To celebrate the birthday of one of England's greatest playwrights this April, the Puma Hotels' Collection is offering great value rates for stays at its properties near Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Celebrate the life and works of the Bard at Walton Hall in Warwickshire or at Billesley Manor Hotel, where Shakespeare himself was said to frequent. Prices start from £55 per person.

Celebrations for Shakespeare's birthday kick off on Saturday 20 April with a range of processions and parades across the market town. The sixth annual Stratford Literary Festival will also be taking place from Sunday 21 April to Sunday 28 April, attracting literary fans in their thousands and features events combining humour, workshops, readings and debate, as well as celebrity speakers such as Sebastian Faulks, Michael Palin and Jon Snow.

To celebrate, Puma Hotels' Collection is offering a range of special offers at its local properties:

Billesley Manor Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon

Enjoy bed and breakfast from just £55 per person (based on a one night stay during the week commencing Sunday 21 April)

Located in Stratford-upon-Avon, the beautiful Billesley Manor Hotel is surrounded by extensive grounds on which stands the All Saints Church - the church where Shakespeare is rumoured to have tied the knot to Anne Hathaway in 1582. Legend also has it that Shakespeare was a regular visitor to the manor hotel itself and that he could often be found sat by the log fires, scribbling the night away on reams of parchment. Today, the hotel boasts 72 stylish bedrooms, as well as a centuries-old topiary garden, a health club and swimming pool.

Walton Hall, Warwickshire

Enjoy bed and breakfast from just £76 per person (based on a one night stay during the week commencing Sunday 21 April)

Play Lord and Lady of the Manor at Walton Hall - a luxurious country retreat set in 65 acres of beautiful Warwickshire countryside, less than a twenty-minute drive from Stratford-upon-Avon. Built in the 16th century by the Mordaunt family, the hall has since been lovingly restored in a contemporary style but retaining the original traditional features such as crystal chandeliers, antiques and open fireplaces to keep that grand country house feel. Guests can take advantage of the wide range of spa and beauty treatments in the beauty rooms or head to the health club which offers an indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, fully equipped gym, and an aerobics and fitness studio.

For more information or to book, please call Puma Hotels on 0800 652 8413 or visit www.pumahotels.co.uk

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Media enquiries:

For further information please contact Jenny Groutage or Liam Colman at pumahotels@brightergroup.com or telephone 020 7326 9880

Notes to Editors:

The Puma Hotels' Collection offers 21 four star hotels across the UK from Scotland to Devon. The hotels are all in inspiring locations from vibrant city and town centres, spectacular coastal resorts to countryside retreats and includes The Carlton Hotel in Edinburgh, The Imperial in Torquay, The Majestic in Harrogate and the Hinckley Island Hotel in Leicestershire. Puma Hotels offer a total of over 2,800 bedrooms, 220 meeting rooms and extensive leisure facilities. www.pumahotels.co.uk