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February Newsletter

 

⛴⛴ #Liverpool #titanic #takemeback

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Hi everyone,

With January being a ridiculously long month I always forget that February is a super short month and therefore March comes around so so quickly! It only seems like yesterday since I wrote my January Newsletter, and my highlight of this month was my first overseas adventure of 2017 which was pretty amazing! Here’s what I’ve been up to over the past few weeks…

I started planning my European adventures

 

 

Now that January is out the way, February gave me a chance to really plan my adventures for 2017 and have a good think about where I want to go, and what I want to do. I’m still not entirely sure, and I’ve been mulling it over for weeks now, as you’ll know if you read one of my recent posts. I have however decided to book another trip and am sooo excited to announce that I’ll be heading to Bratislava and Vienna at the end of March with my lovely friend and fellow travel blogger Lucy from Faraway Lucy! We’re flying in to Bratislava, staying there for two nights and are then catching the train to Vienna for two nights before flying back from Bratislava to the UK on 1st April. We’re both super excited and can’t wait for our first adventure together… send us all your recommendations for Bratislava and Vienna please guys!

I was featured in IceLolly.com’s new campaign

 

 

If you follow me on Instagram you’ll notice that I recently posted a few throwback photos from some of my previous trips to Zakynthos and Paphos for a new campaign that holiday comparison site IceLolly were running throughout February. The campaign was called #IceLollyLoves and I posted a series of photos from destinations I completely fell in love with the first time I visited them, and I chose Zakynthos and Paphos, but focused on Paphos for the purpose of the article that IceLolly had put together. I really loved taking part in this campaign as it reminded me how much I love exploring beach destinations, something I haven’t done for the past three years whilst I have been city-breaking my way across the world! I’m off to Tenerife in May though and can’t wait for some proper sunshine and a full week of relaxation! You can read the article that IceLolly put together here – my contribution for Paphos is top of the list!

I took a social media detox

 

 

A couple of weeks ago I was feeling a little down after having a few bad days in a row. It may have been something to do with the fact that it was Valentines Day and I was feeling even more single and lonely than I usually do, but something in me was just feeling really unhappy and I knew I had to do something about it. So, on Valentines Day, I decided to take myself off social media completely for the whole day and just remove myself from what was becoming quite a toxic online environment. I don’t want to see what presents people have bought each other on the most commercialised day of the year. I spend my days browsing Facebook seeing that couples are getting engaged, moving in together and having babies, and I always wonder why it’s not me living those dreams, and why it’s always somebody else instead.

I know I’m not ready for those things yet, and I love travelling as much as I can and just enjoying myself, but deep down, I find it hard to accept that I haven’t quite got my life together yet. Anyway, I took myself off social media to try and remove any negativity and, you know what, it really helped. It just made me realise that looking at other peoples lives and comparing mine to theirs isn’t doing me any good at all, and it made me realise I just need to concentrate on what I have got, not what I haven’t got. Social media is a massive part of my job, and my blog, but I’ve decided to cut down on how much I use it in my personal life, and I think that’ll have a big impact upon the way I see things going forwards. I’ll be cutting down a lot over the next few weeks so I’ll report back in a couple of months time and update you then!

I went to Copenhagen for the weekend

 

Been in #Copenhagen for less than four hours and I'm already in love! This place is so beautiful 😍😍 #visitcopenhagen

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If you’re following me on social media you’ll know that I recently went on my first overseas trip to the Danish capital of Copenhagen and I had the most wonderful time! I travelled with my sister and we spent four days indulging in scrummy Danish pastries, people watching at the beautiful Nyhavn Harbour and exploring the stunning Christansborg Palace and Rosenborg Castle on foot. We wandered down the Stroget, the largest pedestrianized shopping street in Europe, climbed up the Round Tower for spectacular views of the city below and trekked along the waterfront to see the iconic Little Mermaid statue. We also found the time to cross the Oresund Bridge over to Sweden and had a day out at Malmo as well, ticking off another country along the way! We had a wonderful trip and I can’t wait to share my full guide with you soon… watch this space!

