Hotel

The Conrad, Dublin

‘Ample food and Sturdy Drink, A clean pillow for your head, And may you be forty years in heaven, B’for the Devil knows you’re dead.’ - Irish Luck

When searching for a hotel in Dublin, we wanted to stay somewhere close to St. Stephen’s Green. The Green is a beautiful park right in the heart of the city and is adjacent to one of Dublin's main shopping streets, Grafton Street. 

The Conrad Dublin is just around the corner and, following a recent €13m refurbishment, seemed the ideal place. I was already familiar with the Conrad group having recently stayed at the Conrad Algarve (link). 

The Conrad Dublin is a luxury 5* hotel opposite Dublin’s National Concert Hall. The recent refurbishment was inspired by Dublin’s rich literary culture. All 192 bedrooms have been redesigned and a new lounge bar and an all-day brasserie have been added. 

The lobby area is a stunning mix of marble and brass with pink and green leather banquette seating, inspired by the nearby Iveagh Gardens. The Gardens are perhaps not as well known as St Stephens Green but are equally as beautiful with a rosarium of pink roses and pale greens, the inspiration for the lobby’s colour scheme.

As soon as we checked in we went for brunch to The Coburg, a modern Irish Brasserie. The restaurant features equestrian detailing, inspired by the Royal Horse Bazaar, the headquarters of which was in Iveagh Gardens.

Stirrup fastenings and stitched saddlery leather details are all around. It also has it’s very own Champagne table. My kind of place!

The menu was so appealing we decided on two breakfasts each.

I had my usual egg florentine and my friend had smashed avocado. She also ordered pancakes with bacon and maple syrup while I had french toast. Unsurprisingly our eyes were bigger than our bellies and we were unable to finish the meals. We slipped into a food coma and nipped up to the room for a quick nap. 

The bedrooms are a good size, marble bathrooms with wide baths add to the feel of luxury, as does the turndown service where Butler's chocolates are left as treats. Complimentary Wi-Fi is also available to guests and all bedrooms are equipped with mini bars.

After a busy day exploring Dublin, we returned to the hotel for a night cap. There are two bars in the hotel, Alfie Byrne’s and Lemuel’s. Alfie Byrne’s by Galway Bay Brewery, is more of a pub, with up to 33 craft beers on draught all made within the USA and Ireland, along with more than 30 USA and Irish whiskeys.

It has a totally different feel to the other two bar/restaurants with more of a an American sports bar theme.

We decided to try Lemuel’s, the new cocktail lounge. This bar is named after the fictional voyager, Lemuel Gulliver, from the classic novel Gulliver's Travels, written by Irish author Jonathan Swift. The theme spills over into the cocktail menu and takes you on Lemuel’s travels around the world. Including ‘Ship on the Rocks’, when Gulliver was shipwrecked after a storm blew him off course and so began his extraordinary journey, ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’ and ‘Writers Block’. 

After a couple of cocktails we too were blown off course and headed up to bed in readiness for a busy day exploring the next day…..

 

The Conrad Dublin

Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, Ireland

+353-1-602-8900

Hotel du Vin, York

The leaves are brown, they’re falling fast….

Thursday sees the start of Autumn, without doubt my favourite season. Cosy nights in with candles lit, oversized scarves, copious amounts of hot chocolate and the excitement of halloween and bonfire night.

This Autumn, I plan to fully embrace hygge. Hygge (pronounced hoo-gaah) is a Danish term which is loosely translated as “cosiness” and possibly originated due to the long, cold seasons that Scandinavia is renowned for. In essence, hygge means creating a nice, warm atmosphere and enjoying the simple things in life with the people that you love. Apparently it’s what makes Danish people so happy. Given Copenhagen was just voted the happiest city to live on the planet, it’s high time us Brits adopted the hygge way of life.

