Burns Night at The Dakota Leeds

The Dakota hotel in Leeds has been open less than twelve months, but it has already become an established part of the city with its sleek, modern design, sophisticated bar and grill and it's close proximity to Greek Street, the bar and restaurant hotspot in the city centre. The hotel boasts 84 bedrooms and is the fourth hotel in the Dakota group with the other three situated between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Just over a week ago, I was invited down to the Dakota hotel in Leeds to celebrate Burns night with them and to take part in a Scottish whisky tasting session with Johnnie Walker and a traditional Burns night supper. With my love of food, whisky and boutique hotels combined, I really couldn't wait to attend.

The Dakota hotel is a boutique hotel with a very modern, yet retro vibe and from top to bottom, it is full to the brim with character. The decor features a lot of greyscale and vintage style artwork, contrasted against abstract furniture and ornaments. All of the rooms come with state of the art televisions complete with Sky TV, a work desk complete with Bluetooth and HDMI connectivity and the bathroom features a rainfall shower with bespoke Dakota hotel toiletries, everything you could need for a luxury, comfortable nights stay in the city.

I was very impressed with our bedroom, it had lots of space to get ready, the plugs were at the side of our bed (which is the first thing I check when I get to a hotel) and the view from our hotel window was lovely as we could see the town hall lit up late at night. There were ample amounts of space to hang your clothes as you're getting ready, great tea making facilities and the bed was firm, yet soft enough to swallow you up and make you not want to leave.

The Burns night event took place in the stylish Salon Prive on the first floor of the hotel. The Salon Prive is one of the Dakota's event spaces, which can accommodate up to 150 people. It featured a glamorous bar with plush seating and the balcony looked over the hustle and bustle of Greek Street. Our welcome drink consisted of Johnnie Walker Black Label and Ginger ale - one of my new favourite drinks. If you love Jameson and ginger ale, you will love the alternative J.W version - Jameson has quite a smooth texture, whereas Johnnie Walker and ginger ale has a lovely kick to it.

Once we had all arrived, we were lead to our tables and talked through the history of Scottish whiskys and were given a selection of the best Scottish whiskys to sample. In between each whisky, we dined on traditional Burns night grub - with vegan alternatives for myself and my husband. I was incredibly grateful and impressed with the level of detail that went into creating my vegan dishes, one of the highlights was my little vegan Scottish haggis tart made with lentils, topped with a layer of 'neaps' and 'tatties'.

With our bellies full of scrumptious food and warm with the feeling of whisky, we decided it was time to call it a day and head back to our room. When we arrived back to our room, the staff had put chocolates on our pillows, turned the radio on to Smooth FM and dimmed the lights, it was created the perfect relaxing atmosphere to end a busy day and helped us gently nod off.

Our night at the Dakota was nothing short of wonderful from the doting staff to our comfortable and sophisticated surroundings. Breakfast in the morning was plentiful and satisfying - I had the most wonderful avo on toast and we woke up with a spring in our step ready to embrace the next day, as well as also feeling that little bit sad that we wouldn't be returning back to our room. Until next time, Dakota.

Rooms are available from £110 per night at the Dakota Hotel website.

Have you stayed at the Dakota before?

*My stay was complimentary, but all views are my own.

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A review of The Coniston Hotel & Spa, Skipton

When most people think of Coniston, the location that springs to mind is often Coniston in the Lake District. However, on the outskirts of Skipton, deep in the rural North Yorkshire Moors there's another Coniston, Coniston Cold.  Situated against the idyllic backdrop of the 1,400 acre Coniston Cold estate and the lake is the award-winning Coniston Hotel Country Estate and Spa. What was once a small country tea house, has now transformed into one of the UK's most loved country retreats, offering everything that is needed for an escape in the British countryside. Whether you're looking to sip cocktails in an infinity pool or test your adrenaline and driving skills on their off-roading track, have a go at one of the UK's top voted clay pigeon shooting ranges or feast on the estates culinary treats, there's something for everyone. To see what all the fuss is about, I was invited down to the hotel to experience just a few of the things they have to offer.

