Sunday, June 4 2006

LONDON: For all those women who hate football and are dreading the prospect of a month of World Cup mania, a hotel in northwest England may have the perfect offer — a football free mini-break.

Any guest staying at Linthwaite House Hotel in the Lake District from June 9 — the day the tournament kicks-off in Germany — is guaranteed a free glass of champagne if she hears a member of staff even mention the game.

The hotel, which overlooks Lake Windermere, invites women to escape their football-mad husbands or boyfriends and indulge in some serious pampering.

And the bookings are pouring in.

“The phone has been pretty constant,” Claire Davenport, marketing manager at the hotel, told AFP.

“Bookings have started coming in ... but we still have some spaces left.”

The “Football Free” mini break runs for the month of the tournament.

Rooms are priced at £238 (US$446) per night — £119 per person if two women want to share — to £350, but the hotel is also offering three nights for the price of two as part of the deal.

Guests looking for an extra treat can pay a further £125 for a luxury hamper of chocolates, soaps and massage treatments.

Hotel proprietor Mike Bevans said: “We've gone to great lengths to ensure we preserve the serenity for any football widows, and this means creating an exclusion zone from all matters football.

“Our haven offers pampering without disturbance — the perfect getaway for anyone wanting to escape the World Cup.”

(AFP)