Of course, people do realise that a good hotel can make a difference between a bad trip and an excellent trip but most people simply see it as a base camp, somewhere to lay their head at night and something to be had as cheap as possible.

However, with the fuel price increase, holidays are getting ever more expensive and something that few of us can afford these days. We can, however, choose a beautiful location in the English countryside, book hotel accommodation the best we can afford, which will be much more than splashing out on a foreign holiday, and take a short break that will relax you more than joining the throngs crammed into an airport, onto a beach and into a bar.

I put this theory to the test myself. Finding that I couldn't afford a foreign holiday, I used a fraction of the money that it would have cost and booked myself a room with en-suite in a gorgeous old hotel, set in beautifully scenic grounds. The bed was the most comfortable I had ever slept in, the peace and quiet was palpable and the service from the staff impeccable.

Strolling in the grounds of the hotel provided fresh air, beautiful sights of well cared for foliage and peaceful, relaxing exercise. The hotel food was of top quality as was the room service. I slept like a baby, like I hadn't slept in years. After three days of this, it was time to take the forty minute drive home again.

When I arrived home, I felt so relaxed that you would think I had been on a three week holiday, not a cheap three day break using nothing more than hotel accommodation. So, how is this possible?

For a start, there were no boring airport waits, no frantic flights and no uncertainty about where I would end up staying and whether my hotel accommodation would look out onto a brick wall. There was no issue with time - it did not take me twelve hours to get to my destination. I was able speak the lingo. There was no need to worry about foreign currency and if anything went wrong I was within easy reaching distance of home.

After a short car journey, I found myself to be in a beautiful place that I had previously overlooked. I had a three day break that was the ultimate in relaxation and re-cooperation. To top it all off, I hadn't spent a fortune.

So, when you realise that you have had just about all you can take of whinging colleagues, stressful families and doom and gloom on the news, the option is there to take a short break in a hotel. You don't need to pay out for expensive holidays, although that option is always there and will always be valid for those of us lucky enough to be well off. But don't overlook the short break in a hotel down the road. Simply escaping your everyday life can be just as exhilarating as a full on holiday to foreign climes.