hotel for a girly weekend?

[hatwoman]

probably just a Saturday to be realistic

has anyone got any suggestions for a group of 14 "girls" (can we still be girls when we're knocking 40....?). quite open about ideas but factors to take into account:

• we've done a spa place in the past and it was good - spent the afternoon mooching around, chatting in different constantly changing groups, going off to swim/get a massage etc. the coming together for dinner. it worked really well so am very open to spa type suggestions

• other ideas that could work similarly might be a nice hotel in a small town where we could have a mooch (we like mooching) and coffee and cake in pretty cafes

• we can be a bit loud. not full-on hen party type loud but possibly a bit screechy - so we don't want anywhere where we migt offend more staid guests

• location-wise - fairly flexible really. midlands would be good. somewhere in a a traingle joining London, Oxford, Sheffield would be ideal.

many thanks

we did the belfry which is golf and spa, nightclub too but we didn't try that

Cheltenham's good - lovely town centre for mooching, several nice hotels - boutique-y if you like, or bigger chains (there's a Hotel Du Vin, and The Queen's is one the main chains, though can't remember which one) Also, chapel spa is fabulous, and right in the town centre.

Def easy to get to from London and Oxford. Not sure about Sheffield.

We do a "girls' weekend and have similar requirements. We've stayed at some of the Four Pillars hotels (Oxford Spires and Cotswold Water Park). We also stayed at the Barcelo just outside Bath.

Our favourite ones though tend to be big houses/cottages with nice pubs for food nearby. We stayed here this year. Indoor pool on site and we got people to come round to do beauty treatments and had some lovely meals out at pubs in walking distance.

DH and I have just stayed at the hotel du vin in Cheltenham. Its lovely. The shopping is pretty good too.