 

I reviewed another wonderful hotel in the Cotswolds 

 

Just another hotel review 🏨🏨🍾🍾 #standardmonday #luxlife #ionlygetoutofbedforchampagne

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Last night I was staying in the pretty Cotswolds town of Watlington where I had the pleasure of reviewing The Fat Fox Inn, a beautiful country pub with 9 en-suite rooms perfectly located between Oxford and the Chiltern Hills. I stayed with my best friend and number 1 travel companion Emily who comes with me on all of my review trips – it’s a hard life isn’t it! We had a lovely stay and enjoyed a fantastic dinner, a cosy night’s sleep and a scrummy breakfast before heading to Oxford today for a day of shopping and lunching. I’ll be posting a full review and blog post in a couple of week’s time, so watch this space…Thank you to The Fat Fox for having us!

So there we go, that’s how my February turned out! Did you have a good month? Let me know what you got up to – it would be great to hear from you!

Love Jess x

 

Watch and you'll see, someday I'll be part of your world 🐚🐚 #Copenhagen #thelittlemermaid #ifoundariel

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Hotel Review: The White Horse Inn, Duns Tew (Oxfordshire) – A wonderfully cosy stay at the heart of the Cotswolds

Another day, another hotel review! Wonderful stay in the heart of the #Cotswolds – full review and blog post coming soon! #Oxfordshire

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Last weekend I was invited to stay overnight at The White Horse Inn, a glorious pub with 11 cosy rooms nestled in the sleepy little village of Duns Tew in Oxfordshire. Located an hour away from London, and just 20 minutes drive from both the dreaming spires of Oxford and the world famous designer outlet of Bicester Village, The White Horse Inn boasts the perfect location from which to enjoy some the Cotswolds’ finest tourist attractions. Here’s my full review of this gorgeous property…

The Location

 

 

The White Horse Inn really is at the heart of the Cotswolds; close enough to explore everything this beautiful area has to offer, but far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the larger cities and towns, so that you can get a perfect night’s sleep and a true taste of village life in Duns Tew. As mentioned above, both Oxford and Bicester are a 20 minute drive away, whilst other places of interest, including Chipping Norton, Burford and Woodstock (where you’ll find the stunning Blenheim Palace), can be reached in under 30 minutes.

The Room

 

 

The Inn boasts 11 cosy and comfortable rooms made up of standard, classic and premier doubles, king superiors and king twin beds. Three of the rooms are over the pub itself, up a small staircase at the rear of the bar, whilst the rest of the rooms are separate to the main building. Each room boasts an en-suite bathroom, with hot shower and bath tub, central heating, LCD flat screen TV, tea and coffee making facilities and there is free WIFI throughout. Our double room was located in the main building, on top of the bar area, and was so cosy and warm. The bed (and the pillows!) were super comfy and the hot shower was amazing – we had a great night’s sleep and really loved the homely feel to our room; it was cosy and full of character, as well as fitted with all the new mod-cons I would look for in a hotel room.

The Bar

 

The cosiest of bars welcomes you to The White Horse Inn #cotswolds #oxfordshire #hotelreview

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This 17th century property is full of charm and the bar and dining area complement each other perfectly. The bar is well stocked with every drink you can think of, and the large flag stones and cosy log fire make it the perfect place to unwind. The dining area leads just off from the bar and is equally as characterful, with plenty of space and a fantastic food menu, with locally sourced produce, which changes daily. We were both so looking forward to dinner after a busy day’s shopping at Bicester Village (on Black Friday, might I add!!) so couldn’t wait to tuck in to some hearty pub food.