With that in mind, I booked a trip to York to catch up with my uni friends. Unlike our usual jam-packed weekends away, we decided to take it easy and do nothing except for a trip to the local park for a picnic and then relax at the beautiful Hotel du Vin.

Tucked away in the Mount area of the city in a Grade II-listed mansion, in what used to be an orphanage, the hotel consists of 44 elegant bedrooms and suites which are typical of the Hotel du Vin brand. Despite undergoing a full renovation, the building has retained many of its unique features as well as embracing all the necessary mod-cons to make it a comfortable stay. 

We booked the De Trafford junior suite in the loft. The room had a king size bed with Egyptian linen, a chaise lounge seating area, a roll-top bath and separate bathroom with a walk in monsoon power shower.

The freestanding bath in the centre of the room perhaps isn’t ideal when sharing the room with a friend but we put it to good use as a cocktail holder. 

We considered venturing out into York for an evening meal but decided against it, opting for the cosiness of our room and room service instead. The Bistro du Vin menu is simple and inspired by French home-style cooking. We chose a simple meal of french fries with baguette and a bottle of red wine, although my friend deviated from the theme slightly by ordering a burger. 

After a lovely nights sleep, possibly due to the comfy bed but most likely due to the cocktails, we headed down for breakfast. The Country Table offers freshly squeezed juices, cereals as well as a selection of pastries and fruit. We started our day with a healthy granola and yoghurt before diving headfirst into a hearty cooked breakfast with oodles of tea.

We walked off our breakfast with a tour of the hotel. There’s a relaxing bar area leading to a couple of quiet snug rooms. A lovely feature in the reception is a wall of clocks, one for each of the locations of the Hotel du Vin hotels around the country. We promised to visit every one. 

Outside there is a terrace and courtyard for alfresco dining where your dog can also join you. There is even a quirky little Cigar Shack in the grounds for smokers. 

We perched ourselves by the wine van at the front of the hotel, wondering whether it was too early to have a tipple. Apparently not, we were surrounded by folk who fully embrace alfresco Sunday drinking. Very hygge!

Before we knew it, it was mid-afternoon and our tummies told us it was time for more food. We ordered a roast dinner each followed by some homemade apple pie with custard. All very relaxed and served by attentive, friendly staff. We each had a final glass of wine before catching our trains home feeling a little tipsy but happy and content.

If you're interested in learning more about hygge, I can highly recommend this book and this book.

Blythswood Square Hotel, Glasgow

“Unexpected adventures make for a better story.”

As I write this post, I should be sat poolside in Portugal, instead I’m sat in a hotel in Scotland! 

In planning our holiday to the Algarve we bought new suitcases, pulled out our holiday clothes, booked airport transfers and hire cars, checked the weather forecast daily and even bought suncream. The one thing we forgot to do was check was our ruddy passports. Cue a frantic 500 mile round trip from Wirral to Glasgow for the only appointment available at any passport office in the country.  

And so we find ourselves in a hotel room in bonnie Scotland waiting for our paperwork to be processed. Our only criteria in selecting the hotel was that it had to be close to the passport office so that we can return first thing to collect our new passport. As luck would have it one of Scotland’s best hotels is within walking distance. 

Blythswood Square is a 5-star spa hotel in a quiet Glaswegian square. It is one of the most elegant and chic hotels in the city and is rumoured to have had several famous guests, including Beyoncé and Brad Pitt.

We were met at the door by Sarah who welcomed us to the hotel. After a long journey she is exactly the type of character you would like to meet; extremely helpful with an obvious enthusiasm for her job.

The interior of the hotel is equally as beautiful as the exterior with stunning marble floors and a couple of eye-catching red velvet sitting booths.

The rooms are surprisingly spacious for a city centre hotel. Light and airy, they’re the perfect place to relax.

All 100 rooms are similarly decorated, with tweed featuring heavily. Harris Tweed, used by Chanel, Vivienne Westwood and Céline, was commissioned to design the textiles for the interiors. 

