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Hotel Indigo Chester

The staycation series: Hotel Indigo, Chester

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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:

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Cotswold House Hotel

The staycation series: Cotswold House Hotel

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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.

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The Woodsman Restaurant and Hotel Indigo

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

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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.

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The new hand luggage essentials

The new hand luggage essentials

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You know I love to travel. It’s not just about exploring and discovering beautiful new places, although that’s a huge incentive. It’s also about connections, meeting new people, and nurturing existing relationships by sharing these fabulous experiences. In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, I guess all travel will change, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go! The travel industry needs you. And the lovely people who work in travel, both here and abroad (including me), rely on you to pay their bills. So I thought I’d bring you my thoughts on the new hand luggage essentials. Plus after my life-changing trip to Dominica, it became clear that I really need to up my hand luggage game, so there’s a few in there that aren’t new, but are good reminders.

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Ten holiday ideas for a first-time solo traveller

Ten holiday ideas for a first-time solo traveller

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So, since separating just after Christmas, I’ve been thinking quite a lot about solo travel. Obviously, due to my job, I’ve travelled solo quite a bit, but you tend to be in a press group, or at the very least hosted in some way, so it’s not really solo travel. I’m thinking of actually being brave enough to strike out on my own, and I’m clearly not the only one - one of the biggest growth sectors in solo travel is women in their forties - and not just because they’re divorced, either, just because they want to strike out and see the world on their own terms. Whether you’re male or female, the choice of single travel options is surprisingly wide. I’ve been looking into it a bit and have collated ten holiday ideas for a first-time solo traveller that might take your fancy.

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What are the different staterooms like on AmaMagna

What are the different staterooms like on AmaMagna?

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Last time, I told you all about our gorgeous Christmas markets Danube cruise on board AmaWaterways’ revolutionary, double-width AmaMagna river ship. I thought I’d take the time to write a separate post about all the different AmaMagna stateroom categories, as there’s so much to tell you and I was conscious that the post was getting very long! So what are the different staterooms like on AmaMagna? Well, because there’s so much space, most of the staterooms (apart from a handful on deck 1) are suite class cabins. We explored the different stateroom categories so you can have a good look at all of them.

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A guided tour of AmaMagna in pictures

A guided tour of AmaMagna in pictures

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If you follow me on any of my social channels, you’ll know that I was away last week on the most beautiful river ship I think I’ve ever seen. You know I love a river cruise, and AmaWaterways’ new AmaMagna is spectacular - she’s a double-width river ship, but without double the passengers. I loved the feeling of space this creates, as well as the luxurious boutique hotel feel on board. So what’s it like to take a cruise on this delightful - and rather extraordinary - new river vessel? I thought the best way to show you around would be to create a guided tour of AmaMagna in pictures, to really give you a feel for this clever, and truly luxurious new ship Read more

Great places to visit in London: Samsung KX

Great places to visit in London: Samsung KX

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Have you been to Kings Cross recently? A friend of mine said recently that she nearly bought a flat there years ago, and - many years later - is seriously regretting her decision not to, as it’s now utterly gorgeous there. Walk down the side of Kings Cross St Pancras station and there’s a whole new area of lovely shops, restaurants, cafés, bars and lovely places to sit and watch the world go by. Go a little further and you’ll find Coal Drops Yard - a brand new trendy shopping district where old Victorian brick viaducts have been redeveloped into even more lovely places to shop, dine and hang out (there’s even a gorgeous Tom Dixon showroom - you know how I love a bit of Tom). And now, there’s a dramatic new addition to Coal Drops Yard in the form of a multi-tasking leisure space created by Samsung. And if you’re looking to great places to visit in London - Samsung KX should definitely be on your list.

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A look at TUI's new river cruises

TUI’s new river cruises: everything we know so far

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You all know I’m addicted to cruise travel, and one of my favourite cruise lines is TUI’s Marella Cruises. I love the bright, colourful ships, the warm and friendly staff and the fabulous itineraries (you can read all about what I thought of Marella Explorer here), so I was delighted to hear the news that TUI are moving into river cruising with a fleet of three gorgeous river ships that will be setting sail in the summer of 2020. As with their ocean vessels and land-based holidays, TUI does river cruising a bit differently, so I thought I’d take a look at TUI’s new river cruises and check out the ships, cabins, restaurants and itineraries to give you a bit of an idea of what to expect. At the moment, we only have artists’ impressions, but they’re looking pretty spectacular already.

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The Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road

A mini London break and Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road

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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.

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Ten products to give your skin a gorgeous glow

Weekend wishlist: 10 products to give your skin a gorgeous glow

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Recently, I’ve been researching products that are (paraphrasing William Morris), both beautiful and useful. As a consumer, I want to feel pampered and uplifted when I spend my hard-earned cash, so I tend to look for skincare products that feel like a treat - ideally I’d like them to be effective, smell delicious, and have beautiful packaging (or at least two out of three - if it’s a cracking product, I can forgive a plain bottle). I want a skin product to really earn its money: do wonderful things for my skin, make it feel plump and soft and revived and, yes, glowy. I’m incredibly lucky, because generous brands often send me their products (although some of these were purchases), and I thought I’d collate a little top ten of the very best, so especially for you, here are 10 of my favourite products to give your skin a gorgeous glow.

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Les Villages Nature Paris: a different way to do Disneyland

Les Villages Nature Paris: a different way to do Disneyland

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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!

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A weekend break at the Z Hotel Soho

A weekend break at the Z Hotel, Soho

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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.

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Everything you need to know about sailing the Danube with Viking River Cruises

Everything you need to know about sailing the Danube with Viking River Cruises

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I’ve just come back from a Viking River cruise from Passau in Germany to Budapest in Hungary. It’s pretty different to my usual ocean cruise and I didn’t really know what to expect before I went, so I thought it might be useful to give you an overview of everything, from the accommodation and food on board, to what to expect from the excursions and destinations. Spoiler: I absolutely loved it. I never thought I was really a city break person but it’s such an easy (and luxurious) way to tick off several different cities all in one trip. Here’s everything you need to know about sailing the Danube with Viking River Cruises.

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The Z Hotel Covent Garden: an affordable hotel in the heart of London

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I first heard about Z hotels after bookmarking Monica from The Travel Hack’s 10 best cheap hotels in London list last summer. I live a 30 minute train ride outside of London, but I love a little overnight in the city, and it’s always really handy to know an affordable hotel in the heart of London to turn to when you need a night away. The new Z Hotel Covent Garden is located right in the centre of all the action and 30 seconds from the famous piazza, bars, shops and restaurants. It took me about three minutes to walk there from Leicester Square Tube (anyone else not keen on those Covent Garden lifts?), and I found the Z Hotel Covent Garden tucked away just off Bedford Street.

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A Magical Christmas at Disneyland Paris. Pic: news.disneylandparis.com

A magical Christmas at Disneyland Paris

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It’s been a bit of a whirlwind weekend for my pal, Mickey Mouse, as he’s been celebrating a very special anniversary - it’s 90 years since Mickey first appeared in Walt Disney’s iconic cartoon, Steamboat Willie. This weekend was also pretty special at Disneyland Paris, because as well as celebrating Mickey’s 90th with a celeb-filled party, and an enormous cake baked by Pastry Chef and Chocolatier Pierre Hermé, there was a special celebration to mark the opening of Disney’s Enchanted Christmas. If you’re thinking of experiencing a magical Christmas at Disneyland Paris, I’ve teamed up with Isango.com, the specialist retailer of tours, experiences and Disneyland Paris Tickets to bring you all the latest news this holiday season.

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