Trying to plan an overseas holiday when you’re pregnant can be tricky. Any country that has Zika virus is out, long-haul plane trips plus already-swollen ankles don’t mix, and what happens when the Marmite cravings kick in far from home?
Thankfully there are some great spots to take a pre-baby trip in the UK and many hotels now offer babymoon packages tailored specially for parents-to-be. So here are the babymoons so good, they’ll almost make the pregnancy woes feel worth it.
The countryside classic: Four Seasons Hampshire
The best babymoons should involve rest, relaxation and a really good spa treatment or two, and the Four Seasons in Hampshire delivers these and more. This Georgian manor house set in 500 acres of rolling hills serves serious Bridgerton vibes, but is less than an hour from central London. Rooms have rolltop baths, comfy beds and seriously plush sofas to lie horizontal on, with lovely little touches for babymooners such as pregnancy pillows and a soft toy for your incoming arrival.
Also read: I checked into a £1.8k postpartum retreat — could it help me to find myself again after a traumatic birth?
The peaceful indoor pool is perfect for giving you a break from the weight of your bump, and the cosy, dimly-lit spa offers a dreamy pregnancy massage. Bonus points? The Art Deco bar does a seriously good Faux-garita.
Book it: Rates start from £595 per night for a Garden Room. Book it here
The city slicker: Hotel Cafe Royal
There comes a point in every pregnancy where you don’t really want to be more than rolling distance from your house. This is where the Hotel Cafe Royal steps in. Despite being situated slap bang in the middle of Piccadilly Circus, it remains an oasis of tranquil five-star luxury.
In the room you’ll be greeted with a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne on ice, lavish bathrooms have tubs made from Carrera marble, hand-carved on site, and a bed with more pillows than even a pregnant person could dream of.
In the basement you’ll find the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre, which has a dimly-lit lap pool and a sumptuous spa. Dinner in the rococo Grill Room feels like stepping back in time to a more decadent past, and breakfast is served in Ziggy’s (David Bowie was a regular here in the 1970s), where platters of fresh fruit and pastries magically materialise. Well, you are eating for two.
Book it: Doubles from £450. Book it here
Also read: The best spa stays a few hours from London
The spa staycation: Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa
Given your life will soon be dominated by dirty nappies and sleepless nights, the best babymoon should make you feel thoroughly pampered. Who needs a tropical paradise when the SenSpa at Careys Manor Hotel feels like a slice of zen in the New Forest.
There’s every kind of hydro pool imaginable, ‘experience’ showers and various saunas and steam rooms — some of which are only lukewarm and so fine to try when you’re pregnant.
The hotel’s Babymoon Package includes a massage for mums-to-be, a treatment of choice for partners and a box of goodies from GAIA skincare to take home.
Book it: Stays at Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa start from £209, the Babymoon Package is available from £521 per night. Book it here
The kid-friendly option: Fowey Hall Hotel
Going on a babymoon when you’ve already got a child hits a little differently. But at Luxury Family Hotels’ Fowey Hall in Cornwall everything you could possibly want for a small person is already set up for you. There’s a massive playground complete with zipline, a daily kids’ club, Disney movies playing in the vintage cinema, and storytime with milk and cookies each evening. And while the hotel keeps your little one occupied for you, you can take your bump to the spa, for a mum-to-be massage, which uses nurturing Ishga oil to ease cramps and reduce puffiness.
The nearby Eden Project and the postcard-perfect village of Fowey offer fun for all the family.
Book it: Doubles from £180 per night. Book it here
The serene escape: The Lakes by Yoo
Nestled among 850-acres of lakes, meadows and woodlands, The Lakes by Yoo in the Cotswolds is an idyllic spot to spend some precious alone time before the baby comes. The lakeside apartments have wood-burning fires, four-poster beds and cracking views.
The spa has a Mum-To-Be Retreat featuring a Wildsmith Skin New Life Pregnancy Massage and a brunch at The Lakes Bar and Kitchen. Go for a little walk around the tranquil Marley Lake, or stay in your cosy cabin and play boardgames.
This is just the sanctuary you need before the beautiful chaos of becoming a parent.
Book it: A 3-bedroom lakeside apartment costs from £1,050 per night, self catering. Book it here
