![[AD - Press visit]
We enjoyed the glorious sunshine this weekend with a trip to Brighton. We went on the @brightoni360official which is right by the sea front.
The i360 pod take a slow journey up, allowing you to take in views across Brighton and the South Downs 450ft above ground. There’s a bar inside with drinks and snacks available to purchase and the experience lasts 25 minutes.
Afterwards, we headed to the open air roller rink for a roller skating session!
The roller rink is:
⭐ Suitable for over 5s
⭐ £6.50 if you have your own skates or £9.50 if you need to hire them
⭐ 45 minutes per session
Full details to visit the i360 + skating
📍 Brighton i360, Lower Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2LN
🚗 Parking nearby (we parked in the Regency Square Car park)
🎟️ Prices start from £25.40 for an adult and £16.90 for a child
🕐 Opening hours are currently Sun-Fri 10.30am-18.30pm and until 19.30pm on Saturdays
☕️ Bar inside the i360, cafe and gift shop
Book tickets here:
https://tickets.brightoni360.co.uk/tickets/?_ga=2.195305772.1869001490.1689671753-1757164059.1689671753/#events?eventid=157](https://suburban-mum.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/417980235_313576471048632_3682382982231216432_n.jpg)
![[AD] ***Summer of fun at Barracudas Activity Camps!****
There is plenty for kids to do at @barracudas_activity_day_camps
From Tennis, Archery, Swimming, Motor Sports and more you can be sure that there will be something for kids aged 4.5-14. ⚽🏈🥅🎾🏓🏎️🏹🏊♂️🏉
You can book on a day by day basis - so it can fit in with any other days out/activities you have planned and there are early drop off and late pickup options available. Barracudas are also Ofsted registered so you can use your Childcare Vouchers too.
⭐⭐⭐Get £20 off a week or £4 off a day using my discount code: MARIA20⭐⭐⭐
#BarracudasActivityDayCamp #BarracudasActivityCamp #BarracudaAmbassadors #SummerHolidays #SchoolHolidays #Summer2023 #SummerCamp #DayCare #Camp #KidsCamp #surreymummy #surreymums #SummerOfFun #ActivityCamps #HolidayCamps #Childcare #SchoolHolidays #schoolholidaycamps](https://suburban-mum.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/353583570_625625966167953_545896259645102575_n.jpg)
![[AD] We have some super exciting news...we have been chosen to be Laser Quest Ambassadors, and the boys are over the moon!
We are really lucky that our local Laser Quest (@laserquestkingston) is just around the corner from us. It means we can pop in of a weekend or anytime during the school holidays, and with summer just around the corner, I know Laser Quest will be one of our go-to places for some family fun.
As well as games of Laser Quest, there are also VR experiences and arcade amusements too. To find out a bit more about how Laser Quest works, you can read my blog post: https://www.suburban-mum.com/laser-quest-kingston/ (clickable link in bio)
Don't forget to keep an eye out for our Laser Quest posts - I'm going to be giving away two family passes to use at Laserquest Kingston!
If you can't wait and want to head down to Laser Quest to try it out, use the code SUMMER30 for 30% off your booking. The code is valid from now until the end of August 2023 and can be used on Laser Quest games and birthday party bookings.
#LaserquestAmbassador #Laserquest #LaserquestKingston #ActivitiesForKids #FamilyFun #DaysOutWithKids #Lasertag #LaserquestVR #Kingston #ThingsToDoInKingston #SurreyFamilyDaysOut #ThingsToDoWithKids #RainyDayFun #SurreyMummy #SurreyLife #LifeWithKids #LifeWithBoys #familyfunday](https://suburban-mum.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/353230107_797358078406942_2405522556733455165_n.jpg)
![[AD] The sun has finally made an appearance and the boys have been making the most of it by spending it
in the garden.
They’re go-to is always football and they’ve been trying to improve their aim and accuracy with the new Messi Foldable Footlball goal from the #MessiTrainingSystem range.
I love the fact the goal is foldable, making it easy to store away when not in use. It is also lightweight so you can effortlessly pack it up and take it to the park or to a friend’s house.
The Messi Foldable Football Goal retails at £36 and can be purchased from @argos
You can read my full review here: https://www.suburban-mum.com/messi-foldable-football-goal/
#TrainLikeMessi #FoldableFootballGoal #FootballSkills #OutdoorFun #LionelMessi #LeoMessi #FootballAtHome #OutdoorKids #JustGetOutside #OutdoorsAndFree #ScreenFreeKids #WhateverTheWeatherKids @flair_gp](https://suburban-mum.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/341194882_615024710178056_41977149395989448_n.jpg)
![[AD] We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we are Barracuda Ambassadors again this year.
