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There comes a time in most girls' lives when they simply want some luxury, some pampering and some real attention. Combine luxury with a weekend away, enjoying great food, good ambience and with some romance thrown in for good measure to make most hearts melt.

The Waterside Inn at Bray, right on the Thames in the UK and owned by world-renowned chef patron Michel Roux, could be the perfect spot for a romantic break not too far out of London. The Michelin three-starred restaurant will offer wonderful food whilst the intimate hotel rooms have hand-made mattresses, pure cotton bed linen, and air-conditioning. The tranquil location is the perfect setting for a world-class culinary experience or a romantic weekend away from the city. Michel Roux says: "When you visit us we want you to enjoy yourself. Let our staff use their knowledge and skills to enhance your pleasure and spoil you."

If you fancy a trip to the lovely West Country, then celebrity chef Rick Stein has both a hotel and top restaurant at Padstow in Cornwall. Rick Stein s popularity has brought seafood back into focus and Rick is also an hotelier offering bed and breakfast at his renowned Seafood Restaurant in Padstow. The St Petroc's Hotel, his small hotel up the hill from the Seafood Restaurant has views of the older parts of this Cornish town and estuary. For those feeling more active, and whose love of food extends to cooking, there are special cookery courses available throughout the year.

Padstow and, of course, Rock opposite, known as Kensington-on-Sea are very popular in summer but by booking a room at The Seafood Restaurant guarantees you a table at this famous restaurant. This whole area is one of the trendiest summer spots in the UK. Padstow is a relaxing old fishing port where cares can be left hundreds of miles away.

World-famous Skibo Castle in the Scottish Highlands is where Madonna chose to get married. This is not a place that messes with ordinary folk; in fact you have to be invited to pay to stay at The Carnegie Club. But the hotel has absolutely everything you could desire, from the historic building to the sporting estate covering 7,500 acres. There are two golf courses, a Clarins Spa, swimming pool, horse-riding, shooting, falconry and marvellous cuisine, all set within the Scottish Highlands close to Dornoch Firth and about 45 minutes from Inverness Airport. The former home of the legendary Andrew Carnegie and now owned by Peter de Savary, this is a bolthole for the super-rich and those seeking some peace and quiet.

In the north of England, The Boar s Head Hotel in Ripley, Yorkshire is a gem. Owned by Sir Thomas and Lady Emma Ingilby this is a comfortable, intimate hotel, tastefully furnished and offering excellent food, with a menu put together by the Ripley Castle chef, Steve Chestnutt. Ripley Castle is the Ingilby home, although they actually own the whole village. In fact the family business extends to Lady Emma having undertaken the careful interior design for each room in the hotel. The hotel and castle also offer great Murder Mystery Weekends over a three-day period.

The nearby town of Harrogate is great for shopping, and for a special treat, why not have a traditional Turkish bath in The Pump Rooms or a real Yorkshire tea at world-famous Betty s Tearooms? If you enjoy the sport of kings, horse racing, there are two racecourses nearby at Ripon and Wetherby. For those seeking historical associations, romantic Fountains Abbey is a short distance and Ripley Castle Estate itself often has sporting events or antique sales in the grounds.

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