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Hotel Review: The Francis Hotel, Bath – 4* Luxury in the heart of Bath Spa

 

 

Last week on my press visit to Bath Spa with Visit Bath I was invited to stay at the gorgeous Francis Hotel, a luxurious 4* hotel located in the heart of Bath. Formerly a row of Georgian terraced houses, the hotel has been glamorously restored and fitted with the newest mod-cons, whilst retaining the same 18th century charm that was once present on site. With fluffy pillows, retro in room telephones and cosy tea rooms, The Francis Hotel offered a luxurious and comfortable stay during my visit to Bath. Here’s my full review of this stunning hotel…

 

The Location

 

The exterior of this #hotel is so beautiful 😍 #bath #visitbath #Igersbath #tbt #getaway #UK #GB

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Set in the popular Queens Square area, The Francis Hotel is in a perfect location from which to enjoy the best that Bath has to offer. Both the city centre and all the major landmarks are within walking distance, and there are an abundance of shops, cafes and restaurants within easy reach. The hotel offers onsite car parking on a first come, first serve basis, and is easy to find. If, like I did, you’re arriving by train, the station is just a 10 minute walk or 5 minute taxi ride away.

 

The Room

 

 

This hotel isn’t just 4* for it’s fab location, the rooms are gloriously spacious and comfortable with little luxurious touches. We stayed in a superior twin room that was complete with en-suite shower room, large wardrobe with slippers and dressing gowns and an LCD TV and desk area. The room was so lovely and a really welcome place to return to after a busy day’s sightseeing! We were left a little note and a sweet treat by the hotel staff which was a really lovely touch, and I just LOVED the retro in-room telephone!

 

The Facilities

 

The lounge area at The Francis Hotel- I'm still in love! 😍🇬🇧 #bath #visitbath #hotel #getaway #UK #GB #igersbath

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This isn’t a spa hotel so there isn’t a spa, sauna or swimming pool, but the hotel does boast a range of other facilities making it worthy of its 4 stars. There are really beautiful lounge areas in which to relax and indulge in some quintessentially English afternoon tea, and there are bar areas too. There’s also a lovely little secret garden at the rear of the hotel offering guests the chance to escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy city centre.

 

The Staff

 

 

We found the staff at the hotel to be really friendly and helpful during our stay. Our room wasn’t quite ready when we arrived, but the concierge and reception staff were on-hand to make sure our bags were kept safe and were subsequently delivered to our room whilst we were out exploring. They opened the doors and lifts for us and we were greeted with friendly smiles whenever we walked in and out of the hotel. A big thank you to the lovely staff for making our stay so special!

 

The Verdict

 

Overall we had a really wonderful stay at this stunning hotel right in the heart of the city. I would highly recommend staying here on a mid-week or weekend visit to Bath for a truly luxurious stay. We didn’t have breakfast so I can’t comment on that, but if you wish to opt for breakfast you can do so at a cost of £19.50pp. The Francis Hotel is genuinely one of the best UK hotels I’ve ever stayed in, and I already can’t wait to plan a return visit in the not too distant future!

 

So there we have it, my full review of the wonderful Francis Hotel. I cannot recommend the hotel highly enough for anyone looking for a comfortable and luxurious stay in the heart of Bath – thank you for making our stay in the city such a pleasant one! For more information or to book a room please visit their website directly.

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

 

Wishing I was back at this beautiful hotel on this sunny Thursday! #tbt #bath #visitbath #hotel #getaway #igersbath

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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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#bloggersfestival – event round up!

Hi everyone,

So last weekend I was lucky enough to snap up a ticket for the annual #bloggersfestival held at the luxury Conrad St James Hotel in Westminster by London lifestyle blogger Scarlett Dixon, in association with Scarlett London events. Although back for a third year running, this was my first time to the festival and I couldn’t wait to attend and to meet some new blogger friends! Here’s how I got on…

The arrival

Best backdrop ever 🌸🌸 #bloggersfestival @scarlettlondon #flowerwall

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I think the arrival was possibly the best thing I’ve ever walked into. Like, there was a flower wall. An ACTUAL, real life wall, made of flowers. Think Kim K. Think luxe fashonista and you’re there. I fell in love with this wall – a fair few photos (mainly selfies) were taken and I literally could have stayed there all day, I just wish I dressed up a bit more so I could have taken a more flattering photo!

 

The stalls & sponsors

The set up for #bloggersfestival was looking good last week! Thanks @scarlettlondon @conradlondonsj for an amazing event! #fbf #london

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The stalls at this event were quite heavily beauty and fashion focused, from the likes of Jewellery Box & Beverly Hills Formula to Exuviance and Heaven Skincare, so I felt like there wasn’t really much on offer in the way of travel. I would have liked to have seen a popup stall from a tour operator or even a luggage supplier, but I guess we’re all human and we all have skin/hair/beauty needs so it wasn’t completely irrelevant to my jetsetting lifestyle!