With Easter just around the corner, the boys were sent the @barracudas_activity_day_camps new camp kit in preparation for the school holidays.
There’s a wide range of activities for kids aged 4.5 - 14 including Tennis, Archery, Basketball, Arts & Crafts and more.
If you like the sound of Barracudas, find out more over on their website. You can also save £20 a week or £4 a day, using my discount code: MARIA20](https://suburban-mum.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/336812306_765234558514317_685553691647241974_n.jpg)
![[AD - Gifted]
Last weekend we were invited to try out @tsarettaspice’s new Bottomless Brunch menu and I can tell you it was thumbs up all round!
There’s a good choice tapas on offer from Punjabi fish fingers, Indo Chinese Chicken to Spiced Lamb Scotch Eggs and Manchurian Cauliflower (which was amazing!)
If you’re local to Twickenham and fancy giving them a try here’s are the details.
Tsaretta Spice Bottomless Brunch
⭐️£37.50 per head for bottomless Prosecco or cocktail of the day
⭐️£55 per head for bottomless Champagne
⭐️ Food included: 4 tapas selections and dessert or 2 tapas selections, a pav or naanwich and dessert
⭐️ Non-alcohol brunch is also available
Tsaretta Spice
55 Church Street
Twickenham
TW1 3NR
You can also read our full review over on the blog (link in bio)](https://suburban-mum.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/334565436_5960402314015030_663031098700829518_n.jpg)
![[AD] What does family look like for you?
I am fortunate to be surrounded by strong, powerful women in the form of my mum, sister and mother-in-law (along with many others). With Mother’s Day just around the corner, @BootsUK want to celebrate all the different mums and mother figures we are lucky enough to have in our lives. They have a huge range of Mother’s Day gifts to choose from so we can show them how much they mean to us. (swipe to take a look at some of my choices)
If you want to express love and appreciation for the mother figure(s) in your life, head to Boots.com to find the ideal gift. They have a whole host of gifts, so you can be sure to find something to suit all tastes. Celebrate the #LoveForAllMums this Mother’s Day with Boots.
](https://suburban-mum.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/334276459_136658625736352_6403224988403337253_n.jpg)
![📚 Are you ready for World Book Day? 📚
[AD - Gifted] I don't know about you, but I have never made the boys a costume for #WorldBookDay. I just don't have it in me to be creative that way. Their costumes have always been bought or cobbled together with what we already have, and luckily, the school allow you to wear pyjamas to school, which makes things a lot easier!
M has been living in his @TheRealTomGates pyjamas recently, and I think he might wear these when his World Book Day dress-up day comes around (the school celebrate with Book Week rather than just Book Day)
The boys have been fans of Tom Gates for a while now. M has always loved reading books that make him laugh and contain humour - they tend to keep him engaged in reading.
Did you know that there are now 20 Tom Gates storybooks to get stuck into? Ideal for kids aged 6-12, the series consists of feel-good, hilarious books full of photos and stories about Tom's life at home and school. Best of all, you can read them in any order.
The latest book is Tom Gates: Happy to Help (Eventually), and along with the pyjamas, you can pick them up from @GeorgeAtAsda just in time for World Book Day!
There's also a range of Tom Gates items, including games, puzzles and greeting cards at major retailers.
](https://suburban-mum.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/333834012_233243062459121_4168822235387052550_n.jpg)
A Hidden Gem In The Midlands: The Limes Country Lodge Hotel
As a family, we love to get away from the mundane day-to-day life at home every now and then. We like to take a few short breaks over the course of the year. It’s great because we get undivided quality time together as a family with no boring chores around the house to do or be distracted by the tv and toys.
A couple of weeks ago, eviivo, the booking software services for hotels and B&Bs invited us for a weekend away at one their award-winning properties. We spent two nights at The Limes Country Lodge Hotel, who were the “Hidden Gem” winners for the Midlands so we were looking forward to seeing what it was like.
Having left straight after school we were keen to try and skip some of the weekend traffic. Unfortunately, with snow forecasted we did hit a bit of traffic along the way. Luckily the boys were stocked up with snacks and movies on their tablet so were quite happy. M also got to test out his new super comfortable car seat too.