The Estate

The Coniston Cold estate is over 1,400 acres of beautiful woodland and a 24-acre lake. Open to all day visitors and hotel residents, the estate is wonderful to walk around, especially in the autumn as the leaves are turning gold and amber. It features an array of wildlife from swans to wild rabbits, pheasants and ducklings, as well as the estates' livestock such as cows and sheep.  It's a great place to unwind, step away from technology and be at peace with nature - perfect for families and couples alike.

The rooms

The hotel features 71 bedrooms, ranging from classic to superior and luxury bedrooms. Prices start from an affordable £99 and all of which are pet-friendly. During our visit, we stayed in the luxury bedroom which included a balcony overlooking the grounds, a large bathroom and a separate walk-in shower. The room had all the essentials such as hairdryers, tea and coffee making facilities as well as Aromatherapy Associates skin and bath care. The bed was incredibly comfy, the rooms were quiet and we loved being able to sit out on the balcony first thing in the morning and absorb the view. 

The spa

The spa is one of the newer additions to the Coniston Cold estate, which was added just over two years ago. It features a wide range of facilities such a 15m indoor swimming pool, a thermal suite which includes a Himalayan salt sauna, indoor bubble pool, sauna and steam room, treatment rooms, a fitness studio, gym, a brasserie and the star attraction, a stunning outdoor infinity pool overlooking the lake. The spa was clean and modern and the treatment rooms were relaxing and inviting, we really enjoyed our few hours relaxing by the pool and our couples massage. The massage took 60 minutes and the staff were really attentive and took the time to ask me what areas I would like them to focus on. In my day job, I spend a lot of time hunched over a computer so my shoulders and neck often get strained, the massage really helped to relieve some of the pressure points and get rid of knots that had built up over the last few months.  Our only criticism of the spa and spa area is that the Nourish Brasserie is far too small for such a large spa - it would have been great to have had lunch there before we checked out of our hotel, but they had limited seating and everything was all booked up. The menu caters for vegans, vegetarians and those who are gluten-free, so if you're looking to have a spa break at the Coniston Hotel, it looks like it is definitely worth booking a table.

The food

Despite not being able to get a table at the Nourish brasserie, we were well catered for throughout other areas of the hotel. The Coniston Hotel and Spa has two additional restaurants - The Huntsman Lodge which is catered towards casual dining and the a-la-carte Macleods which is a formal evening restaurant. Although both restaurants primarily serve food which is reared on the estate, they both went above and beyond to cater for our special vegan diets, providing us with our own special menu for both lunch and dinner - this is available on request as long as you notify them in advance. The menu included a variety of risottos, stuffed mushrooms, bruschetta as well as some creative desserts such as poached pears and cashew cream. One of my favourite dishes was the salt baked carrots and walnuts - this was essentially just carrots on a plate, but the flavour derived from salt baking them was incredible. It was great to see skilled chefs being able to be creative with vegan dishes, rather than putting together a simple salad and this was very much appreciated.

The activities

There's a whole range of activities available to book at The Coniston Hotel and Spa from clay pigeon shooting to falconry, archery, fishing and off-roading. I was kindly booked on to the off-roading experience on my first day of the visit and falconry on the second, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was really nervous about off-roading as I'm quite an anxious driver, but after a briefing session with the team, my nerves diminished and throughout the course, the instructor helped me relax and enjoy myself. It started out as the activity I was dreading the most but ended up being one of the best things I have done in a long time, I'm even looking to go back in 2018. The falconry experience was also something I was a little bit apprehensive about. Firstly, I was nervous about having a few big birds fly into me and from an animal welfare perspective, I had heard a lot of negative things about falconry in the past. However, after seeing the birds and their keeper it was clear how well they are looked after and cared for. The birds were absolutely beautiful and it was a wonderful experience to be so close to some big birds of prey.

