The Malvern Hills in England have a special aura and where better to indulge in some pampering in the area than the family-run Bank House Hotel, Spa & Golf Course, Worcestershire, West Midlands. The Malvern View Spa here has a menu of thermal treatments, face and body treatments, a gym and a swimming pool.
For golfers, the Bransford Golf Club is a Florida-style course with no less than 14 lakes. Hugging the hills is the nearby town of Great Malvern with shopping and the Morgan Motor Company factory. There’s access to the hills from many points.
Bank House Hotel Spa & Golf Club, Bransford, Worcester, UK
Bank House Hotel, Bransford, Worcester, UK
St Ann’s Well Café, Saint Ann's Road, Malvern, UK
The Malvern Hills Hotel, Jubilee Drive, Upper Colwall, Malvern, UK
Worcestershire Beacon, Malvern, UK
Herefordshire Beacon, Malvern, UK
Best Places for Breakfast in West Midlands
Bank House Hotel
Help yourself to the cold buffet selection featuring cereals, pastries, yoghurts, fresh fruit and juices or choose à la carte. Traditional favourites include hearty full English breakfast, smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, and vanilla waffles. Or choose Eggs Benedict, grilled kipper or poached smoked haddock.
Fairway's View Clubhouse
The Bransford Golf Club clubhouse serves breakfast sandwiches and full cooked breakfasts of sausages, eggs, baked beans, black pudding and more. Open for breakfast from 9am-12pm, followed by snacks, basket meals, burgers, gammon steaks from 12-4pm.
Best Things To Do in the Morning in West Midlands
Spa therapy or golf? Or both? I have played golf and know that golfers will certainly want to be out on this beautiful, challenging course. But I also know that I can’t pass up the thought of a spa morning, so heading off for pampering, relaxing and revitalising treatments is my mission. In fact I would probably be booking a hotel spa package to make even more of this opportunity and setting.
Malvern View Spa
The Bank House encourages guests to make the most of the spa facilities including the 10m swimming pool, and it’s perfectly OK to pad around the hotel public areas in robe and slippers in-between treatments. Signature treatments include an “In Good Spirits” massage using a blend of Mediterranean essential oils including ginger, lemon and bergamot that are carefully chosen to stimulate and refresh the skin, body and soul.
Bransford Golf Club
Guests staying at the Bank House are welcome to play a round of golf at the hotel’s own Bransford Golf Club during their stay. Hotel guests get discounted rates on green fees to enjoy the Florida-style golf course with 14 lakes and two island greens. Tee-off is after 10am for non-members, subject to availability, and pre-booking through the club website is advised to avoid disappointment.
Best Places for Lunch in West Midlands
Have a snack at the hotel or drive to Great Malvern to hike to the Worcestershire Beacon, the Malvern Hills’ highest point. Or drive to the other end of the Malverns to hike to the Herefordshire Beacon and British Camp Iron Age fort. Find places for lunch at the base or on the way up.
St Ann's Well Cafe
Malvern spring water has long had a therapeutic reputation and St Ann’s Well is one of many springs on the Malvern Hills. The cafe’s website details theories as to its naming, including dedication to Anu, Celtic goddess of water. Drop in or your way up to the Worcestershire Beacon, to enjoy a vegetarian light lunch of cheese and potato “Homity” pie, or curry made with mango, aubergine and courgette.
Malvern Hills Hotel
The Malvern Hills Hotel at the base of British Camp caters for walkers, serving a full menu plus bar menu and snacks all day in the Oak Lounge bar. There’s a log burner inside for cold days and a terrace for fine days. Bar snacks include filled baguettes, cheese and pickle “Ploughman’s”, filled baked jacket potatoes. Mains for larger appetites include steaks, lasagne, lamb shanks, Ledbury sausages. Vu is the hotel’s restaurant with fabulous views.
Best Things To Do in the Afternoon in West Midlands
Hike the Malvern Hills
Exhilarating climbs with fantastic views or gentle strolls through fields and meadows, the iconic Malvern Hills and Commons have it all. Maps created by the Malvern Hills Trust help walkers and cyclists plan your route with advice about enjoying this shared landscape in a responsible way. The free walking and cycling map and guide is available from Tourist Information Centres, cafes, bike shops, and other visitor attractions. Northern and Central Hills and Southern Hills and Castlemorton Common. The maps are fascinating to look at in themselves.
Best Places for Dinner in West Midlands
The Garden Room Restaurant
The pretty Garden Room Restaurant at the Bank House Hotel offers relaxed fine dining for in-house guests as well as locals as it’s only around a 15-minute drive from the centre of the cathedral city of Worcester. The a la carte menu features seasonally inspired dishes created using the freshest locally sourced ingredients, alongside favourites such as steaks and burgers. Choose from daily seasonal specials on the menu, too.
The Sportsman's Bar
The Bank House prides itself on its warm and friendly atmosphere in inviting areas and hideaways around the hotel. One of these is the Sportsman’s Bar, just the place to enjoy light bites, sandwiches and sharing boards, also hearty pub classics such as the “Bank House Burger”, and fish and chips. The Sportsman’s Bar is also the perfect place to relax for a drink with an extensive wine list, beers, ciders, cocktails and an artisan gin selection.
Best Places to Stay in West Midlands
Bank House Hotel, Spa & Golf Course
Between Great Malvern and Worcester, the 66-room Bank House is perfect for both business and pleasure. With a luxury spa and 18-hole golf course it can be your base for a relaxing break, an event, wedding or business meeting. The hotel looks out to the Malvern Hills and is within an easy drive of the Cotswold countryside and the cities of Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff. Choose Classic, Superior or Family Bedrooms, Suites or the luxurious Penthouse Apartment.
The Penthouse
Travelling with friends is fun and if I were booking a holiday in this area for two couples, I’d be bagging the Penthouse at the Bank House. The 2,500 square foot suite is on the top floor, accommodating two couples in a double bedroom and a master bedroom with a sitting room. There’s a lounge area, kitchenette and separate area for private dining experiences. You’ll find a way to work out who scores the master bedroom.
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