Celebrating Mothering Sunday is one of the most special days to honour the best mum in the world.

Whilst the origins of the day are unclear, it’s now synonymous with celebrating the lovely mother figures in our lives, by giving them cards and presents. But according to custom, the origins of the day were less to do with giving, and more about paying honour and respect to our lovely mums.

In fact, some say that back in the sixteenth century, people returned to their mother church – the main church or cathedral in the area – for a special service. In later times, domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother church, usually with their own mothers. As the years rolled by, the practice slowly died away.

Then in 1914, Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in West Virginia, which started a campaign to make the day a recognised celebration of motherhood called ‘Mother’s Day’. She believed children should write letters to their mothers expressing their gratitude. Inspired by Anna’s efforts, a British woman called Constance Penswick-Smith created the Mothering Sunday Movement, calling for a revival of the celebration in the UK.

The worldwide revival was then spurred by American and Canadian soldiers, who wrote home to their mothers during World War II. Even then, showing acts of love and appreciation for our mums were less to do with giving them cards and chocolates, and more about time spent appreciating them. That’s why we believe it’s nice to show how much we care beyond just giving cards and flowers.

Isn’t it high time we treated our mums to something a bit different?

Here are ten reasons why a night at Future Inns is better than giving a box of chocolates this Mothering Sunday.

1. Experience

They say people are happiest when they try new experiences instead of buying gifts and material items which only make us feel better short-term. Experiences can last a lifetime.

2. Variety

Doing something different with mum doesn’t have to be complicated. An overnight hotel break in Cardiff, Bristol or Plymouth gives you plenty of scope to try new things on a budget.

3. Quality time

Be it tasting the food in one of our restaurants, Thomas in Cardiff, Chophouse in Bristol or Fishbone in Plymouth, checking out the view from our top floor, exploring the city side by side, or kick-starting the day together over a hot breakfast, be able to say goodnight to your mum, or knocking on each other at 7am in the morning; a hotel break has you spending cherished time together that you might not usually have the luxury to enjoy.

4. Time out

Dedicating a little time away from busy work or family life is a great way to focus on just you and your mum, to talk about the things that matter and have fun together. If we could wrap happiness in a gift box, we would!

5. Which leads us to…..happiness

Inner happiness comes from appreciating and really cherishing special moments. Something as simple as laughing over a glass of bubbles at the bar will help you both to really appreciate, savour and enjoy the time you have together.

6. Spontaneous little moments

A great thing about hotel breaks away are the little moments you never planned that can bring you closer together. You know what we mean; those moments when your mum gets her suitcase stuck in the revolving door or you order asparagus instead of steak.

7. Comfort and relaxation ….the perfect gift!

Watching a movie from the comfort of your room, comparing pyjamas or brushing your teeth together, these are great ways to relax and get you both laughing into next week.

8. Adventure

There’s nothing better than exploring new places with your mum and cities offer something new at every turn. Watch life go by from the water on a boat ride in Cardiff Bay, from the balcony of a theatre in Bristol, or along Plymouth’s cobbled streets. It’s surprising how many things you can find.

9. Memories

A hotel break creates moments you can savour and recall time and again, for the rest of your lives. That’s got to be worth more than any bunch of flowers or box of chocolates which will likely be in the bin by the following week.

10. It shows how much we care

After all, your mum is special, so create moments that matter with us as we know how important family is.

Find out more about staying at one of our city hotels on Mothering Sunday for a weekend break or a special dining experience with us.