With quarantine rules suspended for lots of popular holiday destinations, many Britons will finally be flying off for a much-needed sunshine break.
While a typical British family spends £4,800 a year on holidays, the recent economic turbulence may mean some of us have to set our sights a little lower than usual.
But after months stuck at home, others will be tempted to treat themselves.
So what would you do if money were no object?
Here SADIE NICHOLAS talks to four women who spent £50,000 on just one holiday. . .
I SPENT MY INHERITANCE TO EXPERIENCE LUXURY
Lynette says: ‘While previously we had only been able to look wistfully at five-star hotels in Cancun, we splashed out on a suite costing more than £2,000 a night’
Lynette Morse, 38, owns a baby clothing boutique and lives in Glasgow with her fiancé Cameron, also 38, a careers adviser. They spent £50,500 on an 18-day trip to Mexico.
Business-class flights: £3,000. Hotel: £40,000. Food and drink: £1,000. Excursions and airport lounge access: £3,000. Clothes and accessories: £3,500.
LYNETTE SAYS: When my beloved granny died from dementia, she left me — her only grandchild — £95,000 in her will. Gran adored holidays and often took me to Spain when I was a child.
Cameron and I don’t have any children, or intend to in the future. So it seemed fitting that, after paying off my mortgage and buying a new kitchen and bathroom, we splurged the rest on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday.
We’ve had some wonderful trips, but could never afford to pay more than £5,000. So we were giddy with excitement at the idea of a £50,000 holiday.
We toyed with going to Barbados or Bora Bora.
But seven years ago, we spent our first holiday in Mexico and it stole our hearts.
We’ve been back there every year since.
While previously we had only been able to look wistfully at five-star hotels in Cancun, we splashed out on a suite costing more than £2,000 a night.
There was a hot tub on our sunbathing deck, a butler who did everything from ironing our clothes to uncorking our champagne and sourcing roses and massage oils for us to have a romantic night in.
On the beach, a second butler brought us drinks and food.
Initially, we felt guilty asking them to do things we could do ourselves, such as fetching towels or positioning the parasols.
There was a hot tub on our sunbathing deck, a butler who did everything from ironing our clothes to uncorking our champagne and sourcing roses and massage oils for us to have a romantic night in
But then we thought: ‘We’ve paid for it, so why not!’
Before the trip I splashed out on designer luggage and clothes, including a £165 Louis Vuitton bikini, several pairs of designer sunglasses costing £400, Chanel sliders and around £2,500 of other outfits.
We made sure we had as many amazing experiences as we could, including spending £600 on chartering a private catamaran for a few hours.
The only disappointment was the £500 helicopter ride over Cancun — the view was the same as when our plane landed in Mexico.
A year later we returned to Mexico, and I can’t deny it was a blow being back in economy.
But I don’t regret for a second blowing the £50,000 on one holiday, even though it means we’ll probably never experience such luxury again.
A CELEBRITY FAVOURITE BUT I PREFER TENERIFE
Joanne Hearle, owns a beauty salon in Diss, Norfolk. She lives with her partner, Mervyn, who owns a plant hire company. They spent £58,800 on a 17-day holiday in Barbados.
First-class flights: £15,000. Villa (with housekeeper and cook): £38,000. Food and drink: £4,500. Car hire: £1,300.
For all the promise of luxury, the kitchen and bathrooms were dated, and following a spell of rain before we arrived, there were a lot of mosquitoes
JOANNE SAYS: Last New Year’s Eve we dined by moonlight at an exclusive beach restaurant in Barbados and watched fireworks explode along the West Coast of the island, filling the sky with colour.
Our table was just feet from the Caribbean Sea, with floodlights in the shallow water so we could watch fish swim by as we enjoyed a seven-course meal.
The cost of that dinner alone was £2,000, but it was worth every penny for the experience.
We fell in love with Barbados on our first holiday there together over Christmas 2015, staying at the luxury Fairmont Royale hotel, which cost £35,000 for a couple of weeks, including dinners in the many local five-star restaurants.
Since then we’ve been back four times, staying in luxury properties on the beach, most recently a fully staffed three-bedroom villa on the Sandy Lane estate, which is popular with celebrity guests.
We spotted Dragons’ Den’s Duncan Bannatyne and boxer Anthony Joshua from our sun loungers on the private beach.
The hefty price tag pays for the exclusivity of the location and guarantees privacy.