The Staff

 

And my table literally had my name written all over it! #Oxfordshire #Cotswolds #hotelreview

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The staff made us feel so welcome throughout the whole of our stay, from the minute we arrived to check in, to the second we checked out the next day. Upon arrival we were welcomed by Alex and then shown to our room by George and told what time to head down for dinner that night and breakfast the next morning. We were then welcomed at dinner by Alex again, who showed us to our table which quite literally had my name written all over it! Throughout the evening we were served by George and James, they looked after us really well and nothing was too much trouble. The next morning we were served by George again for breakfast and he checked us out upon departure too. I cannot thank the staff enough for making our stay so enjoyable, thanks guys!!

The Dinner and Breakfast

Although this is a pub, the menu and the whole feel of the place felt more like a restaurant, in a really good way! The atmosphere was still as relaxed as the pub/bar area, but the food was mouth-wateringly good and on par with what you’d expect from a restaurant, so we felt that the Inn offered the best of both worlds in that respect. We opted to skip starters and went straight for the main courses, choosing the cheeseburger and the 10oz rib-eye steak respectively. Both main courses came with fries (cooked to perfection) and we really enjoyed our meals!

 

For pudding we chose the homemade apple crumble and the chocolate truffle torte, both of which were AMAZING! I’m such a pudding girl and I love all things chocolate, so my dessert was heaven on a plate, whilst the apple crumble was delicious too. Every aspect of our meal was wonderful, we just wish we could have chosen more food from the amazing menu, although we were suitably stuffed once we’d finished eating!!

Breakfast the next morning was really good; we both opted for the Full English (obviously) and enjoyed freshly cooked sausages, bacon, eggs and mushrooms with thick toasted bread. The breakfasts totally set us up for the day ahead and we left feeling well and truly full up!

The Verdict

 

 

Overall we had a really wonderful stay at this gorgeous hotel right in the heart of the Cotswolds. I would highly recommend staying here on a mid-week or weekend visit to this part of Oxfordshire for a cosy and comfortable stay. Every aspect from the warm and welcoming staff to the fantastic dinner and gorgeous room made our stay such a pleasant one, and I would recommend the Inn to anyone looking for a place to stay in the Cotswolds.

So there we have it, my full review of the wonderful White Horse Inn. I cannot recommend this place highly enough for those looking for a comfortable stay in the heart of the Cotswolds– thank you for making our stay such a pleasant one! For more information or to book a room please visit their website directly.

NB. I was a guest of The White Horse Inn for the purpose of this review, but all opinions are of course my own.

 

 

Hotel Review: Hotel Opera Roma – A hidden gem in the heart of Rome

entrancehoteloperaroma

Image courtesy of www.hoteloperaroma.com

 

Last month I had the pleasure of staying at the wonderful Hotel Opera Roma, a smart 3* hotel located in the heart of Rome. I stayed with my sister as part of our Italian Escapade; we were on the last leg of our trip so were feeling utterly exhausted and were hoping to spend our last few days in Italy getting some good nights sleep in-between our final days of sightseeing. We were greeted with friendly smiles and looked after well by the staff on site, with the receptionist even taking us up to our room in the lift and carrying our suitcases for us! Here’s my full review of this lovely hotel…

 

The Location

Perfectly positioned on Via Firenze, just off of the city’s main street, Via Nazionale, Hotel Opera Roma enjoys a quiet but central location close to all of Rome’s major landmarks. As the name suggests, the wonderful Opera Theatre is right opposite the hotel and is just a 5 minute walk to Roma Termini – super handy for those walking/getting a (very quick) taxi to and from the railway station! There are a handful of bars and small shops dotted along Via Firenze and the surrounding streets, but Via Nazionale is where the action happens and is home to most of the high street shops as well as bars, cafes and restaurants. Piazza della Repubblica is also just a 5 minute stroll away and is brimming with small shops, cafes and a couple of museums.

 

Sometimes a Hop on Hop off bus is the best way to see the #city #sights! #Rome #italy #wanderlustwednesday #citysightseeing

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Most of Rome’s major landmarks are within easy reach of this hotel; the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps were a 15-20 minute walk away (quicker once you know where you’re going!) and the Pantheon can be found in approx. 25 minutes. The Colosseum and Roman Forum were a 20 minute walk away, although we used the Hop on Hop off buses to navigate our way to and from these areas, and Vatican City should be explored by bus too as it’ll take you over an hour to walk it! Pretty much every thing you would want to see in the centre of Rome can be walked to without the need for a taxi, so the location is perfect.

