Archive for category: Hotels I love

You are here: Home / FOODIE ADVENTURES / Hotels I love
Hotel Indigo Chester

The staycation series: Hotel Indigo, Chester

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

If you’ve dropped in before, you’ll know that we’ve been trying to make the most of our weekends by heading out to explore the country a bit more. I’ve got to be honest, Stratford-upon-Avon was so bloody good that it’s going to take a lot of beating. The Hotel Indigo there was just utterly gorgeous, so when the chance came up for us to try the new Hotel Indigo, Chester, we jumped at the opportunity. We only had one night away this time, so we knew we wouldn’t get to explore that much, but a hotel-centric night away in a gorgeous hotel, with dinner and a few drinks is sometimes all you need to recharge your batteries. Here’s how we got on:

Read more

Cotswold House Hotel

The staycation series: Cotswold House Hotel

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

We enjoyed our trip to Stratford-upon-Avon so much that we’ve decided to make heading out on a little weekend break a regular thing. Since I’ve never visited the Cotswolds and always wanted to go, we made our next booking at the dreamy looking Cotswold House Hotel in the pretty village of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. We booked a two-night break over a Sunday and a Monday, thinking that we could relax on the Sunday, then explore on the Monday when it was a little quieter. The drive was so easy - just over an hour and a half from us here near Tring, in Hertfordshire. I’d say it’s better to have a car to fully explore all the surrounding towns and villages, but you can get a train to nearby Moreton in Marsh, which is served by London Paddington and Birmingham.

Read more

The Woodsman Restaurant and Hotel Indigo

The staycation series: The Woodsman Restaurant and Hotel Indigo, Stratford-upon-Avon

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Finally. Finally! Last weekend, we actually got to travel again. I can’t tell you how excited I was at the prospect of someone else cooking my dinner, and of sleeping in a luxurious hotel room once more. We headed to Stratford-upon-Avon for a much-needed staycation (sorry, I know it’s a terrible word). We’d booked in for dinner at The Woodsman Restaurant, which originally opened last year (and has already won the Good Food Guide Best New Entry 2020) before obviously having to be closed again because of the lockdown. The Woodsman is situated on historic Chapel Street and specialises in ‘field to fork’ eating. Owner Mike Robinson is passionate about the use of game, wild and foraged food and locally-sourced quality British ingredients, much of which is cooked in the large wood-fired oven and charcoal grill in the central, open kitchen. Happily last week it opened again, and we drove the easy hour and a half to check out the fabulous-sounding menu.

Read more

White and green pizza from Sal's Market Deli at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Universal Orlando Resort

White and green pizza from Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Universal Orlando

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

How are you all? What is it, today? Lockdown day 44 or something? It’s not too bad here. We’ve settled into an uneasy truce where we’re mostly civil to each other, which is a lot easier for everyone. Anyhoo, I hope your lockdown home life is going okay. I’m missing travel and my favourite theme parks and hotels and restaurants and delicious food in general, so when the lovely chaps at Universal Orlando Resort mentioned that a few of their recipes have been put online for people to recreate at home, I jumped at the chance. Last night, I made the white and green pizza from Sal’s Market Deli at the beautiful Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, and woah, it’s delicious. I know a lot of people are talking comfort in taking time to create new dishes, so I’ve adapted it a bit from the US measurements so you can give it a go too.

Read more

Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, Dominica

Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, Dominica

/2 Comments/in , , , , , /by

After the joyous whirlwind of noise, feathers and sequins that was Dominica’s Mas Dominik carnival, we said a fond farewell to the lush surroundings of Jungle Bay, and headed north in Trevo’s van, windows down, Calypso music blaring, to our final hotel, the utterly gorgeous Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, Dominica. Cabrits Dominica is like no resort I’ve ever seen before. It’s the most magical mashup between traditional local style buildings and a super high end resort. There’s an abundance of local stone and reed-topped roofs, matched with chic interiors, clever, functional rooms (UK plug sockets!!), jazzy tiling and tropical planting. The resort is surrounded by deliciously inviting pools woven into the landscaping - some in unexpected places, but always with the same delightful rule: ‘if it’s blue, you can swim in it’. It’s beautifully contemporary, relaxing, tranquil and being so far on the northwest tip of Dominica in Portsmouth, it has a magical, hidden away quality about it too.

