +44 (0)1708 222 000.
If your matriarch has a taste for the cocoa bean, pack her off to Barcelona's five-star Princesa Sofia where she can enjoy the hotel spa’s sumptuous-sounding chocotherapy treatment. After that, she can venture out to visit the Museu de la Xocolata to learn all about chocolate's history. Further options to satisfy that craving include enjoying a cup of hot chocolate at Fargas, one of Barcelona’s oldest and most beautiful chocolate shops, and stocking up on goodies at Cacao Sampaka. A two-night stay at the Princesa Sofia departing March 18 costs from £217 per person with Superbreak, call +44 (0)1904 652 592 to book (flights not included).
Spa and health breaks
Spa breaks are ideal mother and daughter bonding time – provided you emphasise they deserve pampering, rather than saying they look knackered and in need of a good scrub. Bath’s Thermae Spa is Britain’s only natural thermal spa and packages at the Hilton Bath City start from £88.50 per person per night (based on a two-night stay) and include two two-hour treatments at the Thermae Spa, plus a bottle of champagne on arrival. To book call Hilton on +44 (0)1225 463 411.
The Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa in Inveraray has a two-night mother & daughter package starting from £140 per person that includes twin-room accommodation with breakfast and dinner, full use of all spa facilities, a pampering facial or a relaxing massage for both mother and daughter and a bouquet of flowers for mum on arrival. Call the Crerar Hotels on 0870 950 6282 to book.
Culture
If wallowing around in mineral-enriched mud isn’t your mum’s cup of tea, maybe a spot of seaside culture might float her boat. Luxury boutique hotel Drakes of Brighton is offering a tailored culture and art package, including pre-booked admission tickets, with audio tour, to the opulent Royal Pavilion. After marvelling at George IV’s eccentric decadence, descend on some of the area’s other museums including the Brighton Museum, the Booth Museum of natural history and taxidermy and the Hove Museum of film, craft and toys. When feet and brain start to tire, mum can retire to the hotel to enjoy a three-course dinner in the Gingerman Restaurant. This package includes one night's accommodation, dinner, continental breakfast and entry to the Royal Pavilion and is available from £130 per person (based on two sharing). Call +44 (0)1273 696934 or email: info@drakesofbrighton.com.
Literary mums enjoying the resurgent interest in Jane Austen might enjoy a themed break in Winchester, where the author spent the end of her life. Short-break packages include two nights’ B&B accommodation and one night’s dinner at the Winchester Royal Hotel, a private 60-minute guided tour of Jane Austen’s Winchester (including entry to Winchester Cathedral - the author’s final resting place) and free entry to her house in nearby Chawton where she wrote her later novels. Call the Winchester Tourist Information Centre on +44 (0)1962 840500.
Luxury
Mums and daughters going all-out in search of pampering can take advantage of a luxury package at The Howard hotel in Edinburgh. The Luxury Girls Package includes two nights’ accommodation, dedicated butler service, a luxury Jo Malone gift, a bottle of chilled champagne on arrival, personal shopping consultation at Harvey Nichols, a full Scottish breakfast, three-course dinner on one night and a one-hour, in-room relaxation treatment. Prices start from £315 per person for two nights. To book call +44 (0)131 274 7402 or email reserve@thehoward.com.
Or for a real slice of old-fashioned luxury, why not take your mum on a four-night break to Venice, culminating in a return journey aboard the Orient Express? Prices start from £1,719 per person for March 18 departures and include a flight to Venice, three nights' accommodation with breakfast at the four-star Hotel Metropole, private water-taxi transfers, entrance tickets to the Doge's Palace and an overnight private cabin aboard the Orient Express for the journey back to London. Call Kirker Holidays on +44 (0)20 7593 2288.
