Your Coffee Break’s weekend getaway to Kingston Upon Thames
No plane or car required!
After months and months of hard work and fantasizing about tanning on the beach in Cabo (and sipping a Strawberry Daiquiri) it came that time when the Your Coffee Break team needed a summer getaway! And we needed one badly! Things have been so manic and nonstop at the office lately and we needed a weekend out of bustling London to slow down and enjoy the lovely summer weather.
If you’re looking for a lovely spot and riverside getaway for relaxation but don’t have the time to travel too far, then Kingston is the perfect solution! It’s just 25 minutes outside central London! Now, that’s close.
You can imagine our surprise and excitement when we arrived at one of the most striking hotels that Surrey has to offer! We’re not just quoting the website on that. The White Hart Hotel is in an idyllic location just off the banks of River Thames in the village of Hampton Wick. The hotel itself consists of 37 gorgeous rooms designed in modern décor with an attached traditional English pub on the side!
As all women are princesses, it’s only right that we should feel and be treated as such! Each superior bedroom contains queen size beds, flatscreen TVs, fluffy pillows and ensuite bathrooms with big bathtubs, all located just a train ride away from central London -what more could a girl ask for?
The suites were themed after famous King Henry VIII’s wives. For example, the Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour renovated superior rooms are perfect examples of the romantic and luxurious interior design The White Hart Hotel offers. And after Showtime’s The Tudors mania, it felt natural to believe that heartthrob Jonathan Rhys Meyers was somewhere close by.
The hotel and pub attached offer free wi-fi 24/7 for all the guests. Perfect for those who are coming from out-of-town for business and pleasure! With free breakfast included with our reservations, we were also provided with classic British, home-cooked meals and a first class range of real ale!
While we were in Kingston, our mini break’s itinerary had a lot in store for us! As for dining: we indulged ourselves in fresh cooking at Browns Bar & Brasserie, a German classic dinner at Stein’s Bavarian bar & restaurant, and afternoon tea at the beautiful Warren House.
Hampton Court Palace being only a 3-minute drive away from the hotel and a well-known tourist destination of fascinating British history and architecture were all reasons we couldn’t say no to the trip! More anticipation arose when we took a river cruise to Hampton Court with Turks Cruises.
The river cruise (there and back) and palace tour package is a great deal of £31 per person! Don’t feel like driving while you’re there? You can rent a Kingston Upon Thames’ Hawker Center bicycle for £14-25 and enjoy the beauty and visit local hotspots in Kingston.
If you need a weekend getaway with the girls, specifically including the hotel and the relaxing spa? The White Hart Hotel plus a reservation at Urban Retreat: UR Beautiful is a must! We were given each a facial and a massage—totally recommend both! You can get both for about £60 per person. Now that’s a great deal for a rejuvenating experience!
It’s important to remember that all professionals and workaholics alike need some time to treat themselves and enjoy the company of loved ones. Your Coffee Break recommends it, in fact, we insist on it. Enjoy a lovely weekend mini break in Kingston! We sure did.
For more information on Kingston Upon Thames, go to www.kingstonfirst.co.uk.
Rooms at The White Hart, Hampton Wick start from £75 per room, per night including breakfast (020 8977 1786, www.whiteharthoteluk.co.uk).
Afternoon Tea at Warren House starts from £23.50 for the Classic Tea and £38.50 for the Champagne Tea (020 8547 1777, www.warrenhouse.com)
For more information and reservations at Browns Bar & Brasserie, Kingston go to www.browns-restaurants.co.uk
For information and reservations at Steins, go to www.stein-s.com/kingston/index.php
For more information on the Hawker Centre, call 020 8296 9747 or go to www.ymcalsw.org/Sites/yplus/pages/ymca-hawker-centre
