BEAT THE SQUEEZE: How you can holiday at HOME

BEAT THE SQUEEZE: How you can holiday at HOME… From glamping tents you can hire for £22 a night to gourmet food delivered to your own front door

Whether you’ve decided to abandon all thoughts of a getaway this year, or are reducing the number of holidays you take to save money, it’s important to commit time to completely switching off so you can recuperate from life’s day-to-day stresses.

The costs of getting away have rocketed. According to Which, flights to popular foreign destinations have gone up by as much as 71 per cent since last year.

With a family of four typically spending around £5,000 going on holiday, staying put represents a huge saving.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a relaxing break — it’s easy to recreate a holiday environment in your home. Here’s how:

It’s easy to recreate a holiday environment in your home when you need a relaxing break

GLAMPING IN YOUR BACK GARDEN

Imagine sleeping under the stars, but with all your home comforts close at hand. Glamping in your back garden provides a memory-making outdoor experience, but with constant access to a private bathroom and clean clothes whenever you want them.

And if some family members only enjoy certain elements of the camping experience — stargazing or late night cookouts — they can retire to the house when they’ve had enough without affecting anyone else’s enjoyment.

Many people already own a tent; if you don’t, then Argos currently has 25 per cent off a Pro Action 6 Man 3 Room Tunnel Camping Tent, at £85. Hiring is a great option if you’ve never camped before — and have room for a bell tent, Ibex Camping (ibexcamping.co.uk) has a courier service, charging from £22 a night for one big enough to sleep a family of four. They also hire out regular tents.

Sarah Riley owns the Glamping Academy, and trains people who run glamping sites. She recommends exploring your house, garden and garage for things to use that will make the experience both comfortable and special with minimal outlay.

‘You might already have a stove and camping chairs in the garage from a previous trip,’ she says.

‘Most people have garden furniture, or can borrow some; if you’ve got a lockdown fire pit now gathering dust, that can become a focal point in the evenings.’

Moving your garden furniture around to create different zones will help keep things organised. So, try a fire pit or barbecue in one area that you can sit around to cook, eat and chat; sun loungers or towels laid out in a designated sunbathing section; and a more private zone with cushions and blankets where people can go to meditate or just be alone.

Glamping in your back garden provides a memory-making outdoor experience, but with constant access to a private bathroom and clean clothes whenever you want them

Suggests Sarah: ‘Jazz up your tent with solar fairy lights — coloured ones are a lovely touch — and string some around the garden, too. If you have children, turn finding dry tinder into a game, and introduce them to the simple pleasures of toasting your own marshmallows and a sing-along around a campfire.’

Meanwhile, stargazing will appeal to campers of all ages. Sarah recommends using a free app — there’s Night Sky for iOS and Stellarium for Android. ‘You hold your phone up to the night sky and it’ll say what stars and constellations you’re looking at,’ she explains. ‘That makes for a fantastic night-time experience.’

Having a warm bed is important. ‘Key to this, is raising it off the ground – cold rises up through the earth as well as coming down from the sky,’ explains Sarah. ‘So use groundsheets and perhaps an old rug to provide insulation. If you don’t have sleeping bags, then the duvets and pillows off your beds will keep you cosy.’

TURN YOUR BEDROOM INTO A HOTEL ROOM

Gemma Capel is Head of Housekeeping at Bayards Cove Inn, an award-winning boutique hotel in Dartmouth, Devon. She tries to put herself in her guests’ shoes when preparing their room.

‘I want them to walk in, sigh, and instantly feel relaxed,’ she says. ‘If you want to feel the same when you step into your own bedroom, then prepare the room in advance.’

First you should declutter. If your bedroom is a dumping ground, do a sweep the day before your official home holiday starts — putting away or removing anything that doesn’t belong in there.

Make sure the room is aired and clean.

‘Lighting is important,’ says Gemma. ‘You want it warm, atmospheric and non-intrusive.’ Lots of lamps will help – you can repurpose them from other parts of the house. Changing light bulbs to a warm glow will make a huge difference to the ambience of the room.