We arrived on a Friday night, after travelling up the M42 in the snow! The hotel is located not far from the M42 and is just a half hour drive away from Birmingham city centre. There is just something about driving down country lanes heading into the countryside that makes me happy. Maybe it’s the thought of leaving behind the hustle and bustle of city life perhaps?
Turning into The Limes ample car park we were eager to head inside, check-in and grab some dinner. I had some very hungry boys in tow!
We were greeted by a lovely receptionist who gave us the key to our room and quickly showed us where the restaurant was located.
Dinner
After dropping our bags off into our room (more on that later) we headed back into the main reception area to go through to the restaurant.
It was a quiet Friday night in the restaurant. Aside from us, there was one other couple dining.
I was impressed to find out that the restaurant offers locally sourced and reared produce. There was a good variety of food on offer during our stay.
For our starters, we shared Nachos Chilli & Cheese, the soup of the day (tomato) and Whitebait Salad.
For our mains, we had Steak and Chips, Chicken Jalfrezi with Rice, Fish and Chips with mushy peas and Lasagne with Chips and Garlic Bread.
We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner – the portion sizes are VERY generous. M found this out when his lasagne turned out to be almost the same size as he was! (we forgot to ask for a child’s portion) There was no room for dessert which is very unusual for us and shows just how full we were. We retired back to our bedroom for the evening to recharge our batteries for the morning.
On our second night, we were unable to dine in the main restaurant as it had been booked out for a party. The barman mentioned that we should have been made aware of the party but it was probably an oversight from the member of staff in reception when we checked in late on Friday night. Luckily, we arrived early enough to bag an area in the bar, so we had a few drinks and our dinner there instead.
This time, we remembered to ask for smaller children’s portions, but the meals still came out the same size as the adults! The boys tried their best to eat as much as they could but I think it would be really useful to offer smaller meals to kids because they can be put off eating when they see a huge plate put in front of them. In hindsight, we should have ordered one meal for them to share. (I don’t like the thought of wasting food!)
Having missed out on desserts the night before, we decided to order two to share between us all. We ordered the New York Cheesecake and some kind of Peanut butter type pudding – the name of it escapes me now but they were both delicious and beautifully presented.
Our room
The Limes has a total of 18 bedrooms. Our room was on the ground floor and had a Double Bed and a Sofa Bed. A blow-up bed had also been put in for us so the boys could have a bed each. In addition to this, there was a dressing table, a large area for making tea and coffee and of course the bathroom.
The blow-up airbed deflated a little overnight but the boys happily shared the sofa bed on our second night.
Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and our room had everything we needed for our stay. It was spacious enough to fit us in comfortably.
When we returned back to our room around 8.30pm on Saturday night, the party in full swing. It was surprising, but we were not disturbed by the music at all and aside from hearing people walking in the upstairs rooms every so often, we had two nights of good, comfortable sleep.
Breakfast
Breakfast was a continental breakfast table where you could help yourself to cereals, yoghurts, fresh fruit, tea, coffee and juices. You could also order cooked breakfast items off the menu too.
The boys loved being able to pick and choose different items for breakfast and we set off for our days out into Birmingham with tummies that kept us full way past lunchtime.
Overall
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at The Limes. It’s a great location for venturing into Birmingham and the surrounding areas. You feel very relaxed as guests, the staff are very friendly and helpful. The only slight niggle I have is having to wait a while for your food. We found we were waiting longer than expected for our dinner on the first evening (when the restaurant was quiet) and again a significant wait for our breakfast on our last morning too. This can be a little tricky when you have hungry children! I think they were possibly a little understaffed that weekend (maybe due to the party) but it’s not enough to put me off from visiting again.
We would love to return to The Limes when the warmer weather arrives to be able to make use of the huge outdoor space they have available (6 acres of it) and to be able to explore the local area in more detail too.
If you’re planning a weekend getaway that gives you the best of both exploring Birmingham and countryside then The Limes Country Lodge hotel would make a great base. A Double room with Sofa Bed starts from £130 a night. You can book online with eviivo here.
Check out the video we made of our weekend away
*We were guests of The Limes Lodge Hotel for the weekend, courtesy of eviivo
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41 thoughts on “A Hidden Gem In The Midlands: The Limes Country Lodge Hotel”
The rooms look like a great size and very comfortable, the food looks so good! Great tip on the portion sizes too, good to know for little ones!
