Coventry

Coventry's range of places to stay tells you a lot about the city itself. This is somewhere people come for work as much as for weekends away, so serviced apartments feature heavily, with Bede Serviced Apartments and Belgrade Plaza Serviced Apartments offering the kind of self-contained base that suits a longer stint or a family wanting their own space. Alongside them sit dependable chain hotels like the Britannia Coventry Hill Hotel and Britannia Hotel Coventry, the sort of places that fill up around events and business travel.

Move slightly out of the centre and the character changes. Ansty Hall and Brandon Hall Hotel and Spa Warwickshire both sit in the Warwickshire countryside just beyond the ring road, offering a more grown-up, country house pace with grounds to wander and a spa to retreat to. The Cocked Hat Hotel by Greene King Inns splits the difference, a pub-hotel that suits an overnight stop without much fuss. For anyone wanting to camp, the Heart of England Events Centre is the one listed option, useful if you are visiting for a show or event held there.

Coventry's attractions reflect a city that has had to reinvent itself more than once. Coventry Cathedral, with its ruined shell standing beside the new building, is the obvious starting point and tells the story of the Blitz better than any museum could. From there, Coombe Abbey Park and Brandon Marsh Nature Centre give you green space and wildlife on the city's edge, both easy half-day trips. For something more active, The Ballroom Climbing Wall and Escape Live Coventry offer indoor entertainment whatever the weather, while the Coventry Spy Mission Treasure Trail turns the streets themselves into a game. Time your visit right and the Godiva Festival brings live music and a real buzz to the city for a weekend.

Altogether, Coventry works well as a base for a short city break with an easy reach into Warwickshire countryside. Stay centrally for the cathedral, the shops and the restaurants, or head just outside for a quieter night at somewhere like Ansty Hall before coming back in for the day.