But for all the promise of luxury, the kitchen and bathrooms were dated, and following a spell of rain before we arrived, there were a lot of mosquitoes.
Both Mervyn and I work hard and it’s in our nature to be kind, humble and not to take each other or the holidays we have for granted. We know you don’t need to spend a fortune to have a lovely time
Within days I was covered in painful bites, which put a dampener on things.
Both Mervyn and I work hard and it’s in our nature to be kind, humble and not to take each other or the holidays we have for granted.
We know you don’t need to spend a fortune to have a lovely time.
Just weeks after our £58,000 Barbados trip, Mervyn and I had the best time on a £3,000 package holiday in Tenerife.
In fact, that’s where we’re returning this summer!
39 FABULOUS HOTELS AND 29 MICHELIN STARS
Luisa Ruocco, 29, lives in West London and is a lifestyle influencer. She spent £50,000 on a non-stop, six-month holiday in the U.S. and Europe.
Flights: £6,000. Hotels: £18,000. Michelin-starred meals: £8,000. Other food and drink: £10,000. Souvenirs: £1,000. Clothes: £7,000
My experience made me realise I no longer wanted to work up to 70 hours a week and feel constantly exhausted
LUISA SAYS: Burnt out from five years in a high-pressure City finance job, in 2017 I took a six-month sabbatical, and splurged my £50,000 savings on the holiday of a lifetime.
As a child, I’d enjoyed long foreign holidays with my mum, but when I started working there was never enough time.
When two of my closest friends announced they were getting married within six weeks of each other, in Los Angeles and New York, I decided to turn it into a holiday, starting at one wedding and making my way across the U.S. to the other, before travelling around Europe.
I vowed I’d keep going until the money ran out — but this was no budget backpacking adventure.
I adore good food and have a lovely home, so why would I want to stay or eat anywhere less than fabulous?
During the six months I stayed in more than 30 wonderful hotels and ate my way through 29 Michelin stars.
There were many magical moments, including a two-week tour of the National Parks in Utah, Arizona and California costing £2,000, plus a private helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon.
In Europe, Mum joined me for a tour of the Norwegian Fjords. I also travelled around the Greek Islands and Italy.
As a child, I’d enjoyed long foreign holidays with my mum, but when I started working there was never enough time
My experience made me realise I no longer wanted to work up to 70 hours a week and feel constantly exhausted.
During my epic holiday I posted pictures of my travels on Instagram (@luisainsta).
To my surprise, I racked up 50,000 followers and I now earn my living as a social media influencer.
My deluxe trip was the sort of holiday many people delay till retirement.
But who knows if I’ll get to my 60s in good health — I’m glad I blew the money when I did.
BESPOKE TOURS ARE VITAL
Cindy Harvey is CEO of Famous Branding, and lives in London with her partner, an investment banker. They spent £50,000 on a trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
First-class flights: £10,300. Hotels: £12,800. Food and drink: £12,600. Private chauffeurs and personal assistants: £2,000. Spa treatments: £3,100. Private catamaran hire: £1,800. Private speedboat hire: £1,100. Clothes and shopping: £6,300
CINDY SAYS: When I was little, my aunt used to send me postcards from her travels, which gave me my wanderlust. To date, I’ve travelled to more than 100 countries across five continents.
I’ve been with my partner for almost four years and travel is our passion.
We always use luxury agents who create bespoke tours that include private chauffeurs and personal assistants who can cater to our every need, including booking exclusive restaurants and chartering boats.
I know £50,000 is a huge amount of money, but we often work seven days a week, so holidays are vital to our wellbeing
When I was a student, my girlfriends and I would go on cheap holidays to Europe, staying in two-star hotels.
I’d come home feeling I hadn’t had a proper holiday.
I vowed that when I had plenty of disposable income, I’d invest it on luxury breaks.
Last December we had a fabulous three-week trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, flying first-class and staying in five-star hotels.
We spent as much as £600 a day on meals in top restaurants.
Last December we had a fabulous three-week trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, flying first-class and staying in five-star hotels
There was one particularly mesmerising moment in Hoi An, Vietnam, when we took a private, night-time gondola ride along a river filled with floating multi-coloured lanterns. It was the most beautiful experience of my life.
I know £50,000 is a huge amount of money, but we often work seven days a week, so holidays are vital to our wellbeing.
We’d hoped our next indulgent trip would be to India, but with Covid rates so high there, we’re hoping to escape to the South of France, Southern Spain or Sardinia instead this summer.