February can be the bleakest month but it's also a time for looking ahead, making plans and deciding on your travels. You're at the tail-end of some great winter deals in February so if you move fast you may pick up a bargain at some spectacular venues. Above all, don't let the weather put you off: there's nothing like a stay at a cosy hotel in winter, or some brisk winter walks and the fire-lit charm of a country cottage or woodland lodge.
Digital-Free Tourism
This week I spent a very pleasant day with some brilliant property owners discussing how your travel experiences could often be better if you left your phone at home. Apparently we spend more time on our phones than we do sleeping, but the fact is you'll enjoy your trip much more if you're not constantly taking photos to share on Insta. Dumping your phone also means you connect more with your companions and notice more of what's around you – who knew? Also, when nobody can get in touch, you get to enjoy a proper break from your routine so it's also better for your mental health and well-being.
We reckon there's something to be said for a digital-free break so why not give it a try? We're putting together a guide of the best places to do just that but in the meantime why not consider Albion Nights in Norfolk for a proper digital detox, or Careys Manor, who even provide a box to lock your phone in while you enjoy one of their 'Unplugged Digital Detox' spa stays.
Architect-designed properties
There's no doubt that the UK has some very special properties tucked away where you don't expect them - often properties designed by architects to make the most of their location and provide somewhere utterly unique to stay. I'm thinking of places like Architects Holiday, whose Sussex cabins provide unique places to stay that are intimately connected with the environment outside – and come with their own sauna and hot tub. You might also consider Looking Glass Lodge nearby, a self-catering glass-clad eco-lodge surrounded by woodland that appeared on 'George Clark's Amazing Spaces', or the properties of ARC – founded by a group of architects who do sumptuous contemporary renovations of large buildings for group stays. They have a super-stylish holiday home in Padstow, Cornwall, a wool merchant's house Painswick in The Cotswolds and a brand-new converted printworks in the Peak District – all very special, and currently offering £100 off to Cool Places readers.
Cool Place of the Month: Godwick Hall
Having visited recently on a cold but gloriously sunny day, this one was easy to pick. Occupying an uncompromisingly rural location in the very heart of Norfolk, Godwick Hall itself is a beautifully furnished and thoroughly contemporary holiday house that can accommodate up to 15 people. It's surrounded by beautiful countryside but its pool, sauna, games room and gorgeous en-suite bedrooms may mean you don't want to leave at all. They also have a very stylish converted stables in the grounds which can sleep 6, and a trio of shepherds huts that are equally comfortable but deliver you that bit closer to nature. It's all superbly well done and I can't recommend it highly enough for group and family breaks, large and small.
Hot Deals of the Month: The Greenbank, Matfen Hall and The Cookie Jar
The main message on deals for February is to make the most of all the cool Winter Getaway deals before they all start to disappear next month, but there are also a couple that stand out. For the first you'll have to move fast. But if you fancy a spontaneous escape to Cornwall, you won't do much better than stay at the lovely Greenbank Hotel, which enjoys a prime riverside spot in Falmouth. I was there last winter and can vouch for the fact that it makes for a delightful winter break, with a great restaurant and its own pub and views to die from its guest rooms and bar – and couples can stay there for just £129 a night right now.
Finally at the other end of the country, two of our favourite places – Matfen Hall in County Durham and The Cookie Jar in Alnwick, Northumberland – are offering brilliant 3 for 2 deals until the end of March. Matfen Hall is a sensitively updated country house hotel whose chef has just gained three AA Rosettes, while The Cookie Jar is an über-stylish boutique hotel in the centre of one of Northumberland's most delightful small towns. Both are places I know well and they both make for a great winter break!
