ONTHESHORES
of Loch Lomond, this is the
perfect retreat for those who don’t want to
abandon the good life. Set in an 18th-century
mansion surrounded by the clipped lawns
and ancient trees you might expect of a royal
residence, the interior is similarly regal – all
muted tartans, dark wood and antlers – and
there’s a seaplane parked outside. Its eatery,
by Martin Wishart, is Michelin-starred.
The 132-room hotel is refreshingly kid-
friendly – there are guided nature walks, a
pool with a water slide, game rooms, lake
cruises and all the farm-fresh sausages
they can eat. And, while there’s no shortage
of royal pampering for the little ones, the
40.6-
hectare grounds, set amid some of
the most ruggedly beautiful countryside in
Britain, will have them dropping the video
console in favour of a damp log, beneath
which a kingdom of creepy-crawlies awaits.
Just 15 miles away from Glasgow airport.
Book at hotels.easyJet.com
Mama Shelter
Marseille
|
Cheap chic
|
From €99
big-name interior
designers aren’t usually associated with budget
accommodation, but this Marseille stay – a second for the
Mama Shelter brand – is resplendent with the whimsical touch
of Philippe Starck. Better known for gilt-and-marble five-star
projects, here the Parisian uses playful graffiti accents alongside
the colourful trademark fittings he’s known for.
It’s all entirely in keeping with the location of this hotel. Near the
trendy, slightly urban Le Cours Julien-La Plaine bar district, the
conveniently central hotel is just far enough away from popular
La Canabière shopping and Vieux Port to offer a taste of old
Marseille. Plus, as a showcase for Starck’s ‘democratic design’
ethic, it delivers major style for mini-budgets. For instance,
the lift is papered with definitions of local slang, while all 127
bedrooms come with a mini-bar and the latest tech goodies, like
cameras that can be operated through the flat-screen TVs.
Guest DJs play in the bar from Thursday to Saturday nights,
while the restaurant features a menu devised by star chef Alain
Senderens and includes dishes such as escalope Milanese. The
€29 Sunday buffet brunch menu draws crowds. Summertime
guests can enjoy the hotel’s private beach, a 15-minute metro or
bus ride away.
Book at hotels.easyJet.com
Cameron House
Dunbartonshire
|
Highland getaway
|
From €153
WORDS
CHRIS WRIGHT, CORINNE LABALME
H O T E L
R E V I E W S
01
Bedrooms feature graphic
patchwork linoleum floors
02
Play table football in the
hotel bar while listening to
the guest DJs
01
02
As a showcase for celebrity decorator
Philippe Starck, it delivers major style
for mini-budgets
1 1 5
V I E W P O I N T S
