Investment Plus Member news

We’re stepping into 2024 with our BIGGEST and BEST sale yet.  

Save £200pp on some of our most wished-for holidays abroad including a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa, cultural odysseys in Italy, and much more.

You can also secure super savings of £200pp off 7-night country house stays across the UK. 

So there’s never been a better time to decide where you’ll explore in 2024.

But hurry, offers must end midnight Thursday 4 January. 

As a valued member, you will have received our seasonal gift of an exclusive room upgrade. This can be redeemed by 4 January 2024, so you’ve got just over a week to take advantage of the offer*. 

Simply quote code MEMPR when making any new booking that departs before the end of December next year.  

*Terms and conditions apply. This member-exclusive promotion of one free room upgrade can only be redeemed against new bookings to a Premium Room when staying at our UK country houses from 12 January to 16 December 2024. To redeem this offer please call Sales and Support on 020 3974 8865 and quote code MEMPR or apply the code to your basket when making a booking online. The offer cannot be redeemed against Investment Member Breaks, used in conjunction with other unique offer codes, or applied retrospectively. Sole occupancy supplements may apply. Offer ends 4 January 2024. 

Designed exclusively for Investment and Investment Plus Members only, these breaks are a great way to meet like-minded members who are as passionate about HF Holidays as you are. And as a thank you for your continued support, they come with plenty of thoughtful extras.  

Here are the confirmed Investment Member Breaks for 2024: 

Monk Coniston, Lake District: 16 February 2024 (3 nights) 

Holnicote House, Exmoor: 14 June 2024 (3 nights)  

Nythfa House, Brecon Beacons: 25 October 2024 (3 nights)  

All our Investment Member breaks include:  

• Drinks reception  
• A chance to meet your fellow Investment Members  
• A choice of guided walks  
• Attendance by a Board member and Senior Management Team member  
• A business update presentation and Q&A 

If you’ve tried our “Introduction to...” breaks or already have some experience in painting and drawing, these new holidays are perfect for taking your skills to the next level. Improve your watercolour technique surrounded by the stunning landscapes of the Peak District or the South Downs and hone your drawing abilities in the Southern Yorkshire Dales or the Shropshire Hills. 

3-night Next Step Drawing in the Shropshire Hills

4-night Next Step Drawing in the Southern Yorkshire Dales

3-night Next Step Watercolour in the Peak District

4-night Next Step Watercolour in the South Downs

Please find details of our Christmas and New Year opening hours: 

Sunday 24 December: CLOSED
Monday 25 December: CLOSED
Tuesday 26 December: CLOSED
Wednesday 27 December: 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 28 December: 9am - 5:30pm 
Friday 29 December: 9am - 5:30pm 
Saturday 30 December: 9am - 1pm  
Sunday 31 December: CLOSED  
Monday 1 January: CLOSED  
Tuesday 2 January: Return to normal hours 9am - 5:30pm 

Outside of these hours you can email one of our team, or make a booking online.

We're thrilled to have been endorsed as Which? Recommended Provider for Escorted Tours for the fifth year running. To be recognised by the consumer champions is a testament to our hardworking HF Holidays team.  

We were delighted to be awarded Silver accreditation in the Best Company for UK Short Breaks category at the 2023 British Travel Awards - the largest consumer-voted travel awards in the UK. An incredible 1,660,863 votes were cast across the travel and leisure categories this year, making the BTAs 2023 a record-breaking year for consumer votes. A big thank you to our wonderful UK Product Team for all their hard work and to everyone who voted for us.

The annual Group Leisure & Travel Awards recognise the best providers, attractions, and destinations for groups, as chosen by their readers. HF Holidays was honoured to receive the GLT Award for Best Group Tour Operator 2023 earlier this year. 

Agnieszka Serek, Sales & Support Team Manager, said: “This award is indeed testament to the hard work, dedication, collaboration, and professionalism of our incredible HF Holidays Groups Team. Every one of us is passionate about delivering exceptional guest experiences in the great outdoors, and I am so proud of what we have achieved”. 

To celebrate their 30th birthday this year, ABTOT (Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust) has acknowledged members who have been an important part of the organisation’s journey. HF Holidays is delighted to be one of the 11 members who has shown unwavering dedication to the organisation for over 25 years.  

Samantha Bradbury, ABTOT Membership Director, said: “HF Holidays have been with ABTOT almost since the beginning, as reflected in their Membership number 5008.  As a much valued, long standing Member we are delighted to be able to publicly recognise this and award their loyalty, industry standing and expertise. ABTOT’s strength comes from the close relationship with its Members and this initiative is a small way for us to say thank you.”

We’re proud to partner with Cotswold Outdoor, the award-winning retailer offering clothing, equipment, and accessories from the very best outdoors brands. From October 2023, the discount for HF Holidays members has been slightly reduced to align with their Partnerships Strategy and financial considerations. For the most-up-to-date discount and code, please check the online partner discounts page for your individual membership level - or contact the membership team direct. 

In November, HF Holidays met with Charlie Cotton, founder of ecollective - a carbon consultancy focused on measuring and reducing an organisation's carbon footprint. They have created a strategy to reduce the carbon intensity of our product by 5% each year. Our ambition is to be Net Zero (decreasing your emissions every year in line with Science Based Targets) by 2040 – earlier if we can.

The audit revealed that we’ve already taken huge steps in reducing our carbon footprint per passenger from 198kg in 2018/19 to 152kg in 2021/22. 

£5,805 donation to The Lake District Foundation 

Thanks to a £5,805 contribution from our Pathways Fund, we are proud to announce completion of repairs to the popular N451 footpath between Skelgill Bank and Cat Bells – the favourite fell of our founder, TA Leonard, and home to a memorial plaque in his honour. 

With our support, the Lake District Foundation’s Fix the Fells project has helped improve accessibility to this spectacular spot by resurfacing the walking route and protecting it from erosion and damage. 

Fix the Fells is an initiative that aims to monitor, maintain, and repair the 350 paths that cover more than 400 miles in the UNESCO-listed Lake District National Park.  

Donate today and help the Pathways Fund continue to support great projects and initiatives like Fences & Frontiers.

Governed by 12 volunteer Directors, our Board sets the strategic direction of HF Holidays. And now, we need you.   

By joining the Board, you’ll be part of a dedicated group who reflect the interests and backgrounds of the wider membership. A passion for our walking and special interest holidays will be shared by Board members and you’ll help pave the way for our future.   

We need you to lend us your professional experience, commercial expertise, and love of the great outdoors. If you’d like to join a board with 110 years of history or nominate someone as a Director, you can find out more online.   

The closing date for applications is 31 December 2023. 

An important date for your diary:

The 110th Annual General Meeting will take place on Saturday 6 April 2024 in Birmingham.

Members unable to attend in person can still join online and details of our AGM livestream will be released early next year.

Hosted by Society Secretary Manuela Gordea, autumn’s Member Q&A webinar on 23 October was attended by our Chair, Ben Reid, CEO, David Harrington, and Vice Chair, Stephen Guile. 

Throughout an engaging session, our three most senior Board Members answered questions on everything from ongoing refurbishment plans at our country house estate to the development of new holidays for 2024.