£9.50 Sun and Daily Mail Holidays

Sometimes going away on a Sun holiday can make one the butt of jokes but, snobbery aside, they are seldom noticeably inferior to any other holidays in their genre other than for the obvious fact that they will have cost less.

Launched nearly two decades ago, the Sun holiday is priced at £9.50 per person off season (the paper has since expanded into the peak season market, where it charges all of £15 instead). This price is based upon a minimum of four people per family, although at £38 it is worth paying for four even if holidaying alone. There is a small, optional charge for insurance and most parks add their own disbursements such a entertainment passes, linen and electricity. All the same the total bill for a whole family for either a weekend (three nights) or midweek (four nights) break will always be substantially less than £100.

More recently the Daily Mail has entered the same market, at the same price.

The deal is that every few months the newspaper will announce a new round of holidays. Participants need to collect a series of tokens from the newspaper and then fill out an online booking form using the codes provided, giving four possible dates and choices of four holiday parks. The scheme then awards the applicant with a holiday at £9.50 per head at one of the selected holiday parks on one of the chosen dates.

Caravans and chalets (usually) come in variable types and qualities, and with such holidays it really is pot luck as to whether you get one overlooking the sea or the site, have rowdy neighbours or inclement weather. The difference is, frankly, that if you've only paid £9.50 then you are apt to feel less hard done by if you do not, as to be fair you often do, fall on your feet.

If you like that kind of thing the entertainment and experience on these holiday parks can be superb, and the stuff of great memories. The author cannot speak highly enough of the £9.50 Sun or Daily Mail holiday. Try it and see.

Little Bassett B&B, Colwell Bay IOW

Planning permission has been granted for the opening of a small bed and breakfast in Colwell Bay, in Freshwater on the Isle of Wight. A dedicated Facebook page has been set up in support of the venture, and the grand opening will be taking place later this year.

This family-run business has two double rooms, one with a king-sized bed and the other with twin beds. A single occupancy en suite room is also available at no extra cost. All rooms have flatscreen TV, free Wi-Fi, and coffee and tea making facilities.

Children and dogs are very welcome. High chairs and travel cots including freshly laundered bedding are available upon request. All dogs receive a “doggy” towel, drinking bowls and small treat.

FULL ENGLISH AND CONTINENTAL

Full English breakfast and authentic Continental breakfast are offered. Celebratory flowers or chocolates can be organised prior to arrival for that special occasion. Beach towels and luxury picnic hampers are available (at a cost) upon request.

Little Bassett is situated 150 metres from the quintessentially English beach at Colwell Bay, one of many picturesque beaches in West Wight. It is a small and easily-accessible with clear, calm waters and gently sloping sand and shingle, making it ideal for swimming. Colwell Bay currently holds a Blue Flag award.

Little Bassett offers free car parking on site, and motorbikes and bicycles can be securely stored.

Lochs & Glens Holidays

Lochs and Glens Holidays offers coach tours throughout Scotland, utilising its own hotels to offer a highly competitive price package without compromising on the quality of service.

A family-run business, Lochs and Glens has operated since 1979. Running from a whole host of pick-up points throughout the United Kingdom, a range of tours is offered allowing customers to select not only according to preference but also by the number of days that one wishes to spend away. With packages including the Kyles of Bute, a Highland Safari, the Edinburgh Tattoo and an "English Lakes and Scottish Lochs" tour, there really is something for everybody.

The hotels themselves are all top quality, majestic in appearance and often boasting breathtaking scenic views. The operator is able to provide all this at a reasonable cost by cutting out the middle man and managing the whole travel package from start to finish.

An extensive and helpful website gives all the information needed to make a suitable choice from amongst the many options available. Newsletters and brochures are provided upon request.

The Cove, Pentewan

The Cove in Pentewan, near St. Austell, Cornwall, is a popular bed and breakfast run by a friendly and attentive mother and daughter team from a building known as Piskey Cove. "Piskey" is Cornish for "pixie".

The rear part of the building was constructed in the seventeenth century and was originally a row of fishermen's cottages occupying the banks of a small estuary. The front part was appended to three of the cottages to form one building.

A comfortable lounge area is available for guests to use, with a wood burner, coffee tables, two settees and an armchair carved from the root of a pine tree. A wide range of games and books are on offer for visitors to use.

Despite its modest size as a dwelling one has a selection of options at breakfast time. Whether the guest has a traditional English in mind or something altogether more healthy, the hosts are eager to please. The "bed" part of the deal is equally attractive, with clean, spacious and comfortable rooms.

The locality is convenient for visits to The Eden Project, Lanhydrock House and Caerhays Castle, but it is worth spending a little quality time also in Pentewan's picturesque village.

Merry Christmas from The Holiday Zone

The Holiday Zone wishes its visitors a Merry Christmas filled with festive joy and a very Happy and Prosperous New Year for 2015.

Langstone Hotel, Portsmouth

Hayling Island is not the buzzing family seaside resort it once was, which could be why the Langstone Hotel advertises itself as being in Portsmouth. But it is on the island, across the bridge from the mainland, and is the first accommodation one encounters upon crossing.

It is also a wonderful hotel with luxurious facilities and quality provision at what some would consider to be guest house prices.

With pleasant views across the water and generous car parking the impression gained by the new visitor is always good. But it gets significantly better when one enters the hotel and is attended to by the highly professional staff at reception.

