Spring has sprung!  To celebrate the season, Four Pillars Hotels has some fantastic offers for guests including weekend escapes from just £44 per person, per night (dinner, bed and breakfast) and mid-week breaks from just £35.20 per person per night (dinner, bed and breakfast).  Plus, children stay and eat breakfast for free.*

With the Easter holidays, May half term and bank holiday weekends just around the corner, guests can make the most of this lovely time of year by escaping to the countryside and staying in one of six Four Pillars hotels located in England’s holiday hot spots of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds.

Choose to stay in either a Grade II* listed Victorian mansion set in beautiful landscaped grounds near Bristol, a contemporary hotel and spa in the heart of the Cotswold Water Park that also offers a range of outdoor pursuits or one of four fantastic properties in and around Oxford including the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel.  Providing the best of both worlds, this hotel combines medieval charm and contemporary elegance and is set in picturesque Oxfordshire parkland yet just three miles from the centre of ‘the city of dreaming spires’.

Additionally, guests preferring a little more privacy can choose to stay at one of the luxury self-catering apartments at the lakeside Cotswold Water Park Four Pillars Hotel. Combing the flexibility of a self-catering holiday with the convenience of the hotel’s facilities on site, these stylish self-catering apartments are perfect for families, groups and couples. Prices start from £160 for a two-night break in a studio apartment and increase to just £1,050 for seven nights in a two-bedroom apartment – representing just £38 per person, per night, based on a group of four people.

A stay with Four Pillars also includes many exclusive discounts at some of the region’s varied attractions including a VIP invitation to gain an extra 10% off at nearby shopping destination Bicester Village, discounted entry for all the family at Cotswold Wildlife Park or exclusive rates to visit Blenheim Palace.

Those seeking a mid-week break will find better value the longer they stay, so families seeking an Easter escape, or a half term holiday, can capitalise on discounted rates for up to five night breaks.  Plus, kids stay and eat breakfast for free.*

For full details and to book, visit: www.four-spring.co.uk or call 0800 374 692

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With spring around the corner, it’s time to make the most of the long weekend and plan an Easter getaway. And with a range of great value offers for all the family, independent hotel group Four Pillars Hotels can help make your Easter celebration even more special.   Weekend breaks in March start at just £42 per person, per night including dinner, bed and breakfast.  Or stay midweek from Sunday to Thursday between 24th March and 12th April and the longer you stay, the less you pay!  Five night breaks start at just £36.80 per person per night for dinner, bed and breakfast.    And children stay and eat breakfast for free*.

Four Pillars Hotels has six predominantly four-star hotels in some of the most beautiful parts of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds.  Guests can choose between a Grade II listed Victorian mansion with its own arboretum, a contemporary lakeside hotel with extensive spa facilities in the heart of the Cotswold Water Park and four very different properties in and around the historic city of Oxford.  All are within easy distance of local attractions, so whether it’s sightseeing or shopping, country walks or pottering around nearby villages that you choose, there really is something for the whole family to enjoy.

For those who prefer a little more flexibility, the luxury self-catering apartments at the lakeside Cotswold Water Park Four Pillars Hotel are the perfect choice.  With stylish kitchens and dining facilities along with the convenience of the hotel’s restaurants, bars and luxury spa on site, prices start from £190 per apartment, for a two night stay**.  And with the hotel’s location within the Cotswold Water Park, guests can take part in a host of action-packed activities from windsurfing and sailing to horse riding, fishing and cycling.

So why not Egg-scape to the beautiful English countryside this Easter and enjoy Four Pillars Hotels’ warm and friendly hospitality, comfortable accommodation and comprehensive facilities? 

For full details and conditions or to book, please visit www.four-winter.co.uk or call 0800 374 692.

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People can be forgiven for believing that a short break in Oxford is all about visiting all those historic university colleges and Inspector Morse’s favourite pubs. The reality is that there is also a wide variety of other fun activities to be enjoyed in the city and the surrounding area.

Provided the weather is reasonably clement, you just have to take one of those famous punting trips on the 2 rivers with which Oxford is blessed, the Cherwell and the Thames, or the Isis as it is known in the area. Each flat bottomed punt holds up to 5 people including the punter. A bottle of Pimms or Champagne is considered obligatory if the experience is to be optimised. You can hire your punt from Howard C & Sons at Magdalen Bridge or from Salters Boat Hire next to the Head of the River pub on Folly Bridge.

If you are feeling even more adventurous, why not consider hiring a comfortable canal boat and exploring the Thames and the South Oxford Canal which meander through local countryside and through the city itself. College Cruisers are a family firm and their boats are painted in traditional Oxford Blue. They are located at Combe Road Wharf.

For really sensational views of the City of Dreaming Spires and Blenheim Palace, why not book a balloon flight from adventureballoons.co.uk ?  Lift off is from Oxford’s South Park.

If you have children aged over 8 or are just simply young at heart yourself, Outdoor Lasertag is a fun way to exercise and the harmless infrared guns they use cater for all levels of fitness and are sturdily built with life-like sound effects, realistic weights and real scopes. This is just one of the novel activities available at the Culham Adventure Park, a few miles outside the city.