If you're looking for an escape to the country that is a little bit different to your standard spa break, I would definitely consider looking at The Coniston Hotel and Spa, it is somewhere I'm already planning on going back.

Have you been to the Coniston Hotel and Spa?

*This stay was complimentary, however, all views are my own

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A night at The Vicarage, Cheshire

There's nothing that I love more than visiting old country pubs which feature exposed wooden ceiling beams, roaring rustic fireplaces, cosy fireside chairs and hearty, wholesome home cooked grub, so when I realised that The Vicarage in Cheshire ticked all of those boxes, I knew it was somewhere I wanted to visit.

The Vicarage Freehouse & rooms is a refurbished 17th Century grade II listed pub and hotel, situated in the rural village of Holmes Chapel in Cheshire. The hotel features 26 en-suite bedrooms, a snug area, games room, restaurant, bar and library as well as six new stylish signature rooms where you can relax and unwind following an afternoon of walking in the idyllic neighbouring countryside. Rooms start from £145 which includes bed and breakfast.

Holmes Chapel, where the Vicarage hotel resides, is conveniently situated just under an hour away from three major UK cities - Chester, Liverpool and Manchester, making this the perfect pit stop for someone looking to explore the North. An hour away towards the East of Holmes Chapel is also the Peak District National Park, perfect for long walks or simply a romantic getaway where you can escape the hustle and bustle of city life and get lost in the wilderness of the countryside.

Last week I stayed in one of the six newly furbished bedrooms at The Vicarage and I was really impressed. The bedroom had lots of character from the wooden beams on the ceiling, to the old fashioned chest at the bottom of the bed. It had plenty of tea making facilities, a smart coffee machine and large television, as well as a jar of homemade biscuits at the bedside.

What really caught my attention after checking into my room for the night was the huge, decadent bathroom with freestanding Victorian style bath, cosy exposed brickwork and the most beautiful mint green dressers. The bathroom alone makes you not want to leave this hotel - it was luxurious and quite unexpected for a cosy pub in the middle of nowhere.

Once we had showered and dressed up, we headed down the bar area for some pre-dinner beverages and to soak up the atmosphere downstairs. The bar again had ample character from the fabric deer heads above the doorways, dog motifs on the fireplace, gold ornate mirrors dotted around the walls and intricate Celtic style engravings in the ceiling work. It was quite dimly lit, but it all added to the appeal, making it feel cosy and welcoming.  It was ever so slightly hipster, but in a way that it was hipster before hipster became cool. Another unexpected surprise was the rock music that played all night - it could be slightly off-putting to some, but for someone who loves her hair metal, I was enjoying the Bon Jovi and Poison ballads playing gently in the background all evening.

After we had mulled around the bar for half an hour, we decided to take our seats for our evening dinner. The menu was quite extensive and had lots of choices for vegetarians, as well as a vast gluten free section. I opted for the Celeriac soup for starter, vegetable Wellington for main and a mouth-wateringly good rhubarb and elderflower cheesecake for dessert, all of which were faultless and full of flavour. My only criticism throughout the evening was the price of wine - I have no issues paying a fair amount for a decent bottle of wine, but I felt that just over £17 for a bottle of Blossom Hill that I could get from my local supermarket for a third of the price was a little bit steep. Needless to say, I still bought and drank it and overall enjoyed being merry, eating good food and listening to a bit of Motley Crue,  so much so that as soon as my head hit the pillow that night I was asleep.

I had a really comfortable nights sleep at The Vicarage, despite my initial concerns of being close to the main road (I barely heard it) and I woke up with a spring in my step eagerly awaiting breakfast. Breakfast was served in a beautiful white conservatory attached to the side of the building and it was lovely being able to look outside at all countryside as we dined. Breakfast consisted of a continental breakfast and a hot cooked breakfast - I went for a pot of fresh fruit from the continental side and ordered poached eggs with hollandaise from the cooked menu, which was cooked to perfection. 

