It all sounded promising . . . a romantic weekend away right

on our doorstep here in Cheltenham.

That was until we saw the television in our Hotel du Vin

bedroom.

Strangely, all thoughts of romance vanished as we gazed in

wonder – it wasn't so much the size, but more what they'd done

with it.

The telly was set in a central room divider with one screen

facing a large comfortable bed, while on the opposite side,

another screen faced comfortable sofas in a little lounge

area.

What a brilliant idea. Immediately, I plumped up the

pillows, ready to catch up on EastEnders, while round the other

side of the great divide, he plonked down on the sofa with a

football match.

It was certainly a relaxing start to our stay. Not a word

was exchanged as we downed proper coffee from the hospitality

tray and started to unwind.

There's a lot to be said for treating yourself to a break

close to home. There was no long drive, heavy motorway traffic

or getting lost – just 15 minutes from our front door to

theirs.

The Hotel du Vin is in quiet, leafy Parabola Road and

minutes from Montpellier and the Promenade.

A night away in our home town felt a little strange, but if

you're going to holiday on your doorstep, you want somewhere

special.

Contemporary and classic design combine to make the most of

the old building which many remember as the Carlton Hotel. High

ceilings, traditional sash windows and Georgian features work

side by side with an up-to-date colour palette of easy neutrals

and earthy shades with splashes of colour.

The spacious bar and lounges centre on a showpiece spiral

staircase with a spectacular chandelier created from wine

glasses. Downstairs is the popular bistro, which spills out

into the patio garden for alfresco meals. Smokers can relax too

– a cute purpose-built summerhouse with nightlights and cosy

seating makes a perfect retreat between courses.

If a quiet nightcap is more to your taste, the Sinner's Bar,

with its racing theme, has one of the largest Irish whisky

selections in the country.

The 49 bedrooms are all named after different tipples, from

Veuve Cliquot to Tattinger and Dom Perignon. Spacious, with

Egyptian cotton bedlinen, you'll be more than comfortable.

Bathrooms have huge monsoon showers, fluffy bathrobes and

towels and generously-sized toiletries by Arran Aromatics from

the Isle of Arran, which you are invited to take home with you.

At least you can pop them in your bag without feeling

guilty.

For once, we had time to relax. If you fancy a treat, the

hotel spa offers a range of treatments and general pampering

from massages to manicures and St Tropez tanning. But we

decided to play tourist and do the things the working week

doesn't normally allow. So we wandered over to Montpellier,

browsed in a few shops and watched the world go by with a cup

of coffee, before strolling round Montpellier Gardens and the

Suffolks. We quickly felt like we were on holiday and we still

had dinner to savour.

We knew it would be a treat – the bistro, overseen by head

chef Michael Wilson, is always buzzing and the menu has a range

of appealing dishes, using local produce where possible. We had

asparagus with poached egg and Hollandaise and ham hock with

apricot chutney to start, both beautifully presented. Mains

were grilled plaice with spinach and samphire – a delicate and

light option while duck breast roast plum and hispi cabbage was

a more substantial dish. Lemon tart and crème brulee, followed

by coffee and petit fours in the lounge rounded off an

excellent meal.

Breakfasts are also a substantial affair with a

help-yourself table laden with fresh fruit, cereals, a

delicious fruit compote with Greek yoghurt and honey plus ham,

cheese and pastries. On top of that, there was also a choice of

traditional cooked, smoked salmon, eggs benedict and more plus

toast and proper marmalade and jam from Stroud-based Kitchen

Garden Preserves.

Our waistlines were bulging. We had eaten and drunk far too

much during our overnight stay but at least we were set up for

the long journey home – all 15 minutes of it.