Great Review Maria. The room looks lovely and a good size, I hate small hotel rooms. And those meals have made me so hungry. Glad you enjoyed it #kcacols
It seems like a great cozy place 🙂 and the food looks yummy (it is good that I am not hungry right now)
#KCACOLS
The rooms look lovely and comfy. It’s good that you were able to take the kids and it all worked out fine, I want to take the boys to some more short breaks without us having a melt down on the way!:) The food looks amazing, it’s always such a bonus for me when there is good food on offer.
mainy
#KCACOLS
Looks lovely – big room with 3 beds #KCACOLS
Looks like a fab getaway! We often struggle to find good places that will accommodate us and our three kids together, so when you find a good place like this it’s always worth noting. #KCACOLS
Sounds lovely, we may give this a try next time we head north #kcacols
This looks like a lovely place to stay – always good to have specious rooms and the food looks yummy. #KCACOLS
What a lovely getaway! The food looks very nice and I can’t believe how big the room is. #kcacols
Looks fab. The rooms seem spacious, which is great if you are travelling with kids. #KCACOLS
Lovely to read of a hotel being family friendly. The blow up bed is nice touch. That food tho! Yummy! Making me hungry just seeing it.
Glad you had a lovely break together.
#KCACOLS
This sounds like quite a nice place to stay. I’m glad the boys didn’t mind the airbed deflating. OH and free Wifi throughout the hotel, that’s absolutely great. #KCACOLS
Looks like such a lovely building and a great stay #KCACOLS
looks like a great find, and the food looked amazing. #kcacols
Great review! Looks like a lovely place! #KCACOLS
Super gettaway, sounds like you had a fab time, and the room looks so cozy and comfortable! #KCACOLS
Bless him with his giant lasagna! Looks like a lovely place to go for a break #kcacols
The food looks amazing! Hopefully the boys enjoyed what they could eat of their meals! #kcacols
This sounds like a nice place to stay. Those portion sizes are huge but it all looks very tasty. We love getting away for weekends too. It’s the only way we can truly put aside the chores and enjoy each others’ company #KCACOLS
Oh wow the food looks so yummy, those cakes…. 🙂 x #KCACOLS
Looks and sounds lovely Maria. Those portions! How fabulous to get away from it all for a few days. Lovely review. #KCACOLS
so pleased the party didnt ruin your sleep – as soon as i read that i though ‘uh oh!’ – my worst nightmare when im tired and sharing a room with a chil/children! #kcacols
I’ve never been to Birmingham but would love to visit. This place looks great and perfect if you are travelling with children. I was your lovely vlog earlier, it sure looks like you all had a fab time #KCACOLS
This place looks fantastic and the good looks delicious #KCACOLS
The room looks a lovely size for a family! We really must have more weekends away! #KCACOLS
Wow what a fab little gem and they are huge portion sizes for kids. Not sure I’d make my way thru all of that!
Oops forgot #kcacols
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It looks like you had a great visit. The food looks soooo good! I think it must be time for us to book a few days away together as, like you said, it is wonderful to spend time away as a family with no distractions #KCACOLS
Great review!! I’d never heard of the Limes before. Even though it was slow the food looks like it was worth the wait!!! So beautifully laid out! Thanks for sharing #kcacols
Great review 🙂 looks like a lovely place, with the big portion sizes mynoartner would be very happy! #KCACOLS
A great and thorough review. The food looks fabulous. #KCACOLS
Sounds lovely. And all that food looks really good! #KCACOLS
This place looks so lovely! The food looks delicious. #kcacols
Lovely review! All that food has made me want to break my diet! Looks delicious #KCACOLS
Sounds like a lovely base for getting out and exploring the middle of the country. Food looks very family friendly and accomodation comfortable #TriedTested
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Those food plates were massive! It does look like a lovely hotel and sounds like you really enjoyed your little getaway #triedtested
Thanks for sharing your review on #TriedTested this week x
Looks lovely and I’m from around Birmingham originally so always nice to find places to accommodate larger families for when we visit #kcacols
We were very very dissapointed with our stay the bed was the most uncomfortable ever room wasn’t very clean stains on the bedding.Was not told at time of booking about a funeral and a wedding felt very uncomfortable walking in on funeral .Couldn’t eat in restaurant as wedding booked told we could order take away or go out.Trying to get milk and t bags took over 20 minutes as lack of staff and interest .Looks loverly in pictures but not when you see inside .