The Rooms

The hotel is made up of a small number of rooms and suites laid out over two floors accessed by an elevator; all tastefully furnished and with modern bathrooms. The beds are comfortable, the wardrobe (complete with electronic safe) is spacious and there is desk-space as well as a small fridge with mini-bar. Our room had a small balcony overlooking a quiet street and there was an air conditioning/heating system as well as LCD satellite TV too. The bathroom was gorgeous, and had one of the best showers I’ve ever seen!

 

I stayed in over 30 different hotel rooms this summer, but this one in #Rome was one of my faves! #roma #italy #ig_italy

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The Breakfast

Breakfast was served each morning in the downstairs dining room and there was a large continental section with croissants, pastries, breads, fruit and cereals, as well as a strange assortment of cakes, pies and quiches (not quite a full English, but that’s continental breakfasts for you!). The breakfast room was small but modern with elegant décor and had room for guests to sit down and take their time over breakfast, starting the day off nicely.

 

The breakfast room at Hotel Opera Roma – full #review and #blog #post coming your way! #Rome #Roma #italy #ig_italy

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The Staff

The staff onsite at Hotel Opera Roma were so lovely and couldn’t do enough to make our stay a pleasant one. Upon arrival we were given maps of Rome and the locations of all the local landmarks were explained to us, as well as info on nearby bus routes, recommendations for local restaurants and details on airport transfers. The reception is 24hours but the exterior doors are always locked so access with a key card is needed at all times – that actually gave us a sense of added security and made us feel totally safe during our stay.

I needed to print some train tickets out whilst I was at the hotel so I forwarded the email to the reception staff and they printed the document for me with no problem at all and were on hand no matter what our query was. The staff really helped to make our stay a happy one and we couldn’t have asked for more!

 

 

So there we have it, my full review of the wonderful Hotel Opera Roma. I cannot recommend the hotel highly enough for anyone looking for a comfortable and affordable stay in the heart of Rome – thank you all for making our last few days in Italy so fantastic! For more information or to book a room please visit their website directly.

Last night in #Rome booooo 😭😭 #ciao

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Hotel review: Park Plaza Westminster Bridge – A Little bit of Luxury in London!

 

So this is the view from our room…. 🇬🇧😍

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I have just returned from a fantastic weekend away in London with my best friend – we were in town to attend the glitzy UK Blog Awards which I was SHORTLISTED for in the travel category (more about that in another blog post)! The ceremony was held in the swanky Park Plaza hotel in Westminster and it just so happens that I was at the very same hotel last October to review their bar and restaurant! When I heard that the Blog Awards were to be held at the hotel though I couldn’t resist booking a room and bringing my best friend along for the ride. Here’s my full review of this stunning property…

parkplaza

The location

Situated at the end of Westminster Bridge and overlooking Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament and The London Eye, the location of this hotel is truly enviable. The hotel’s most unique feature is its prime position at the heart of London, just a stones throw from two tube stations, numerous eateries and some of the most iconic tourist attractions in the entire city.

 

 

The stunning Westminster Abbey can also be found within the vicinity, just a 10 minute walk away, and the Embankment is just around the corner – the beauty of this hotel’s fantastic location is that you can explore a huge part of London without even needing to hop on a tube!

 

#thisislondon 😍🇬🇧

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The room

The hotel is laid out over 14 floors and is made up of 443 superior rooms, 512 studios and 64 suites/penthouses. For the purpose of my stay I was upgraded to an executive suite with iconic views – basically I had an ENORMOUS studio with separate living room, bathroom and bedroom and had the most stunning views I’ve ever had the privilege of waking up to! On my left was Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament, and on my right was The London Eye – could you get a more iconic view of London?! Our suite (room #1291) was 12 floors up giving us panoramic views across Westminster and we literally felt on top of the world.

