The Hilton hotel group offers very good value short breaks throughout the UK and also abroad. We have had several stays at some of the's Hilton UK hotels over the past couple of years, some costing as little as 60 GBP per person for two nights' stay, including bed and breakfast and on the first night, evening meal too.

Check out the Hilton website at www.hilton.co.uk for details of special offers,locations of hotels, facilities etc.

Most major towns have a Hilton hotel, usually a four or five star rating. They are sometimes situated on the outskirts of the towns and through the week are more of a business hotel, with most of the guests being there for business purposes.

However at weekends, when most of the business travellers have gone home, the Hilton hotels have to fill their rooms and that is probably why they can offer such good rates.

Some hotels have a Living Well centre. This is a leisure centre, with gym and fitness room, swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi etc. These centres are open to the public for a membership fee, but guests staying at the hotel can use the facilities free of charge.

We have stayed at several Hilton hotels and all the rooms have been similar, either twin or double, often with a sofa bed too. Television and internet access are in the rooms, together with tea and coffee making facilities, fridge for the mini bar, work desk, trouser press, ironing board and spotlessly clean bedlinen and towels.

The bathrooms are spacious and have a bath and a shower over the bath. Heated towel rails keep the fluffy towels nice and warm! Toiletries, i.e. shampoo, conditioner and shower gel and soap, are provided but they don't supply shower caps which can be a nuisance if you forget to take one and don't want your hair to get a soaking!

As in most hotel rooms there is a folder about the hotel's facilities and details of room service menus. There is also a Holy Bible, provided by the Gideon society. It used to be that these bibles could be taken away by the guests as a way of promoting Christianity. I am not sure if this still applies and I often wonder if anyone actually reads these bibles in the hotel rooms.

Upon arrival for our latest stay we found a bottle of water and two pieces of fresh fruit in our room. It is also possible to have an upgrade with champagne and fresh strawberries, but this costs more than a standard package.

Breakfast consists of a buffet with a very good selection. There is a choice of cereals, fresh fruit, yoghurt, cheese, cold meats, croissants, danish pastries and muffins and bread rolls. If you want a full English cooked breakfast there is bacon, scrambled or fried eggs, baked beans, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes and hash browns. You can then have toast, which you make yourself using one of the conveyor systems. Jam, honey, marmalade and butter and Bovril are available also.

Evening dinner included on the first night is usually good value and consists of three courses. As these vary from time to time I am not going to go into too much detail, but there is usually a choice of meats, fish and vegetarian for the main course, a choice of starters and delicious desserts or cheese and biscuits. The wine list is also extensive, but not included and can be expensive.

Car parks are next to the hotel and these are operated by a barrier. Some of the Hiltons we have stayed at charge guests a fiver a night to park, which I think is a bit cheeky. However on our last stay at the Hilton in Northampton, the parking fee was waived when we produced the ticket in reception, but do check.

You can join the Hilton Honours scheme where you gain points every time you stay and these can be redeemed for an upgrade or used for another stay, or converted to air miles.

Booking a Hilton break is easy, you can either phone their central reservations number or book online via their website.

Sometimes we have booked a weekend break and when we have arrived there have been special evening entertainments taking place. One time this was a tribute evening to some singer (sorry, I forgot who!), another time it was an Indian themed evening with a choice of either Indian food or the more usual menu.

On one occasion there was a fire alarm and we all had to leave the restaurant and assemble outside. It was a very cold evening but within minutes the staff were there, handing out thermal, foil blankets to everyone.

Sometimes we have been there when there have been weddings or other functions and at times like this, the hotel car park is very busy, as is the bar and lounge area.

We have always enjoyed our stays at the Hilton, the staff are very friendly and efficient. One occasion when we arrived the reception area was extremely busy, but we were served with free drinks while we waited. It is the little things like this that makes the Hilton service so good.

Do check out their website, or look in newspapers and magazines, for details of special offers. Booking a two night break from time to time may just be the stress reliever you need after a hectic week.

Sometimes children under 12 stay free if they share the adults' room. This is okay for parents, but unless the kids are well behaved it might not be so good for other guests!!! Last year we stayed at one Hilton where a group of adults were sitting drinking in the bar, oblivious to their children running rowdily around the chairs, annoying others who wanted a peaceful evening.

One other drawback, especially when there are evening functions, is that the corridors can be noisy through the night as the late night revellers return to their rooms. But this is a problem that can happen anywhere.

The motto of all hotel guests should be to have consideration for others, that way everyone can enjoy their stay. So if you are in need of a break from this dreadful summer, treat yourself to a Hilton weekend, where you can relax in the leisure centre. You can also have beauty treatments there, but these are pre bookable.

Hilton breaks are great for a relaxing weekend, or for breaking your journey when en route to another destination, or maybe you want to visit family and friends who live some distance away, but who can't accommodate you in their homes.

Some years ago a stay at The Hilton was very much a luxury. Nowadays it is within the budget of most people. I did overhear one lady moaning about this on our latest visit. She was complaining that a young man came to breakfast wearing his baseball cap and she clearly thought this was very impolite and muttered "they let anyone stay here nowadays". I must say, I was inclined to agree with her about his manners, but at the same time, I am glad the Hilton is within the reach of everyone these days and not just for the snooty, rich people as it used to be.