It took 100 weavers six months to complete the job and over 9000 square metres of fabric is used in every room, even in the hotel's private cinema.

Car art is dotted around the hotel, paying respect to the building's previous use.

The Square used to house the Royal Scottish Automobile Club headquarters and was subsequently chosen as one of the official starting points of the Monte Carlo Rally between 1949 and 1973. In homage, the hotel has named one of its bars The Rally Bar.

We booked into The Restaurant for our evening meal, but first took a trip to the private cinema. Popcorn in hand we settled in to the tweed-covered seats and sat back to watch the original Star Wars movie.

The Restaurant is housed in what used to be the Automobile Club's ballroom. We opted to dine from the À la carte menu.

The Rally Bar has an impressive array of drinks to choose from. I picked an old favourite, a Mai Tai.

The second bar, The Salon, is located on the first floor of the hotel and has been rated as one of the best bars in the world. No wonder we found ourselves drawn to this place in our hour of need!

The staircase that leads to the bar has at its centre one of the tallest chandeliers I’ve ever seen. I don’t envy the person tasked with keeping it spotlessly clean!

After a fantastic nights sleep we headed to breakfast. With a few hundred miles of driving ahead of us a hearty Full Scottish Breakfast was in order.

A big thank you to the staff at Blythswood, in particular Emma the front of house manager and to Stuart at The Restaurant. We look forward to visiting again!  

Blythswood Square

11 Blythswood Square, Glasgow, G2 4AD

0141 248 8888

Hilton Manchester Deansgate

You know you’ve arrived in Manchester when you spot the iconic Beetham Tower, soaring high above the rest of the city.

Beetham Tower cost £150 million to build and is the 7th tallest skyscraper in England. It was designed by Ian Simpson who now lives in the incredible penthouse, in the top two floors of the 47-storey building. 

Situated within the lower 23 floors is one of my favourite places to stay in Manchester, the Hilton. It’s a contemporary hotel located on Deansgate. Each of the bedrooms has floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning views across the city. 

The best part of the hotel, for me, has to be Cloud 23 sky bar. It is one of the nicest places to unwind with a cocktail while enjoying panoramic views and is ranked amongst the world’s best bars.

You enter Cloud 23 by walking along a red-carpet to a private lift which whizzes you up 23 floors to the exclusive bar. 

Cloud 23 has four different zones named after the gods of ancient Greece “seated in their lofty position in the heavens”: Apollo 23 (God of Music, Light and the Sun), Zeus 23 (King of the Gods), Iris 23 (Goddess of the Rainbow) and Eros 23 (God of Love). 

The interior is stylish, the music is cool, the drinks are creative. Talented mixologists whip up a whole array of fantasy cocktails, including Stratospheric 23, said to be the tallest cocktail in the UK!

Cloud 23 is also a very popular place to take afternoon tea, which I plan to do on my next visit. What could be better than enjoying tea and cake in the clouds?!

It’s one of the most unique bars I’ve visited and well worth the trip if you’re in Manchester. Dress to impress, it is a firm favourite of Manchester’s stylish set!

Whether you opt for cake or cocktails, I’d recommend making a reservation as Cloud 23 is generally fully booked and operates a queuing system. You don't want to be left hanging around outside...

Hilton Manchester Deansgate

303 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ

0161 870 1600

Vila Monte Farm House, Portugal

During a recent trip to Portugal my friend and I stayed at Vila Monte Farm House, located in rural Moncarapacho, in Portugal’s Olhão municipality. 

Set off the beaten track in amongst nine hectares of orange groves and manicured gardens, overlooking the Algarve’s countryside and mountains, it’s the ideal location for those who want to “escape” while on holiday. 

After a busy few weeks, we were in much need of a relaxing holiday. Following a twenty minute taxi ride from Faro airport, we passed through the hotel gates, drove up the winding path through an olive grove and arrived at reception. A handsome young Portuguese man greeted us, offering herbal teas while we checked in.