I am SO missing waking up to incredible views like this! 😍😍 #traveltuesday #london

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The double bed was super comfy, with fluffy pillows and a snuggly duvet, while the living room area with sofa (which could also be made up into a sofa bed) gave the suite an added sense of space – super handy when we were getting ready for the awards! The bathroom was sparkling clean with a huge sink, mirror, bathtub AND separate shower cubicle and plenty of towels as well as two dressing robes and slippers – that was a beautiful touch and it really made us feel as if we were right at home! The room also boasted tea and coffee making facilities, a mini bar, Elemis bath products, two flat-screen LCD TVs, 24 hour room service and free WiFi throughout.

 

The facilities

Being a 4* hotel, I anticipated that there would be an abundance of facilities on offer to guests throughout their stay, and I wasn’t wrong! The hotel boasts two bars, two restaurants, an exclusive executive lounge (upgrades only), fitness centre and Mandara spa with sauna and steam room as well as a swimming pool. Oh and you’ll find a coffee bar, ballroom and meeting rooms a plenty.. what more could you want?! The reception areas also offer the perfect chill out seats with the most incredible views across Westminster Bridge.

 

Through the looking glass… yeah I see you #bigben 😍

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Brasserie Joel and Primo Bar are located on the first floor, both of which are extremely popular with guests and tourists alike – you can read my separate reviews for both of these here. We actually dined for lunch at Brasserie Joel and had the most amazing meal – the set menu was fantastic value for money at just £13.95pp – who said London hotel prices had to break the bank?! Big thank you to Gregory and Didier for looking after us!

 

 

Unfortunately we didn’t have time during our stay to visit the Mandara spa, complete with its sauna, steam room and pool, but it did look incredible! A wide range of beauty therapy treatments, from massages and makeovers to waxing and hairstyling, were on offer to guests for competitive prices. Next time I will have to make that all important spa trip!

The breakfast

Anyone that knows me will know that I love my food and, as it’s the most important meal of the day, breakfast is always a big part of my hotel stay. I enjoy a mix of continental and full English so was pleasantly surprised to see that pretty much every breakfast food imaginable was on offer the next morning! I was sort of expecting everything to be continental (and healthy) as Park Plaza is a large European and worldwide chain but thankfully I was able to devour a hash brown (or 5) and a couple of good old British sausages!

 

There were two breakfast rooms, one in the same place as Brasserie Joel, and the other on the lower floor. Both rooms were huge and more than adequate for serving breakfast – there were SO many people yet there was plenty of food to go round. We had been told that the hotel was fully booked so I can imagine that there were thousands of breakfasts being tucked into over the bank holiday weekend!

The staff

I was so impressed with the lovely staff at the hotel, all of whom were attentive, approachable and friendly – nothing was too much to trouble. From the reception and front of house staff to the waitresses to the housekeeping team, everyone was so welcoming and really made our stay such a happy one.

After lunch we returned to our room to find a beautiful dessert platter and a note that had been left on the side – this thoughtful gift really added that extra special touch and I felt so lucky! We were treated like VIPs the whole weekend and it was truly wonderful.

 

Agathe from the reception team also took the time out of her day to show us the executive lounge; an exclusive area for guests looking to relax in a quiet part of the hotel. Complete with all inclusive breakfast and afternoon food and drinks buffet, indoor atrium and views of Big Ben, an upgrade to the executive lounge is a unique experience worth splashing out on!

 

So there we have it, my full review of the beautiful Park Plaza Westminster Bridge. I honestly cannot recommend this hotel enough and I would encourage anyone who wants to sample a true taste of London to book a room and enjoy a little bit of luxury! For more information on this hotel or to book a room please visit their website directly.

 

Thank you SO much to all at Park Plaza for a wonderful stay – I will certainly be back!

Love Jess x

NB. This was a partly sponsored post and I collaborated with Park Plaza for this review but all thoughts, opinions and images are totally my own.