Formby, Lancashire, known for beautiful beaches and home to one of England's last remaining colony of red squirrels, attracts visitors with its convenience to larger cities and proximity to three golf courses. About seven miles south of Southport, which has most of the hotels, Formby has remained a quiet town of about 25,000. Still, the town offers shops and a couple hotels surrounded by English countryside.
The Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa, with its championship-level golf course and sumptuous spa, calls itself one of northwest England's most luxurious resorts. Centered on 200 acres of English countryside, all rooms offer plasma televisions, wireless Internet and refrigerators with free bottled water water. Select rooms overlook the 18-hole golf course, which hosts a game during the European Challenge Tour. The spa offers facials, massages, makeovers and holistic treatments like the 90-minute hot stone facial that claims to unlock your inner energy and encourage harmony. Keep up your health routine at the resort's health club, where each exercise machine has its own television. The club also schedules classes like dance jam and aqua aerobics.
Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa
Southport Old Rd.
Formby
Southport
L37 0AB
0-1704-875-699
formbyhallgolfresort.co.uk
Next to the Formby Hall Golf Club lies the Tree Tops Country House Hotel and Restaurant. Nestled amidst five acres of British countryside, the Tree Tops offers 11 rooms for guests and amenities like an outdoor swimming pool. As another service, the hotel staff will even pack a lunch for your day of sightseeing. Rooms include showers, tea and coffee makers and irons. You can choose among rooms for just one person, or a larger family room with two beds that can sleep four people.
Tree Tops Country House Hotel and Restaurant
Southport Old Rd.
Formby
Merseyside
L37 0AB
44-845-084-8923
activehotels.com
At the Victorian-style Prince of Wales Hotel, many rooms offer views of the bustling Lord Street with shopping and restaurants. From the front, this hotel looks like a castle, with turrets and bay windows. All 148 rooms offer bathrooms en suite, although some lack windows. Rooms range from one bed to three, and they include desks and a free newspaper. Upgraded rooms provide guests with more space and some include whirlpool baths. The hotel's Colonial Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and guests can visit the Clubhouse Bar for a drink.
Prince of Wales Hotel Southport
Lord St.
Southport
PR8 iJS
0871-222-0039
britanniahotels.com