The decor is inspired by traditional Portuguese architecture, with whitewashed walls, terracotta chimneys and natural woods. The concept behind the resort is boho-chic with a “timeless simplicity”.

The Lobby area is a huge multi-functional open space which is the heart of the hotel. Designed for socialising, there is a large fire-pit at the centre and a long cool white bar topped with a variety of different spirits.

Guests gather around here in the evenings to watch movies together or read in the Library while enjoying cocktails from the bar. Film sessions are organised every evening and during the summer months an open-air cinema is held in the gardens. 

After a guided tour of the hotel, we were taken to our room. We stayed in number 10, a Double Superior which had lovely views looking out at gorgeous bright pink bougainvillea. The room was a mix of crisp white bedding, furniture made from driftwood with pops of colour.

The interiors were designed by Vera Iachia, who has worked with Andy Warhol and Jacques Grange. It is without doubt one of the most beautiful hotels I have stayed in and was clearly designed with total relaxation and comfort in mind. We also had our own little private terrace area which was the perfect place to sit just before sunset.

Each of the 55 guest rooms has its own beach basket with towels, hats and umbrellas for use during your stay. The hotel will even prepare a picnic for guests to take on day trips. Guests can also take part in fishing trips to the Ria Formosa, horseback riding, seafood tasting and trips to the local Olhão market to buy produce with the chef from the hotel. 

Despite all of the activities on offer, we decided on something a bit more challenging…. choosing between which of the two pools we would plonk ourselves by.

Our days at Vila Monte were spent lying in the sun, ploughing our way through good books and drinking local wine. Total bliss!

On the rare occasion that we did want to try something a little more adventurous, we borrowed the hotel’s bicycles to cycle around the grounds, narrowly missing crashing into the citrus trees. 

A highlight of our stay was the delicious food. There are two restaurants, Laranjal and À Terra, both focus on farm-to-plate homely yet healthy food.

The hotel even has its own grocery store which sells a selection of local produce from the Algarve region ranging from olive oils, cheeses, spirits as well as crockery and kitchen goods. The idea being that this strengthens the relationship with the community and, most importantly, local farmers. 

Breakfast was made up of a wide selection of breads, warm pastries, homemade jams and yoghurts with fresh fruit as well as cooked eggs and meats. Made all the more enjoyable while enjoying the stunning views across the mountain range. 

The lunchtime and evening food is designed for sharing and is mostly cooked in a traditional wood oven or Josper grill (conceived by two Catalonian’s to bring out the foods best flavours over a charcoal grill).

The freshly baked breads, bruschetta and wood fired pizzas were incredible. The menu is based on homemade, rustic food using the freshest local ingredients, many of which are grown in Vila Monte's own grounds. 

The hotel has its own aromatic garden filled with herbs and vegetables as well as an orange grove and olive trees where ingredients are grown to be used in the restaurant. Guests are encouraged to wander through the gardens picking mint leaves to take back to their room to make refreshing peppermint teas. 

However, our favourite choice of drink was undoubtedly the wine, most of which comes from local vineyards. I’m not much of a white wine drinker but our lovely waiter recommended we tried a bottle of Beyra which was incredible, especially when sipped poolside!

Vila Monte was the perfect place to stay, the service we received throughout was fantastic, the staff were all genuinely helpful. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an escape to Portugal! It is a little oasis of calm away from the Algarve's touristy beach resorts. That being said, the beach is just 10 minutes away if you do fancy some sand, but the hotel has created a feeling of seclusion and total relaxation that you’ll never want to leave. 

Despite being fully booked while we were there, we never felt that we were in amongst a crowd and at times felt like we had the whole resort to ourselves. If you’re looking for a tranquil retreat in the sun with great food and wine, this is the place!

Vila Monte Farm House

 

*Cocktail Saturdays was a guest of Vila Monte Farm House.