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Elin Jones-Thomas

Articles by Elin

Birmingham Christmas Market (Unsplash)

Festive Shopping Escapes: Designer Finds, Market Magic & A Cosy Stay

25 Nov 2025

One month to ✨ The Belfry is quietly slipping into its festive finery. Magic in the making 🥂
Woodland Christmas Adventures ✨🎄🥂 Step into a festive Christmas Woodland! Begin at the North Pole Post Office, where little ones can send their letters to Santa, then follow a sparkling trail and along the way, enjoy the excitement of the Elf Quest, search for Santa’s mischievous helpers hidden among the trees.   At the heart of the woods, glimpse The Christmas Cabin and all the busy preparations inside or peek inside the Toy Workshop to see where Christmas magic is made. A truly festive journey for the whole family! 🎅🏼 Book your December break with us and explore the woods at your leisure, free for hotel residents. 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦: “𝘞𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴” 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺 13𝘵𝘩 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 4𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺. 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳-𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺.
We’ve made the list. And not just any list ✨ We’re delighted to share that The Belfry Hotel & Resort is now officially featured on Condé Nast Johansen, the go-to guide for the world’s most exceptional places to stay. It’s a nod to everything that makes The Belfry iconic: legendary golf, indulgent spa days, unforgettable dining and the kind of warm hospitality that makes you feel instantly at home (with a glass of fizz in hand, of course) A huge thank you to the team at @condenastjohansens, and to every guest who’s made our resort their go-to for luxury escape
50 days ‘til New Years Eve 🎆 The question isn’t what you’re doing. It’s how you’re doing it 🥂✨ A black-tie glamour at the Masters Suite Ball? Indulgent dining in Ryder Restaurant? Memory-making moments at the Family Ball? This is how you step into 2026. Fireworks at midnight. A bed just upstairs and breakfast waiting to welcome the new year. Welcome 2026, The Belfry way.
The clocks have gone back, and the nights are drawing in, but this is the season of indulgence 🍷 Slow afternoons in the spa, crisp rounds on the course and evenings that begin with cocktails and end with something exceptional from the Ryder Restaurants À La Carte menu. Winter at The Belfry isn’t about winding down. It’s about leaning in to comfort and time well spent.
Check in for Christmas and let the festivities begin 🥂 Whether you’re here for two nights or staying on for the full three, expect fireside drinks, festive feasts, and countryside calm. Carols in the Brabazon Bar to mince pies at Ryder, it’s everything you want the season to be: relaxed, indulgent, and effortlessly festive. And of course if you’re not quite ready to head home, to extend into Boxing Day and make the most of it. No pressure, no plans. Just good food, good company, and a setting that does Christmas properly 🎁🎄✨
🌳🎃 Watch Where You Walk 🎃🌳 This Halloween is looking a little different here at The Belfry. Deep within our Woodland Adventures, something curious is stirring… and the forest has a few secrets of its own. As dusk falls, Watch Where You Walk and step through the gate to the unknown. Follow the soft glow of lanterns that light your path, peek inside the cosy Pumpkin Hut and keep your eyes (and ears) open. You never know, you might see a cackling witch or two! Halloween has truly taken over the resort, from mysterious woodland wonders to spine-tingling surprises, and we invite you to stay with us and uncover the magic for yourself. 👻 BOOK YOUR STAY > Link in bio 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦: “𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬” 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 17𝘵𝘩 𝘖𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 2𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳. 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳-𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺.
Winter golf? Absolutely At The Belfry, the fairways stay firm, the greens stay true, and the only thing frosty is your morning breath on the first tee. The Brabazon, PGA National and The Derby are built to perform, whatever the weather. No winter mats. No temporary greens. No compromises. Golf season doesn’t end here, it just gets a little more beautiful.
Seeing Europe lift that trophy in New York gives you that itch; to grip the club, walk fairways and sink one for the memories. Here, golf is never far away. The Brabazon has tested the very best in the game, while The Derby offers a friendlier challenge, and PGA National brings a taste of true links golf. Add in the driving range with TopTracer, the Callaway short game zone, or a lesson with one of our professional coaches, and it’s easy to see how a quick practice session can turn into a whole day out. Moments like these are a reminder: there’s no bad time to hit the course. #TheBelfryWay
Pumpkins, spooky trails and cosy movie nights 🎃 This October Half Term, The Belfry is full of treats (and maybe a few tricks). 📸 : @allthatisshe
Your out-of-office deserves a spa robe Consider this your seasonal reset: treatment, spa, Fire & Ice, Rocca’s lunch, and a glass of fizz. The perfect way to turn summer glow into autumn radiance 🥂🍾✨ 📸 @diana_ondza
Forty years ago, Sam Torrance stood over his ball on the 18th green of The Belfry’s Brabazon course and rolled in the putt that changed golfing history. It was Europe’s first Ryder Cup victory, a moment that placed The Belfry at the heart of the game. Since then, these fairways have borne witness to legends, to drama, and to memories that still resonate across the greens. There is no better time to return and experience it for yourself. The Brabazon still carries the echoes of 1985, every step a reminder of what was, and why this place endures as one of golf’s most iconic stages. Some courses are simply courses. The Brabazon is where history lives.
This week’s autumnal mornings are giving us a glimpse of the cosy season ahead; golden light through the trees, glowing fires, and the gentle bustle of the resort. We’re more than ready to embrace the darker nights and falling leaves 🍂 Think long weekends spent unwinding with someone special, days of quiet renewal in the spa, family laughter over shared tables, or crisp mornings on the fairways with golden leaves underfoot. However you escape, you’ll find that unmistakable Belfry charm in every detail. #TheBelfryWay
One weekend escape, coming right up ☀️ School’s out. Out-of-office is on. Time to swap routines for something a little more relaxing. Maybe it’s a spontaneous family getaway. Maybe it’s a much-needed teacher timeout. Either way, the bags can pack themselves. Long mornings, lazy afternoons, and absolutely no alarms. The kind of break that feels like a deep exhale. Because sometimes the best plans… start with none at all. #SummerEscape #SpontaneousGetaway #FamilyBreak #TeacherTime #StaycationFeels #WeekendWander
✨✨ WIN A SPA DAY FOR TWO AT THE BELFRY ✨✨ Sunshine, spa time, and no emails in sight 🥂 We’re giving you the chance to press pause with our Summer Spa Rituals competition. A day of bliss at The Belfry’s spa, followed by an overnight stay you won’t want to check out of. Slip into something more comfortable (read: a robe), float through an 80 minute treatment, then wake up somewhere you didn’t have to make the bed. ➡️➡️ Enter now via our link in bio, because summer should feel like this.