Summer Breaks: Citizen Femme's Best UK Weekend Getaways

A staycation is the new vacation and Citizen Femme is brimming with suggestions for an idyllic getaway from the city. Drive a stylish set of wheels (ie, a Maserati, we even demonstrated it in an image) and revel in the dramatic landscapes and countryside scapes of UK’s rolling hills.

Here, Citizen Femme rounds up our favourite UK weekend breaks for a mini staycation, all within driving distance.

Enjoy London’s centrally located gems featuring some of our favourites including The Mandeville Hotel in the middle of the trendy hub of Marylebone filled with neighbourhood restaurants, great shopping (don’t miss out Koi Bird for your summer must-haves) and of course Selfridges; The Charlotte Street Hotel for its great terrace bar and street full of restaurants (Roka is a must-do), walking distance to Soho; and The Connaught for martinis in the bar, an afternoon in its Aman Spa and its adjacency to a CF favourite street, Mount Street, for oysters and champagne at Scott’s or a browse through its boutiques.

For a little more off the beaten track, try The Artist Residence or Leman Locke.

Pack a picnic and your sunglasses and get ready to be captivated for the drive of your life in Cornwall. From Zennor to Sennen, this stretch of road rivals great drives from across the world and enjoys magnificent sweeping views across the west Cornish coast and beyond. Roll down the window, put your favourite tune on the stereo and keep the speedo down low, for you’ll want to take your time with this journey. Or Whitsand Bay, Cornwall’s south east corner is somewhat of a hidden gem. For maximum impact start out on Rame Head and take the coastal road that sweeps above Whitsand Bay in a westerly direction so that the coast on your left can be viewed in its full splendour. The road drifts high over the five miles of golden sand and rugged cliffs to give drivers an eagle eyed view of the areas brilliance.

The Scarlet is a restorative adults-only, eco-friendly coastal escape. Lashings of style and comfort are combined with breathtaking sea vistas which, make for the ultimate relaxing stay.

Or Beach Lodges, beachside chic, no fuss, on the Carbis Bay Estate. Think slate and reclaimed white washed wood – its sophisticated seaside.

One of the most scenic drives is to Hampshire, allowing you to tour the beautiful and historic New Forest, Britain’s newest National Park. The New Forest was originally created in 1079 as a hunting ground by William the Conqueror, and has maintained its beautiful woodlands, open heath and lovely coastline. Take a drive to the beautiful village of Beaulieu, followed by a visit to of Buckler’s Hard, on the banks of the Beaulieu River, down to the coast to Lymington and then returning back to one of our hotel picks.

Chewton Glen, a country house paradise with spectacular views of the forest, especially from its new tree house, a world away from reality. It is wholeheartedly luxurious. Don’t forget the spa. It’s worth the drive there.

Or the Lime Wood Hotel, with its manicured grounds and a welcoming sweeping driveway for your arrival. Decadent rooms, a spa with Bamford massages and facials alongside Sarah Chapman skincare treatments, Angela Hartnett’s Hartnett Holder & Co. serving hearty, unpretentious food, and wellbeing classes from rooftop core to aerial yoga.

Soho Farmhouse is like its own little village – created specifically from city to country types for a country-lite weekend. Arrive in your Maserati, and park up, before checking in to your cabin. Grab some wellies for your walks, or a bike and make your way around from Hay Barn to Main Barn to Mill Room for eating and drinking, or towards the Boathouse for outdoor and indoor heated pools, the Cowshed Relax spa with Steam and Sauna Island, and gym and studio. In case you get bored, watch a movie, play some tennis or five-a-side football, ride a horse stables, catch a spot of clay pigeon shooting, ya know, the usual.

Dormy House and The Wild Rabbit are two other Citizen Femme favourites. Dormy House, stylish and deeply relaxing décor, terrific food and impeccable service with an award-winning spa. The Wild Rabbit is a haven of eco-elegance a few fields away from sister enterprise Daylesford, the organic farm shop, deli, spa (and more) of Carole Bamford.

Bath is the perfect base to explore the very best the region has to offer, world-famous attractions and breath-taking countryside. A visit to the famed Georgian city of Bath, with its beautiful honey-coloured architecture, followed by a drive through the picture-postcard idyllic towns, such as Wells or Castle Cary and the 3 mile drive through the sensational Cheddar Gorge.

Stay on the loveliest street in Bath, running between Pulteney Bridge and the Holburne Museum, where sits this imaginatively designed boutique hotel in a Georgian Grade I-listed building. The No.15 Great Pulteney is chic, brimming with wit, and has just completed a refurbishment of its Spa 15.