Summer 2012: Close to home

Original feature: Every room at The Bell in Ticehurst, has a silver birch tree trunk in it

The best of British is on offer on a Champagne, Bucket & Spade Break at Hawke's Point (01726 884072; hawkes-point.co.uk) in St Ives, Cornwall.

This luxurious take on a traditional seaside holiday features champagne Cornish cream teas on arrival and buckets and spades for the kids. Trips to Tate St Ives, surfing lessons, cooking workshops with Lee Groves, a finalist of Masterchef The Professionals, and more can all be arranged through the concierge service at this cut-above self-catering complex with 15 sea-view apartments. Seven nights costs from £1,900 for a family of four, excluding activities.

For an adult getaway in Sussex, make refurbished pub with rooms The Bell (thebellinticehurst.com) in Ticehurst your base. More than £2m has been spent on restoring this coaching inn, uncovering original beams and inglenooks, building a new restaurant, and expanding the number of bedrooms from four to seven. This is a quirky stopover, furnished like a museum of curiosities – each stylish, comfortable bedroom sports a silver birch tree trunk and has an evocative name, such as "The Then" and "The Now". Doubles start at £90, including breakfast.

Get four nights for the price of three in Cumbria this summer at Lakeside Hotel & Spa (01539 530001; lakesidehotel.co.uk) on the shores of Windermere. The 76-room property is well positioned for outdoor pursuits, including walking, fishing and mountain biking, as well as visits to the South Lakes Wild Animal Park, Lakeland Motor Museum and cruises on the lake itself. At the hotel, there's an indoor swimming pool and a spa, and a restaurant and brasserie serving traditional Cumbrian fare. A four-day break costs £736 in a premium family room for two adults and up to three children. That includes breakfast and the use of the pool, gym, and spa facilities.