By Rose Shepherd With British history and monarchy on our minds, this month we present our pick of some of our favourite Guide hotels with a colourful past – places that abound in stories, original features, several with royal connections, some set in acres of landscaped parkland and pleasure grounds.

By Rose Shepherd If you fancy a restful, convivial, self-indulgent or sporty and restorative country-house weekend, look to Ireland for the perfect place for you.

By Rose Shepherd A staple of the Edwardian breakfast table, kippers fell out of fashion in the Seventies, but they are enjoying a renaissance, to the delight of connoisseurs among our readers, who write to tell us when they have enjoyed a fine specimen of the butterflied smoked herring.

By Rose Shepherd It’s been a long, testing winter, with snow and ice for some, but soon trees will be blossoming, bulbs will be starting to flower, and it is time to make plans for a reviving spring break.

Archery, tennis, circus skills, sailing – the list of activities on offer for children at modern resorts is off-the-scale (and way more exciting than a family day by the pool).

By Rose Shepherd With St Valentine’s Day almost upon us, our fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

By Rose Shepherd Christmas looms so large at this time, it can be hard to see beyond it, but we know that, by the New Year, we all feel in need of a boost to our wellbeing, and a hotel break with spa treatments or country or seaside walks could be just the thing to…

By Rose Shepherd After two years of uncertainty, hotels are making exciting plans for a bumper Christmas, and rooms are selling like hot mince pies, which does mean that you may find no room at your favourite inn.

Whether polar bears lumbering across an Arctic plateau, manta rays gliding through crystalline seas or eagles soaring above silent Scottish lochs, a wildlife holiday offers the chance to experience unforgettable encounters with some of the planet’s most fascinating creatures.