Professing your love for all things gin has just become a whole lot easier as capital bracer, Portobello Road Gin, launches the first ever gin-themed emoticons. Released in celebration of World Gin Day, the ‘Gin-moji’ i-message emoticon and sticker set is the perfect way to ‘garnish’ your texts when using your i-Phone. The collection pays homage to the marvellous botanical libation, as well as Portobello Road Gin’s home city of London and its namesake road in Notting Hill. The brand’s signature red lion bottle design also features heavily across the collection’s designs. Priced at 99p, the...
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The great thing about London is after years of living in the city, there's always something new to explore. Last weekend I discovered a new hidden away hotel, which made for a pretty plush staycation. If you're looking for a slice of luxury, something discreet and refined, then the St James's Hotel and Club is the place to land. For my mum's birthday, I checked us into the 60-room former gentlemen's club after hearing about its new wellness package from Perfect 10, which complements stays with healthy breakfasts and in-room massages. Mum's not a fan of massages - I'm not sure why! - so we ...
Read more →A quick power nap and I was as right as rain. I'd decided to escape the hustle and bustle of Heathrow and check out one of the newest lounges to land at the airport. The Plaza Premium Lounge, at Terminal Two, boasts bedrooms and showers so you can refresh while on the go. I was taking an earlyish flight to Copenhagen before hopping on another flight to the Faroe Islands. I was exhausted and in need of a speedy sleep and the lounge was the perfect spot. Low lights, high ceilings and neutral interiors helped to further lull me into a zen-like state. Plug sockets are rife too, so I plugged ...
Read more →Pizza slices, popcorn, Jammie Dodgers and hot chocolate were our go-to accoutrements for sleepover when we were 12. But more than a decade later, my childhood friend Stephanie and I had decided to do a PJ party all grown up. Now both based in London and no longer in the Nottinghamshire wilds where we attended ballet school, we decided to check out the newly-revamped Blakes hotel in the Kensington area of town. Tucked away on a quiet residential street where houses go for a handsome sum, this place is a treasure box to explore. Over the years this secluded spot has welcomed a host of A-liste...
Read more →If you go down to Shepherd's Bush today, turn right before the bridge and walk down Richmond Way road, you'll be in for a big surprise. Tucked away on this quiet residential street is K West, a former BBC recording studio, which is now a hotel, bar and spa. Although it's been open for more than ten years, I'd never been to the spot. But a friend informed me the understated haunt is a big hit with music industry crowd. 'Everyone used to record here from Bob Marley to Amy Winehouse,' I was told as I was shown around the building, which still carries a sort of office-like vibe. I'd de...
Read more →'It feels a bit like we're in a Woody Allen movie,' I mused as I sipped my martini and basked in the warm glamour of Il Pampero. Maybe it was the jolly jazz tootling away in the background that made me feel like I was on a movie set or the romantic mood the place put me in when I stepped through the chic glass doors and was greeted by a duo of smiling doormen. The hot new Belgravia spot, within the boutique Hari hotel, oozes sophisticated cool. Thanks to famed British interior designer Tara Bernerd, the furnishings are a feast for the eyes. Think advant-garde art meets Art Deco, wh...
Read more →I felt a bit like a princess as I clambered into the grand bed at Batty Langley’s. Given its regal height, the big wooden structure required a small to jump before I hit the plush duvet and got lost among the spread of snug pillows. Adding to the fairytale-like feeling was a shaft of golden light streaming through the window, illuminating a menagerie of fine breakfast treats perched on the end of the bed. I’d decided to do a city staycation, showing a visitor to town some of the capital’s more secret spots. I’d always walked by Batty Langley’s, peeking in at the hotel's romanticall...
Read more →We were zooming down the River Thames with the wind in our hair and the city lights flashing by us at night. I’d lived in London for around seven years but I was doing something I’d never done before – a boat ride from Westminster to Greenwich. I was testing one of Conrad St James’ new 1,3,5 experiential packages which allows hotel guests to access some of London’s more secret spots in a short amount of time. My friend Nick - who had just jetted in from San Diego - and I were trying out the ‘East Meets West’ package on a chilly January night. After checking into our luxurious hotel...
Read more →Whether you're travelling to Seville for business or pleasure or something in between, the Barcelo makes a great home for the duration of your stay. A hotel of grand proportions, the building takes up a huge plot just a ten-minute drive outside the city of Seville. With two circular structures forming the base of the hotel, it's got a modern, almost futuristic style to it and you could easily feel like you've walked onto the set of the latest James Bond movie.
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