The park also boasts Oxfordshire’s first ever Tree-Top High Ropes course with Rope Bridges, Tarzan Swings and Zip Slides set high in the trees in 50 acres of woodland. There is full safety training for all new participants and this is a great way of kicking off birthday, stag and hen parties (ideally before anyone starts drinking).

For anyone with any energy left, Oxford has its own ice-rink and is one of the few locations where speedway and greyhound racing take place. Both are staged at the Greyhound Stadium in Sandy Lane and are well worth trying once if you’ve never been before.

Visit hotels in Oxford and explore this beautiful city.

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Are you anticipating the Christmas blues when January kicks in? Not sure what to do with your time now that Christmas is over? Then why not take some time out to visit the Cotswolds this January – what could be more inviting than our beautiful scenery and great food, alongside excellent attractions to visit? Here a just a few attractions that you could visit during your stay!

Sudeley Castle

The historic Sudeley Castle is right at the heart of the Cotswold Hills near Winchecombe in Gloucestershire. Its award-winning gardens spans over a thousand years and contains many varied tales of royal associations, wars and periods of neglect and subsequent restoration which makes it the perfect place to visit during your stay.

Tewksbury Abbey

For those looking to take in a bit of local culture you could pay a visit to Tewksbury Abbey. Despite the fact that the Abbey was founded in 1087, the construction of the modern Abbey didn’t actually begin until 1102. The Abbey was originally constructed solely for the purpose of housing Benedictine monks; however the Norman Abbey was near completion when it was consecrated in 1121. Furthermore, the Abbey is the currently largest surviving Norman tower in the country.

Westonbirt Arboretum

If you are looking for an outdoor adventure, then why not visit the historic, early Victorian picturesque landscape and internationally important tree and shrub collection.  The vast collection of 16,000 trees (2,500 different species) come from a number of world countries such as China, North America, Japan, Chile and other tropical climes. The collection was started back in the 1850’s by Robert Holford who owned the property at the time.

Gloucester Cathedral

Another fantastic attraction is Gloucester Cathedral which is still used every day for worshipping and has a fantastic musical tradition. It was built over 1300 years ago and has undergone a number of architectural adjustments over the years. It plays host to some incredible medieval glass along with its own exhibition, superb cloisters and the crypt. Better still it was setting for some of the scenes from the Harry Potter films which were filmed in the stunning cloisters.

Roman Baths

For those interested in Roman history, why not make your way over to the Roman Baths attraction situated in the original Roman town of Bath. Take a stroll round, Britain’s only hot spring, the Romans constructed a fantastic temple and bathing complex which still flows with natural hot water. See the water’s source and make your way around the Baths, where Romans once walked on the ancient stone pavements which surround the steaming pool. Furthermore, the extensive ruins and treasures from the Spring are well maintained and demonstrated in the most prestigious way using the best in modern interpretation.

Whether you are looking for a traditional New Year break, a weekend break to get over your January blues, or just a peaceful time to relax and unwind, you are bound to find what you want this New Year in one of our Four Pillars Hotels. Locations include Oxford, The Cotswolds and Bristol.

http://www.four-pillars.co.uk/

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As Christmas approaches once again, people are gripped by the usual mixture of warm anticipation and sheer panic. Christmas Day itself is always a time for celebration and family get-togethers and the subsequent days leading up to New Year’s Eve are an opportunity for restful recovery and socialising with friends and relatives. The problem is in getting from here to there without getting too stressed out. This is particularly applicable to the fairer sex as they seem to be the ones lumbered with most of the work.

Considerate husbands and partners can help by either doing more of the work themselves and / or arranging a short break away from it all in either November or early in December. The beauty of the latter is that this time of year is classed as low season and there are some really tempting deals on offer from well- appointed hotels which have every facility on hand including swimming pools and relaxing spa treatment rooms.

Having someone else take care of the cooking, cleaning and bed-making somehow makes Christmas shopping less of a strain and can actually make the exercise an enjoyable experience. Those taking such a pre-Xmas break in the Oxford area will find all the big name shops that they are likely to need together with the unique seasonal ambiance of the City of Spires.

The Christmas atmosphere in Oxford is brought vividly to life in the city on Friday November 23^rd when the Christmas Light Night is staged. Centred on the famous lantern procession this evening event features light, dance, art, live music and performance, all thrown together with a generous helping of festive cheer. Oxford’s museums, Castle Quarter, Town Hall and Museum of Oxford, theatres and galleries throw open their doors to the public for one-off late night viewings of their exhibitions and displays enhanced by special performances.

This kicks off the build-up to Christmas in style and sets the tone for what visitors can expect during the run-up to the big day itself. 2012’s events include the ever popular Christmas choral concert at Christchurch Cathedral on Friday 14^th and Thursday 20^th of December at 8pm. Recent readers of Christmas writing at this perennial favourite include Jeremy Irons and Robert Hardy and it is a closely guarded secret which star is booked for this year.

