My husband had only one simple request for his recent 40th birthday.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t gift him with eternal youth, so instead I opted for a good night’s sleep.  As a light sleeper (I sleep like the dead), it’s fair to say that poor Pauly’s shut-eye has been momentously disrupted ever since the arrival of baby Joe.  Every snuffle, snort, and baby-fart permanently recorded in the under eye circles that adorn his face.
Of course, I wasn’t just going to take him to any old hotel.  Oh no, I made that mistake last time.  And if you remember that less-than-favourable review, you might remember that I mentioned another hotel that I had wanted to secure but had been unable due to  incompatible dates.  Long story short, I had no such problem this time and promptly booked us both in for an overnight stay at the Balmer Lawn Hotel in the New Forest. This time, I pounced upon a Travelzoo deal to procure our night of hopeful bliss.  I paid for an overnight stay with breakfast, two spa treatments and a three-course meal and awaited the treat with glee.
The day didn’t get off to a great start as I had to cancel the pre-booked spa treatments due to a last-minute offer of a hospital appointment that couldn’t be turned down.  However once that was out of the way, we dashed up the M27 and into the more serene surroundings of the New Forest.

The Balmer Lawn is a hotel that I must have driven past a thousand times, I think that...