Read more

Eco villas at Jungle Bay Dominica

The eco villas at Jungle Bay, Dominica

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

So last time, I told you all about my life-changing visit to the Caribbean’s heavenly nature island of Dominica. After a long haul flight from Gatwick to Antigua, and a wildly exciting 45 minute prop plane flight, where we flew into a fiery peach sunset and skimmed over the top of beautiful Guadeloupe, we finally landed in Dominica. Our lovely guide, Trevo, picked us up from the airport, and as the sun set, we drove southwest - the warm air heavy with the grassy scent of the rainforest rushing through the windows making us deliciously drowsy, to the coast just above Soufriere to our first hotel, the brand new eco villas at Jungle Bay Dominica.

Read more

Planning your Disneyland Paris holiday into 2020 and beyond

Planning your Disneyland Paris holiday into 2020 and beyond!

/6 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Last week, Disneyland Paris announced their future plans at a brand new Media Expo event and I thought it would be really helpful to create a Disneyland Paris timeline, to show you what’s coming up for the rest of this year, and also next year (including the return of Marvel Summer of Super Heroes which we loved last year!) and beyond. I’ve also got news of an absolutely brilliant winter offer which will save you a fortune (but remember you need to book before October 1st so don’t delay!). Here, then, is all you need to know if you’re planning your Disneyland Paris holiday into 2020 and beyond.

Read more

The Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road

A mini London break and Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

When I was at the Visit USA Ball recently I was lucky enough to win two tickets to School of Rock in the West End. We decided to plan a mini London break, cramming in as much foodie fun as we possibly could without actually booking anything in. Having loved our stay in Covent Garden, we thought we’d try another of the central Z Hotels, this time the Tottenham Court Road property (I guess the Soho one would probably have been nearer, but we really wanted to try a different one), and we weren’t disappointed. The Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road is actually on Poland Street, right in the heart of Soho, surrounded by shops, bars and restaurants, and about a five or six minute walk from the actual station.

Read more

Everything you need to know about Universal's Surfside Inn and Suites

Everything you need to know about Universal’s Surfside Inn and Suites

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

So while I was hanging out with Hagrid, Draco and Luna recently in Orlando, I was also doing some proper work too, I promise. I was really excited to get a sneaky peek inside the first of the two properties that make up Universal’s Endless Summer Resort (I can’t believe I was first talking about it back in May 2018), their first ‘value hotel’ (different to Cabana Bay Beach, which is listed as ‘prime value’). The other property, Universal’s Endless Summer Resort - Dockside Inn and Suites will open in March 2020. Here’s everything you need to know about Universal’s Surfside Inn and Suites.

Read more

Les Villages Nature Paris: a different way to do Disneyland

Les Villages Nature Paris: a different way to do Disneyland

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

I’m always up for a different approach to a Disney holiday, and I’ve recently discovered one that I think you’ll really like - a beautiful resort just a stone’s throw away from Disneyland Paris with tons of space and all sorts of things to do. If you’re a bigger family, this is absolutely perfect for you: a perfect, self catering apartment option with a little Disney magic thrown in. Here’s everything you need to know about Les Villages Nature Paris: a different way to do Disneyland!