The Langstone boasts 148 luxury and executive bedrooms, ten modern conference halls, a fully-equipped fitness centre, spa and swimming pool. Its immaculate presentation and state of the art facilities may go some way to explaining its popularity as a venue for weddings and other functions.

The restaurant overlooks the harbour and estuary, allowing the option of al fresco dining in pleasant surroundings. Service is always of the highest quality and the menu lists a wide range of options.

Also appealing is the convenience of the Langstone's location - just a couple of miles from the beach at the south of the island but also within easy reach of the mainland, which it looks out onto.

The Langstone Hotel is quality accommodation for anybody who is staying on Hayling Island - presentable but not at all pricey as hotels of its kind go. All in all it combines excellent value with some really first class service.

New Leaseholder Set to "Restore Gurnard Pines to its Former Glory"

The new leaseholder of Gurnard Pines Holiday Village on the north of the Island has spoken of his plans to restore the complex to its former glory.

Island-based businessman John Perrett, who already runs thriteen Spar convenience shops on the Island, has secured a twenty-year lease on the swimming pool, gym, and other leisure buildings. The lease does not cover the holiday homes, which will be continue to be hired out by a new company.

"All funds paid in respect of ground rents and service charges will be protected. A statement will be sent to all leaseholders in due course with details of how to pay in future," said Terry Prosser, director of the freehold operator. "Any deposits paid for holidays or parties will be honoured by the new company."

Reproduced with acknowledgements to Isle of Wight Review.

The Walpole Bay Hotel, Cliftonville

Cliftonville, like Margate of which it is effectively a part, is a one-time buzzing family holiday resort which is slowly recovering from the serious blight and neglect which had afflicted it for a great many years.

Back in the 1970s the seafront was alive with activity, largely due to the presence of Butlin's which owned several hotels in close proximity to one another. However once they departed Cliftonville ceased to be a holiday destination in any meaningful sense of the term and most of the buildings went into a state of serious neglect, just as Margate itself suffered the loss of Dreamland (later Bembom Brothers) and much of its identity as the summer retreat for Londoners famously referenced in a song by Chas and Dave.

However in the years pending the fairly recent arrival of the popular Turner Contemporary art gallery in Margate, the rejuvenation of the Harbour and the promised rebirth of Dreamland there was something of note that remained in Cliftonville, still attracting lots of visitors and enjoying the support and patronage of many visitors of renown, and that was the exquisite Walpole Bay Hotel and Museum.

Offering a unique combination of modern accommodation standards and provision with the ambience of a bygone era, the Walpole Bay has attracted a veritable roll call of celebrities, the names of whom are featured around the building alongside untold exhibits of yesteryear such as typewriters, dolls, tills, domestic appliances and household effects which render the whole building simultaneously a hotel and a museum. With its flowered terraces and verandas and its unique 1927 Otis trellis gated lift, the Walpole Bay Hotel has been featured on the sets of so many films and advertisements that the owners claim to have "lost count", but they include EastEnders, Sky Sports, GMTV, One Foot in the Past and a programme featuring local artist Tracy Emin.

The service isn't bad either! The comfortable Restaurant, Bar Lounge and Terrace is open from 7am each day and serves everything from breakfasts, through Sunday lunches to cream teas, including to non-residents. Rooms are available at highly competitive rates and offer all the facilities that one would expect from quality accommodation.

Without question the Walpole Bay is the place to stay in Cliftonville, and being within reasonable walking distance of Margate proper is also an attractive option for anybody visiting the recovering Kent seaside resort.

The Inn at Ardgour

The Inn at Ardgour is a splendid small hotel on the shores of Loch Linnhe in the Scottish Highlands, just outside Fort William. After driving a few miles south of the town a short crossing on the Corran Ferry will take you more or less to the front door. Travel on the ferry is free for foot passengers, but there is a charge for vehicles. Ardgour is directly accessible by road from Fort William, but it is a very long drive and when dark it is not for the faint-hearted.

The hotel has twelve en-suite bedrooms and a family suite, each of them enjoying a breathtaking view of Loch Linnhe. It describes itself as a "pet-friendly establishment", but the caveat is that yours should be friendly pets. No dangerous breeds of dog are permitted, nor any other dog that is considered likely to frighten the kids. Petless visitors should be aware however that the hotel management is very mindful of the comfort of all guests. Rooms are cleaned meticulously and some are kept permanently pet-free, whilst inside the hotel pets are kept very much under control.

Many visitors use The Inn as a convenient base when climbing Ben Nevis, the UK's tallest mountain, or en route to Skye or other islands. However it should not be overlooked as a holiday destination in its own right - Ardgour and the area around Glencoe and Loch Linnhe is quite beautiful, and the hotel is very clean, friendly and well-run, with spacious rooms, pleasant dining area in which excellent food is served, and a well-stocked and very comfortable bar.

As well as a website The Inn at Ardgour also now has its own Facebook page. All contact details are given, but we recommend booking some time in advance to avoid disappointment.

December Hot Tub Short Breaks from £119 Per Family

Enjoy a break away in a lovely, luxurious cottage from just £119 per break. With your own outdoor tub to relax in, Island View Holidays is dedicated to providing customers with the ultimate luxury holiday experience.

Be one of the first guests to secure your 2015 holiday at one of Island View's stunning award winning parks on the Isle of Wight. Book before 1st December 2014 and get a further £30 off!