 

The competitions

Hoping to win these beauties from @gosendgo ! Having a fab day at #bloggersfestival @scarlettlondon

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There were a number of competitions that were being ran from selected stalls throughout the course of the day. Some were offering the chance to win big prizes, such as a Michael Kors watch and a £250 US gift bag, whilst others were running ones with smaller prizes. I entered pretty much all of them, via social media of course, but didn’t win a thing – boooo! I suppose it’s the taking part that counts though, and my Twitter/Insta was going crazy with notifications throughout the day.

The goody bags

 

Possibly my favourite thing about the festival was the endless amount of FREEBIES that were on offer throughout the day. I’m not one to go and grab free stuff, sometimes I feel cheeky and that I should pay for things where necessary, but I literally didn’t put my hand in my purse all day as everything was totally free! We were greeted with drinks and pick n mix upon arrival, then different goodies were thrust into our hands (or arms) whilst making our way around the stalls. I picked up everything from face masks and hair oils to phone charging devices, chocolates and make up. It’s safe to say that getting back on the Oxford Tube whilst carrying three bags, my handbag, jacket and umbrella was a bit of a challenge, but a fun one none the less! A big THANKYOU to all the lovely sponsors for the gifts and treats that I picked up during the day.

The goodbyes

Best day at #bloggersfestival with @scarlettlondon @katevictoriaphotography @girlgoesto @footstepsontheglobe

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Loved meeting these girls at last weekends #bloggersfestival @conradlondonsj in #London with @scarlettlondon 💖🎉 #fbf

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I spent the day with the lovely Kate from Kate Victoria Photography, we met up in Westminster just beforehand, once we’d found each other under Big Ben’s shadow and fought our way past hundreds of tourists! When we were at the hotel we met up with Mel from Footsteps on the Globe and Becky from Girl Goes To and we all had a lovely time devouring cupcakes and comparing freebies. Thanks for the company girls – see you at the next event!

So there we have it, my round up of my first ever #bloggersfestival experience. Did you go to the festival too? What did you think? I already can’t wait for the 2017 event – big thank you to Scarlett for putting together a fantastic afternoon!

Love Jess x

#fbf to when me and @katevictoriaphotography made the Twitter wall at last weeks #bloggersfestival 🙋🎉 @scarlettlondon

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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.

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Preparing for Beautiful Budapest!

Hey everyone,

So my second city break of the year is almost here and I AM SO EXCITED to be heading to Budapest on Saturday!! Me and my sister visited Prague back in February (we had a whale of a time!) so we thought we’d plan adventure number two and chose the beautiful Hungarian city as our next go-to destination! First of all I just want to say a massive THANK YOU to my lovely fellow travel bloggers Vicky from Eat Sleep Love Travel  and Rebecca from The World As Bec Sees It for providing me with the stunning images to enable me to write this post! They’re both amazing – go check out their blogs and, if you’re after some more Budapest-esque info, they’ve both compiled posts and handy guides to the city…

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Budapest looks to be absolutely AMAZING and I can’t wait to experience the local history and culture that the European capital has to offer. We’ll be staying in the 4* Hotel President on the Pest side of the river Danube and location wise it looks perfect for us. Its described as a luxury boutique hotel and we’re particularly excited about trying out the spa facilities and marvelling at the city views from the panoramic roof terrace – who said anything about high expectations?!

h Image courtesy of Google Images

As we’re only staying for three nights we are trying to cram in as much as we can so that our city break is as adventurous and fun filled as can be. So far we’ve pin pointed Chain Bridge, St Stephen’s Basilica & the stunning Hungarian Parliament Building as main attractions that we are just dying to see! We’re also planning to head to the Thermae Spa’s both in the evening and during the day and are super excited to be spending some relaxation time in one of the world’s prettiest spots of natural beauty.

a b c d

We’re catching our Easyjet flight from London Gatwick on Saturday morning and anticipate arriving in the capital during the early part of the afternoon ready for a few hours of exploring whilst daylight is still present! We’ll then be staying until Tuesday 29th September before flying home around dinner time and arriving back in the sunny UK close to midnight (booo).

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I’ll obviously be too busy having fun to be blogging whilst on my travels but you can keep up to date with my Budapest antics over on my Instagram page– I’ll be posting wanderlust inducing photos whenever I get a spare minute… and usage of some free wifi!

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Have you ever been to Budapest before? If so, what are the main sights I should see without fail, and do you have any local tips and hints I should know about before I travel?! If you haven’t been, is Budapest on your wanderlust list at all? If you have any advice for me please leave a comment below and I’ll catch up with you all when I’m home…

Bon Voyage!

Love Jess x

 

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