Dear Mummy, I’m always looking for ways to treat you and with Mother’s Day on the horizon I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently.

With half term looming it was the right time for us to escape together out of the city to find peace and calm within the countryside. An early Mother’s Day present! So I set off to find us the perfect break.

Of course you had to look after little ol’me so we needed a place that was kid friendly. When researching Mother and Daughter short breaks one of the best websites I found was Red Letter Days. Pampering was high up on my agenda, as we needed a place that you would find relaxing but also gave me a chance to have fun.

I’d heard of Red Letter Days before but never really researched into all the experiences they provided. Daddy helped me look on their website and we were blown away by the amount of activities and pamper options. My daddy was also impressed with the amount of sports, film and theatre related experiences they had too.

Red Letter Days, is all about providing memorable experiences for friends and family to share. It’s a brilliant site where you can find a huge selection of gift experiences for every occasion and budget. From indulgent food lover treats to high adrenaline rushes. In fact we know a couple of people who would love to drive a supercar or go for an afternoon tea!

However there is so much choice on their website it can be a bit overwhelming so it’s worth filtering the types of experiences and locations, as you could be browsing for hours! Also, insider tip, make sure you read the fine print on the experience details. We stumbled across a lot of fantastic experiences which seemed too good to be true and they were, with mid-week only and no under 16’s, no school holidays or weekends. So just bear that in mind when booking. They really do have something for everyone!

Finally after some time browsing I decided to book a luxury getaway for two in the heart of the New Forest at the newly refurbished Beaulieu Hotel. This was perfect for us as it offered accommodation during the school holidays and weekends and also was child friendly.

The experience was easy to book by clicking the ‘buy this package’ on the website and making a payment (daddy helped me with this). We were kindly gifted this experience to review for Red Letter Days so I was over the moon when the gift certificate and card arrived in the post a couple of days later in the iconic pillar-box red gift box.

We rang up the week before and exchanged the voucher details and booked a room. Thankfully The Beaulieu Hotel had space over the half term break and they were lovely and accommodating on the phone.

We’ve been to the New Forest before and the hotel is located a short drive along the Beaulieu road from Lyndhurst town centre. When we arrived roaring log fires provided a warm welcome and we can see why this hotel is perfect for ramblers, families and couples seeking a true slice of New Forest hospitality.

The hotel is surrounded by stunning open heathlands and it’s in the perfect base for enjoying walking or cycling in the forest, we even met the famous New Forest ponies right outside the hotel door. Only a 5 minute drive from the high street in Lyndhurst it’s near enough points of interest, like the New Forest museum and tourism centre, while also feeling a bit off grid.

We stayed in a comfortable twin room with an en-suite bathroom, flat-screen TV, Wi-Fi and hot drink facilities. It was super comfortable and had everything we needed for a mummy-daughter couple of days away!

Our room was spotless and very cozy, we had two twin beds pushed together and there was a little study area for my mummy to work at while I was asleep. Check out our little video tour below!

Dinner was really good and we received a £25 allowance per person as part of the Red Letter Days experience at the hotel. This allowed us to enjoy a 3-course meal (1 x adult and 1 x child). Please note the Guinness is mummy’s not mine as it tastes yucky, but she liked it!

Dinner was next door at the restaurant, The Drift Inn, across the courtyard. The kids menu was varied and I opted for cheesy garlic bread and ham, eggs and chips.

My mummy’s starter was a yummy Scotch egg with black pudding sausage meat, pork crumb, bacon jam followed by her main course, Honey glazed duck breast with fondant potato, hispi cabbage and heritage carrots. We can see why they hold the Hampshire Fare and the New Forest Marque as they feature the very best seasonal ingredients on their menu from local farms and artisan producers.

After dinner and with our bellies full we walked back to the hotel by moonlight. It was so peaceful and we can see why it’s the perfect setting for wedding receptions. They is a little bar area in the lounge, but we were so tired we headed up to our room. With all the best intentions of catching up on blogging work, my mummy actually had a coupe of drinks at dinner and was feeling a bit tipsy so while sending me to sleep she also relaxed and we both fell asleep in each other’s arms. Blissful.

The next day we were woken up by the New Forest ponies neighing and birds at our window. It was a very relaxing start to a busy day of exploring and sightseeing.

Breakfast was included in our Hotel Escape for Two at The Beaulieu Hotel package and served just next door again at their sister pub, The Drift Inn. The promise of home cooked food made our mouths water and we couldn’t wait to tuck into a lovely breakfast.

After looking at the choice on their breakfast menu the reality doesn’t disappoint. I had cereal first then eggs and a mini ramblers cooked breakfast while my mummy had buttermilk pancakes with streaky bacon & maple syrup!

Of course after all this food we had to burn it off! One of the main reasons why we booked the Beaulieu Hotel was the heated indoor swimming pool! I had so much fun and we had the pool to ourselves, which was amazing. I even gave my inflatable unicorn a go, much to the other guest amusement as I walked through reception with it!

Check in was 2pm and check out was a leisurely 11am which gave us plenty of opportunity to explore the countryside and we went on a mini adventure and also visited Lyndhurst. Other attractions nearby also include Beaulieu, The National Motor Museum, Exbury Gardens, Paultons Park (Peppa Pig World) and Bucklers Hard along with lots of fantastic to beaches on the Hampshire/Dorset coast.

We had a lovely couple of days staying at the Beaulieu Hotel on a Red Letter Days experience and we’d totally recommend it. Giving the downtime to bond with my mummy, have a relaxing dinner and chat in the lounge was really special.

It works out really good value for money starting at £99 for 2 people for an overnight stay in The New Forest with a dinner allowance, bed and breakfast and access to the swimming pool too! So, what are you waiting for? There are so many cool experiences to choose from on the Red Letter Days website. What would make your mummy happy this Mother’s Day?

Love Bella x

Disclaimer: We received a complimentary hotel break from Red Letter Days for the purpose of a review. All thoughts, opinions and inflatable unicorn rings are our own.