Read more

Everything you need to know about St James Club, Antigua

What it’s like to stay at St James Club, Antigua

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

So after my life-changing few days celebrating the launch of the W8 GYM, I thought you might be wondering what it’s like to stay at St James Club, Antigua, and I’ve been looking forward to sharing more about this beautiful resort. This was my first time in Antigua, but my Dad travelled and worked - and indeed played cricket - a lot in the Caribbean, and adored it there. I grew up listening to stories of Curtly Ambrose and Viv Richards so it was lovely to finally experience the island for myself. St James Club occupies a stunning 100 acre peninsula on the south east coast of Antigua, with pretty shell-coloured villas and small clusters of hotel rooms dotted around a wide, vanilla ice cream scoop of beach facing into sheltered Mamora Bay on one side, and the other, smaller Coco’s Beach open to the cooling breezes of the Atlantic. When we arrived, we were taken to our rooms by golf buggy, and snatching tempting glimpses of the turquoise bay and swaying palm trees, I wanted to pinch myself a bit just to make sure it was real. Tempted yet? Here’s everything you need to know.

Read more

A weekend break at the Z Hotel Soho

A weekend break at the Z Hotel, Soho

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

You might remember that a little while ago I told you about my trip to London to stay at the fab new Z Hotel in Covent Garden. Last weekend, we were due to meet a lovely friend in London for his leaving drinks (bon voyage, Kelly!), so we decided to make a night of it and have a mini weekend break at the Z Hotel in Soho. It’s a brilliant location, literally right next to the Palace Theatre in London, so it’s absolutely perfect if you’re going to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (we’re planning a return visit when this happens), or if you just want to be right in the centre of things for eating out, going to the cinema in Leicester Square, exploring Covent Garden, shopping on Oxford Street or whatever else you have planned.

Read more

Everything you need to know about Toy Story Play Days at Disneyland Paris

Everything you need to know about Toy Story Play Days at Disneyland Paris

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Have you heard much about Toy Story 4 yet? We’re huge Toy Story fans in this family (unsurprisingly) and can’t wait to see Woody, Buzz and friends reunited in the latest film which sees the gang taking a road trip with Bonnie and a brand new character called Forky. The adventure takes an unexpected turn when Woody is reunited with his old friend Bo Peep too. The new film is produced by the brilliant Jonas Rivera who also produced Inside Out and Up, and directed by Josh Cooley, who directed the gorgeous short film Riley’s First Date. Toy Story 4 is released on 26 June, and to celebrate, Disneyland Paris have announced Toy Story Play Days - an 11 day celebration dedicated to all things Toy Story 4.

Read more

Everything you need to know about Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

There’s so much going on at Universal Orlando Resort at the moment, and last night I was lucky enough to be invited to the suitably Hogwarts-esque St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London to hear more about all the exciting new experiences, including the brand new coaster attraction featuring everyone’s favourite Professor. Here’s everything you need to know about Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure!

Read more

The best friends breakfast with Lilo & Stitch at Disney's Polynesian Resort

The best friends breakfast with Lilo & Stitch at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

The boys have always adored Lilo & Stitch. I dread to think how many times we’ve watched the movie over the years and even now Charlie’s got a Stitch character on his car keys. One of the things I really wanted to do when we were at Walt Disney World was to treat everyone to the best friends breakfast with Lilo & Stitch. I did it ages ago and it was great fun, plus the food really stood out for me, so on the day we were due to fly home, I booked us in for breakfast for a last treat before we headed back to pack up and leave Disney’s Contemporary Resort (sob). Read more

Christmas at Disneys Contemporary Resort

A Disney Dream come true - Christmas at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

Waving goodbye to Universal Studios was hard, but we were also incredibly excited as our next stop was Walt Disney World, and more specifically, Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Since my very first visit to Walt Disney World, back in 2009, I’ve always wanted to stay at the Contemporary. I’m a bit of a Mary Blair obsessive (more of this in a bit) and I’m fascinated by the hotel’s structure, more specifically the story of how the A-frame of the Contemporary Tower was built and then workers slotted the rooms, which were constructed off-site back in 1971, into the building after they were finished. I’ve even heard rumours that at one stage, Walt Disney planned to keep the hotel modern by periodically removing and updating the rooms before slotting them back in. So what’s it like to spend Christmas at Disney’s Contemporary Resort? Here’s what we thought.

Read more