For a complete contrast, it is well worth making the short journey to Blenheim Palace, arguably Britain’s finest.  This year from 10^th November – 14^th December (Wednesday to Sunday inclusive) the Palace will be decorated in a very special theme telling the Christmas story of the Three Kings.

Visitors to the Palace will be able to follow the journey of the Three Kings through the State Rooms decorated in glittering gold and festooned in silk. Two magnificent Christmas trees will stand in splendour in the Great Hall, surrounded by palm trees in pots bejewelled in the colours of the Far East. From the balcony above the Great Hall, the Star of Bethlehem will shine out to guide the Three Kings on their way. Baubles and crystals on lush ribbons, shining golden leaves, clusters of peacock feathers and striking turquoise and emerald green marabou fans will provide an exotic welcome to the Palace.

http://www.four-pillars.co.uk/

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Oxford Lieder Festival – Friday 12th – Saturday 27th October

The Oxford Lieder Festival is held throughout October every year. It aims to celebrate singers and musicians and this year will include: Sarah Connolly, Florian Boesch, Lucy Crowe, Alice Coote, James Gilchrist, Katarina Karnéus, Robert Murray, Birgid Steinberger, Wolfgang Holzmair and many others.

Concerts will be held every night and in addition there will be a series of lunch-time and late-night recitals, a programme of master classes, workshops and talks.

The opening recital will be performed by the French soprano Sandrine Piau at 8pm on the 12th October. She’s known throughout the world for her opera performances and she will be accompanied by Roger Vignoles; they will open the festival with a selection of French songs.

For music lovers, this festival is one not to miss. There are recitals everyday so you’ll be able to attend at least one on your visit!

Alison Pullen New Paintings – Tuesday 2^nd October – Tuesday 6^th November

Alison Pullen is a sought after interiors painter, she will be showing a series of new paintings throughout October at the Sarah Wiseman Gallery. Her work includes a beautiful illustration of the Observatory at Green Templeton College.

Alison is said to be an expert at portraying daylight, pattern and textures; she has also been commissioned to complete works for private collectors and for the throne room at Buckingham Palace. Her collection is worth a look for art lovers.

It’s almost Halloween!

There are a number of events around Oxford at Halloween, located in some of the eerie and old buildings – Perfect to get a little spooked!

Blenheim Palace – Witches and Wizards –  27th October – 4^th November

The palace offers Halloween activities for all the family throughout the half term week.

Witches and Wizards Trail at the Pleasure Gardens – The trail is great for the kids and will be held during the weekdays in half term. Hunt the gardens and follow the clues to find the ten items you’d find in a witch or wizards house! After exploring the palace, children will also get the chance to decorate their own scary pottery in the Garden room.

At the weekends, Cat Weatherill will tell ghostly tales at the indoor cinema and also during half term week you can take part in one of the spooky palace tours. Hear stories from the night guards and visit Grace Ridley in the visitor experience “Blenheim Palace: The Untold Story”.

Ghost Fest

Ghost fest is a universal tradition and was launched in Oxford 7 years ago; ghost hunting is back at Oxford Castle – Unlocked.

There are a number of thrilling events at Oxford Castle throughout October as part of Ghost Fest!

After Dark Dinners

The castle has got together with The Big Bang, Pizza Express, The Living Room and Malmaison Brasserie. They will offer visitors a sinister journey through the castle, taking you to the most haunted locations, which will be topped off with a stunning three course meal in the castle quarter.

Scary Tours

The tours take you to the dark side of the castle; explore the most haunted rooms including the dark atmospheric 900 year old underground Crypt.

Overnight Ghost Hunts – Not for the faint-hearted!

The castle is steeped in history of bloodshed and imprisonment, and has had a number of reported ghost sightings. If you’re brave enough stay overnight for Vigils and Séances in some of the most eerie rooms of the castle. Will you spot the figure often seen in the Crypt?

Make plans for half term now and book your hotel in Oxford.

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We’re delighted to be celebrating all things British this June, July and August with the launch of Four Summer, a range of great value breaks and getaways.   Packed with fantastic offers and value added deals, not to mention a string of fun festivities, Four Summer provides the perfect excuse to escape and explore some of Britain’s most beautiful countryside at affordable prices.

Whether it’s Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire or the Cotswolds that you choose, Four Pillars Hotel provides the perfect base for a relaxing summer getaway.

Take advantage of a summer weekend escape from just £46 per person, per night (dinner, bed and breakfast) or make the most of a mid-week break and capitalise on a 15% discount, with rates starting from just £39.95 per person per night (dinner, bed and breakfast). Those seeking an extended stay can enjoy a 20% discount from just £37.60 per person (dinner, bed and breakfast) on all five night stays – meaning the longer you stay, the less you pay!* All this, PLUS children stay and eat breakfast for free**; there’s little excuse to leave British soil and plenty of cause for a traditional summer celebration this year!

For full T&Cs or to book, call 0800 374 692 or visit www.four-summer.co.uk

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