What’s Your Cup of Tea? A UK Getaway for Every Type of Traveler

June 17, 2019 by Allison Reiber DiLiegro

London is always calling, for one reason or another. There are hot new restaurants to try, West End shows to catch and some of the best art exhibitions anywhere. The city is always blazing trails, and we are, too.

Now more than ever, the countryside is also calling. Along with The Beaumont in London, we’re proud to represent two of the most acclaimed properties in the British countryside: Heckfield Place in rural Hampshire and The Fife Arms in the Scottish Highlands. In this post, we craft a unique UK getaway for four types of travelers with In Any Event Tours (IAE Tours). What’s your cup of tea?

Spa Lover’s Long Weekend:

With easy flights from the East Coast, a quick jaunt to the UK is a jetsetter-worthy long weekend. There’s no forgetting you’re in London with an Art Deco-inspired suite at The Beaumont. With just a night or two in town, go big with tickets to a show and dinner in Mayfair. Or, stay home and opt for a scrub in the white marble hammam.

After breakfast, set out for Heckfield Place, the revamped Georgian home just a 75-minutes drive from central London. You’re sure to feel right at home – the property was designed to feel like a friend’s country estate (and a chic friend, at that). Spend your days in the Little Bothy Spa, featuring all-natural products from the hotel’s Wildsmith Skin brand, and exploring the 400-acre grounds. The pastoral surroundings, pampering treatments and farm-fresh cuisine will work their healing powers in no time.

First-Time Family Vacation:

Familiar yet foreign and packed with history, London is the perfect introduction to Europe. Kids will be transported by The Beaumont’s Roaring Twenties glamour, but this trip is about getting out on the town. See the sights with In Any Event Tours (IAE), known for crafting multi-generational trips that keep the whole family entertained. With privileged access throughout the city, itineraries could include tours of Buckingham Palace after hours, peeks of little-visited parts of Westminster Abbey and walks through Prince Charles’ gardens. All the while, guides keep kids engaged with interactive activities, like a Harry Potter-themed video taped throughout their stay.

If your kids love trains, take a ride on the Caledonian Sleeper train and check into The Fife Arms in the Scottish Highlands. The hotel is incredibly stylish – yes, that is a Picasso on the wall – but packed with quirky, kid-friendly details. There’s the Family Room, a playroom with a football table, dollhouses and plenty of books. But the real playroom is outside: Days are spent horseback riding, chasing red squirrels in the pine forest and hiking to castles. The hotel provides “memory jars” so kids can collect treasures along the walk.

Inspiring the Design Aficionado:

Think you’ve seen all of London? IAE aims to add a new element to every single itinerary, and they’re always up for a challenge. Tour art galleries with the curator by day and sleep in a piece of art by night. The Beaumont’s ROOM by Antony Gormley suite, set inside a semi-abstract sculpture by British sculptor Antony Gormley, offers a unique, immersive experience for art fans.

After taking on the city, take the train to the Scottish Highlands. The Fife Arms is kid-friendly, but it was designed to delight the adult’s imagination. The property is a labor of love by the international Swiss art dealers Iwan and Manuela Wirth of Hauser & Wirth, with an art collection of more than 14,000 pieces including both antiques and specially commissioned artworks that have been thoughtfully integrated throughout the hotel to show for it. Pieces include Chinese artist Zhang Enli’s Ancient Quartz ceiling in The Drawing Room to Argentinean artist Guillermo Kuitca “Untitled” cubist mural painted in The Clunie Dining Room where guests can savor wood-fire cooking and seasonal Scottish produce. The Instagrammable interiors were created by the much-sought-after interior designer Russell Sage and Scottish tartan woven by Araminta Cambell. Head to Elsa’s, an art deco bar inspired by the iconic Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who was a regular visitor of Braemar, for a night cap. While you could spend days exploring the nooks and crannies, it’s worth setting out into the Scottish Highlands. Take a guided tour of Balmoral Castle, built in the 1850’s on land purchased by Queen Victoria. Queen Elizabeth II still spends summers here.

Field to Fork Epicurean Adventures:

Pack your Wellies and a copy of Wuthering Heights: you’re about to be swept up by countryside culture and cuisine. After landing at Heathrow, take a 30-mile drive to Heckfield Place. The property is committed to biodynamic farming, with much of the produce grown on the property’s own farm. Stroll through the farm with the gardener or take a cooking class to learn the craft. As a special treat for the summer, Culinary Director Skye Gyngell has opened a seasonal restaurant called the Sun House, set inside a beautiful greenhouse. Open on summer weekends only, the restaurant serves Heckfield-grown vegetables, fruits and herbs. Lunch is a casual affair, while dinner is a five-course wonder with candlelight and fresh-cut flowers.

After you’re wined and dined at Heckfield Place, set out into even grander wilderness: the Scottish Highlands. The Fife Arms surrounded by epic landscapes you can reach on foot. IAE offers guided hikes to Braemar’s iconic castle and Cairngorms National Park, the largest national park in the UK. This sprawling park – 1,748 square miles in all – is home to ancient trees, waterfalls and golden eagles. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, you’ll have plenty of options. The Fife Arms has three restaurants that serve produce, seafood, whiskies and spirits from local suppliers, farmers and gamekeepers. Pop into The Flying Stag for a pint or try one of their 180 whiskeys and meet locals. Or, have IAE arrange a private distillery tour at Macallan Highland Distillery with IAE and finish your day sipping Scotch.

Contact us to learn more about our UK properties and In Any Event Tours’ exclusive offerings.

The Beaumont:

Email: reservations@thebeaumont.com

Website: www.thebeaumont.com

The Fife Arms:

Email: mail@thefifearms.com

Website: www.thefifearms.com

Heckfield Place:

Email: enquires@heckfieldplace.com

Website: www.heckfieldplace.com

In Any Event Tours:

Email: office@iaetours.com

Website: www.iaetours.com