Gemma places a reed diffuser in each room at Bayards Cove Inn.

‘If you only use a few of the reeds, then the perfume is subtler and the diffuser lasts longer,’ she suggests.

A tea tray, with a kettle, will let you enjoy your first drink of the day in bed without having to shlep downstairs.

‘I like crisp cotton sheets on the beds,’ says Gemma.

‘Try having a full set of clean bedding all ready and neatly folded for a mid-week change.’

You won’t have room service, but you could take turns with your partner to deliver breakfast in bed each morning. Adds Gemma: ‘If you have children, and they’re capable enough, why not pay them to be your housekeepers — coming in after you’re up to make the bed and refresh your tea tray.’

CELEBRITY CHEF IN YOUR KITCHEN

Meals out are a lovely element to any holiday. Did you know it’s possible to get restaurant meals, prepared by professional chefs, delivered in chill boxes to your door? You just have to reheat them.

I found some delicious menus on the Dishpatch website (dishpatch.co.uk), ranging from express meals for two for less than £30 up to a weekend’s worth of French food from Michel Roux Jr for £130. Chefs and restaurants featured include Ottolenghi, Andi Oliver, and Cafe Murano by Angela Hartnett.

And there’s currently £5 off your first order.

Rick Stein at Home offers a similar service via his own website, including a weekend breakfast box for £49.50 and a picnic box at £55.

A cheaper way to do this would be to order a recipe box, such as Gousto or HelloFresh, which often offer heavily discounted deals to new customers. That would give you several meals for the week, with the weighing and measuring of ingredients done for you, giving you delicious, economical dinners with minimal effort.

TURN YOUR BATHROOM INTO A SPA

Fluffy towels, exotically scented toiletries and relaxing music are all part of the spa experience — these are the simple touches that will help you make your own bathroom feel like a sanctuary and not just somewhere to brush your teeth. Lorela Movileanu is Spa Director at Armathwaite Hall Hotel and Spa at Keswick in the Lake District. Here are her tips for creating a truly harmonious space for your holiday at home.

Boots’ Baylis and Harding ‘Goodness’ range includes a children’s lavender bath soak that could help you drift off

• Clean up in advance: make sure the room is spotlessly clean and clutter free. How will you empty your mind if you keep getting distracted by the sight of soap scum on the taps or dried-up toothpaste in the sink?
• Declutter: clear all surfaces and box everything up, including half-used toiletries — then stash it all out of sight for the duration.
• Create a relaxing vibe: place a lush green plant in the window, a soothing aromatherapy candle next to the bathtub and soft and fluffy towels on the rail. Find a meditative playlist on Spotify or compile your own.
• Claim some alone time: this is especially important if you have children. Your spa time must be sacred, and if you’re going to truly switch off then you need to know you won’t be disturbed. So, lock the dog in the kitchen, get your partner to entertain the kids and leave your phone switched off in another room. Make sure that everyone in the house knows they have to leave you alone.
• Run a hot bath — Lorela says this is the cheapest, yet one of the most effective ways she knows to bring the sensations of a spa into your own home. The steam is soothing, and adding something as simple as a couple of handfuls of magnesium salts to the water will help you relax. In Japan it is traditional to end the day with a bath, and Lush recently launched two new sets of Ippuku (the Japanese word for the concept of taking a small break) bath bombs featuring Japanese wellness ingredients — they’re £9.50 for a set of three.
• Buy in some bubbles. And you needn’t break the bank. Have a look at Boots’ Baylis and Harding ‘Goodness’ range, which even includes a children’s lavender bath soak that could help you drift off, too. The packaging is lovely, and it costs £4 for 500ml.
• Finishing touches: a small vase with just a couple of flower stems; a bowl of petals next to the sink ready to sprinkle over the water; a basket with hair masks, body scrubs and lotions you can dip into — these are all small touches that help make you feel like this is special time. The Sanctuary spa sets are widely available and the brand’s Special Occasion Hamper is great value at £25 and is sometimes on offer for less.

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