Ladies of leisure

Good food

The food at the hotel was delicious - a special menu was offered with four choices of starter and main including a fish and vegetarian option for each course. Desserts and coffee were also included and the staff were courteous and polite at all times. The only hiccup came with breakfast on the Sunday morning, when something went badly wrong and orders kept getting lost and people were becoming irate - we waited 20 minutes for our coffee, only to discover when it was brought to the table that the coffee pot was empty. It took another 10 minutes for the waiter to rectify his mistake, although he was hugely apologetic!

Other activities

Other group sessions were arranged - a second demonstration on hard skin removal was scheduled for 9am, but again it was poorly attended and we decided not to pursue it. We planned to take part in an abdominals exercise class, but when we arrived at the published time, we found it was already underway, but we were able to join in for the remaining 20 minutes.

The leisure facilities at the hotel are basic, so we didn't linger. There's a small pool (nothing like the picture on the website), lovely Jacuzzi, and small steam room and sauna, both of which would be cosy with four people. The gym and pool are also used by local members, and while they were friendly enough, the gossip in the changing rooms suggested some resentment at the additional number of people using the facilities.

The treatments themselves were lovely - I enjoyed a shoulder and back massage - but the surroundings make you feel it's more therapy than indulgence. The treatment rooms are just off the entrance hall and give the impression of doubling up as offices, which isn't completely tranquil.

The hotel itself is nice, without being fancy. The rooms are comfortable, but ours was very hot and stuffy, and leaving the window open at night meant we were disturbed by road noise. The bathrooms are basic, and while the communal areas downstairs benefit from luxury toiletries, upstairs you're offered the budget variety. The only complaints among our group, which mostly consisted of a 14-women-strong hen party and women travelling with their aged mothers, was that the key cards to the rooms became demagnetised when put in a handbag with a mobile phone!

The hotel is within walking distance of the Merry Hill shopping centre if it's retail therapy you're after, and beside a canal, with plenty of bars and nightclubs to choose from. We didn't venture into Dudley - the weather conspired against us and it rained solidly.

Our journey home was much smoother, but still took seven and a half hours - more than double what the AA route planner suggests. For a weekend away, you will spend almost as much time on the bus as you do at your destination (not counting the hours you're actually asleep!)

I found it quite stressful - the whole thing felt like starting a new term at school and not knowing the routine. Others on the trip were regulars and thoroughly enjoyed the experience - you could spot them when you boarded. They were the ones who came prepared - with their own coffee and sandwiches!

Need to know

The Ladies' Leisure Weekend can be booked through door2tour.com (or call 0845 956 9686) and includes travel to your chosen destination, plus two nights accommodation with dinner, bed and breakfast. Departure and arrival times depend on your destination. Door2tour.com also offer coach trips and holidays to European destinations.