This is what BB has been telling anyone who’ll listen following our night away at Foxhills Hotel & Spa in Surrey at the weekend. ‘Mini break’ sounds so extravagant and self-indulgent, and I suppose it was (pictured).

Luxurious rooms with king-size beds, a king-size bath (even Misery Guts, who’s 6ft 4, could lie down in it) and a health spa complete with a 20m pool with vaulted ceilings and ‘mood lighting’ all promised and delivered a restorative 24 hours away from being mummy and daddy.

And all despite my reservations that the trip was going to go pear shaped when Misery Guts demanded 10% off the bill before we’d even left the house because the hotel’s restaurant was closed (a fact they failed to tell us when making the booking) even though we had never planned to eat there in the first place.

I won’t bore you with all the ins and outs, but if you’re looking for a night off from whatever it is you can usually be found doing, I recommend a stay here. A 19th century manor house set in 400 acres with roaring fires, deep sofas and paintings of past owners offers period charm, while the £5m newly-built health spa boasts all the mod-cons you’d expect, like a lagoon pool, steam room and sauna, ice fountain and indoor and outside jacuzzis, all of which can be enjoyed while padding about in towelling robes and slippers.

We paid £169 (minus Misery Guts’ 10%) for the room including a full English breakfast and full use of the spa facilities. Do shop around – we found the cheapest deal through laterooms.com – and be wary of spa ‘offers’ on such websites. We discovered it was in fact better value to book the hotel stay and treatments (Elemis facial for me, deep tissue massage for him) separately.

The trip seems even more self-indulgent now that homes along the flood-hit River Thames just a few miles away are being evacuated and residents can do nothing but watch the water rise. So I was heartened to see a Tweet from the hotel itself just hours after the evacuation commenced yesterday (Tuesday) offering all those affected shelter.

A great place, and by the sounds of it great people: I think it’s safe to say we’ll be visiting them again.