Mother’s Day holiday ideas

From popcorn parties to walks along the Jurassic Coast, give mum the gift she deserves this Mother’s Day, with these thoughtful holiday ideas

Pamper & Popcorn Party in your PJs – from £170 pp at Seaham Hall, County Durham

Five-star Seaham Hall, a different kind of five-star hotel on Durham’s magnificent coast, has an appropriately unusual offer. Mothers and daughters can enjoy a 60-minute ‘Pamper & Popcorn Party’ in their pyjamas. A Temple Spa expert will deliver therapy, champagne, popcorn, chocolate truffles and a gift each to your suite. Available Sunday to Thursday throughout March, the overnight stay costs from £170 pp (two sharing a Junior Suite), a delicious breakfast and full use of the award-winning spa. Must be booked at least 14 days in advance. Call Seaham Hall on 0191 516 1400 (www.seaham-hall.co.uk).

Tea, tapping and pony trekking in the Brecon Beacons – £133 pp with holidaycottages.co.uk

Black Hill Barn (sleeps four, plus one dog), set on a pretty organic farm high in the Black Mountains, isn’t only a beautifully restored converted barn. It’s a place of unexpected opportunities for a lucky Mum. She could take afternoon tea in the on-site datcha (Russian cottage, complete with library and wood-burning stove), enjoy a Swedish massage, an Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping session in the spa, or go pony trekking across the Brecon Beacons. Arriving Friday 20 March, a three-night stay costs £133 pp (£530 total) with holidaycottages.co.uk (01237 459888, www.holidaycottages.co.uk). £20 supplement for a dog.

Toast Mum in Champagne – Reims from £898 pp with Kirker

Raise a glass to the woman who raised you with a short break in Reims over Mother’s Day weekend. Stay at the charming Grand Hotel des Templiers, a former 19th century residence boasting an indoor swimming pool, sauna and hammam. Located just a short walk from the Cathedral, venture from the hotel to explore the historic city on foot, visiting galleries, museums, and tasting bubbly in the elegant Champagne-producing houses that line the main street. The price is from £898 pp (two sharing) including Eurostar, onward train to Reims, private transfers, three nights’ B&B and Kirker Concierge. Valid for departures on 20, 21 or 22 March. Call AITO* member Kirker on 020 7593 2283 (www.kirkerholidays.com).

Spend Mother’s Day in Madeira – Portugal from £795 pp with Jules Verne

Share a slice of Madeira with mum this Mother’s Day, on a four-night sojourn of the sub-tropical ‘garden isle’. Witness dramatic scenery on the north-west coast, explore charming valleys and villages in the eastern corner and discover the cosmopolitan capital of Funchal. Then, take a trip to the Quinta do Palheiro and Monte Palace tropical gardens, enjoy wine tasting during a Madeira cellar tour, and head to Fabrica de San Antonio for a slice of scrumptious bolo del mel (Madeira honey cake). A Slice of Madeira costs from £795 pp (two sharing) including flights (Gatwick), transfers, four nights’ B&B, one lunch, excursions, guides & local reps. Departs 21 March. Call Jules Verne on 020 3553 3722 (www.vjv.com).

The gift of family time in the Alentejo, Portugal – from £637 pp with Sunvil

Enjoy an activity-packed escape for the whole family at the Torre de Palma Wine Hotel in the beautiful lesser-known Alentejo region of Portugal, which will be awash with glorious colourful flowers come spring. Mum can enjoy some ‘me’ time in the spa, a wine tasting experience or perhaps a horse-riding lesson through the picturesque olive groves, whilst the whole family can enjoy a cooking workshop or try a hiking trail to explore the local surroundings. Departing 20 March, the trip costs from £637 pp (four sharing – two adults and two children), including four nights’ B&B, return flights (Gatwick) and car hire. Call AITO* member Sunvil on 020 8758 4722 (www.sunvil.co.uk).

Mum’ll never walk alone, Dorset – from £575 pp with On Foot Holidays

Spend quality time with Mum over a long weekend of fresh air, delicious local food and walks in the wonderful Dorset countryside. Enjoy time in the quaint village of Evershot, staying in Hardy’s Acorn Inn – which you may know as ‘The Sow and Acorn’ – before strolling through ancient lanes and former parkland to the pretty market town of Bridport. The trip’s crescendo is the final day, walk along the stunning Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site, to the seaside fishing village of Lyme Regis. The four-night holiday costs from £575 pp (two sharing), including B&B, luggage transfers, route directions, maps and background information. Call AITO* member On Foot Holidays on 01722 322 652 (www.onfootholidays.co.uk).