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Travel: A Taste of Luxury..

Posted on: Saturday, 24 September 2005, 12:00 CDT

IF you like golf or like being pampered in a health spa of unimaginable luxury, or preferably both, plus great food...then congratulate yourself: you're living in just the right age.

No, let's start again, that's far too generalised. And it sounds smug too. People couldn't help it if they weren't born in time to enjoy the benefits of the 21st century.

Okay. If you like golf and spa treatment, gyms, easy access to an international airport and a capital city while staying on what amounts to a vast private luxury estate while being pampered and enjoying a vast range of different cuisines...

No, no, no! Everyone likes these things! Who wouldn't? What people want are details.

Right. The hotel and spa resort sat in its surrounding parklands for all the world like a majestic ocean-going passenger liner except the immaculate surfaces of the two magnificent golf courses glowed viridian green, day and night. From my private balcony, the lights of this fabulous colossus with its myriad glittering restaurants, spas, gyms, cafes, hotel suites and bars reminded me of the great transatlantic leviathans in their heyday. Think luxury and service. Even the superstructure is similar: a raked stern, stepping down from deck to deck. Opulence, beautiful relaxed people, a gem glowing in the luminescent velvety darkness...

Stop! This is far too poetic and grandiose now! Why can't you just tell it like it was? Tell the readers where you were, why you were there and why they should go too. It's not that difficult surely?

Okay, you're right. I was getting carried away by the whole wonderful experience, that's all.

You see I wanted to find a hotel in South Wales, on the periphery of Cardiff but within 20 minutes or less of both the city centre and the airport so I could stay to do important business in our capital city and still escape from it afterwards. A hotel to which I could go at night and weekends to indulge my passion for golf on a top flight course or two yet also enjoy great food and brilliant spa treatments, gyms, pools, tennis...

Blimey! You don't want much do you? Anyway this is much better, now we're getting there. Where IS there, by the way?

Haven't I said? Mind you I thought most people would have recognised it from the description by now. I was at the Vale Hotel Golf and Spa Resort in the leafy Vale of Glamorgan, two minutes from theM4 Junction 34 - Llantrisant - and just a quick, convenient car journey from Cardiff city centre, Llandaff and the airport...

Yes, yes. We can give directions later. Why were you there and not some other hotel? And be brief!

I've said! I have to do a lot of travelling between North and South Wales and it can be tiring. I wanted to stay somewhere in the country while being very close to the city too, somewhere peaceful and luxurious but where I could also relax over golf and stuff.

Stuff?

Well, two amazing golf courses, some 14 different places to eat depending on what I fancy, an earlymorning swim, a bit of toning up... Meet anyone interesting?

Yes and no, but the Manchester United football team stay there, as do Liverpool FC and the British and Irish Lions. It's the training HQ for the Wales rugby team who are preparing now for the autumn internationals, so you could bump into any of them I imagine. It's also a firm favourite of Catherine Zeta Jones I'm told, and Westlife. Bryn Terfel plays golf there, Charlotte Church swears by it...

Careful...

And I spoke at length to the head of resort food and beverage, former chef at Cardiff Arms Park, Mr Simon Daniel MHCIMA, who filled Golf courses.

THE Vale has two championship golf courses, an all-weather floodlit driving range, a chipping and bunker practice area, a coaching academy, buggy hire, shop, bar and restaurant.

The idyllic Lake Course is 6438 yds, par 72. The Wales National Course is 7413 yards par 73. Golf World rates its 16th hole as one of the top 10 par fours in the UK. The second hole is the longest par five in Walesme in on some other details. Like?

Like this six-year-old luxury four star complex, part of the Hensol Castle estate, is owned by the well-known Leekes family and is set in 600 acres of this idyllic countryside. It offers the latest beauty treatments, a clinic for comprehensive specialist medical consultation, a state-of-the art health and racquets club with gym, squash and tennis courts, 20 metre pool, sauna, steam room, and a vast indoor training arena which can also be used for corporate events. It's even got a creche! There are 143 spacious rooms, many with balconies overlooking the verdant grounds and championship golf courses - home to the Welsh PGA. Apart from its award-winning Lakes restaurant it also offers a brasserie-type restaurant at the golf clubhouse, barbecues on the terrace, conference and banqueting rooms, and private dining rooms.

A lot of the diners are non-residential the grub is so good! I could go on...

Sounds brilliant but space is limited, sadly. Anything else for Daily Post readers?

Oh yes! A special offer. Details on this page Morgan Gray and her partner stayed at The Vale as a guest of the management for two nights

Source: Daily Post; Liverpool

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