Overall I had the most wonderful stay at The Vicarage and the staff were lovely and attentive throughout our time at the hotel. Would I stay again? Yes.

Have you stayed at The Vicarage before?

*This was a complimentary stay in exchange for this blog post, but views are my own

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A Night in the Lake District and Yewfield Guest House

The Lake District has always been one of my favourite places to visit - it is quintessentially British with beautiful old Tudor and slate buildings, has the most wonderful views of rolling hills and lakesides and every little village or town that you visit just oozes character, no wonder it was recently given a UNESCO World Heritage status. Windemere, one of the most popular areas to visit in the Lake District is England's biggest lake and Scafell Pike, which attracts thousands of tourists each year is England's highest mountain. The Lake District was also once home to (in my opinion) one of the best children's authors that ever lived, Beatrix Potter. There's so much to do and see in the Lake District, making it the perfect place to visit.

Last week, my husband and I had a week off work and decided to head up to the Lake District for a few peaceful days in the countryside. We visited Ambleside, Windermere and Hawkshead and stayed in the beautiful Yewfield Guest House which was kindly organised by the team at Go Lakes, the Cumbrian Tourist board. We were truly blessed with the weather - it was sunny and warm and the perfect weather for rambling, taking boat rides and eating copious amounts of ice-cream.  We arrived at Bowness on Windermere at lunchtime and after browsing a few of the shops, we headed to the lake to catch a boat ride to Ambleside with Windermere Lake Cruises. The boat we caught was one of the older steam yachts, the M.V Tern which was built in 1891. The Tern still exhibits some of the original Victorian features, but now has a modern engine to deal with the vast amount of tourists that catch this boat every half an hour, 364 days a year.  Our trip to Ambleside took around 35 minutes and through the duration of the journey, we had a guided tour who told us all about the history of lakes and nearby points of interest.

We disembarked at Waterhead and made our way up to the village. It was a twenty minute scenic walk which passes by a lot of the local farm life and villages, as well as a beautiful Borrans Park, which is perfect for a picnic. Once we got to Ambleside, we had a coffee at one of the many coffee shops and had a quick look around the village, before heading back to the boat and getting back into the car to visit Yewfield.

Yewfield Guest House is a five star vegetarian bed and breakfast on Hawkshead Hill, which is fifteen minute either side of Coniston and Windermere. It is situated on 80 acres of private land which is available for guests to walk around and it is well and truly in the countryside, which is perfect for those looking for some R&R in the peace and quiet. The drive up to the hotel can be a little difficult at times - it is up a very steep, narrow hill, with lots of bends, but once you arrive there's ample parking space and the view from the B&B makes it all worthwhile. Yewfield is priced at £90 per night, which is really affordable compared to other places in the Lake District, so I was excited to see what it had to offer.

I've never stayed in a B&B before - I've always thought of bed and breakfast hotels as quite run down, with very cheap furniture and I always preferred the amenities that much larger hotels have to offer. However, Yewfield captured my heart from the get-go with it's charming building, the living area downstairs that makes you feel at home and the countryside decor of the bedrooms, which were stylish and spacious. I also loved the fact that it is a vegetarian guest house - there is no meat served at all on the premises, which disappointed my husband, but was a blessing for me who has been a vegetarian for thirteen years.

The bathroom was also very modern and had a really deep bath with great water temperature and these luxury, eco friendly Organic Damana bath products. They had the most refreshing citrus scent and after a long day of walking, they really helped freshen me up in time for dinner.

One of the downfalls about Yewfield guest house is the fact they don't have a restaurant or bar area, so if you're looking for food in the evening, you will have to travel for it. This didn't bother me too much - we read up on the area and discovered that Hawkshead was only a twenty minute walk away and we came prepared with a bottle of wine for when we got back. I could have easily driven back to Ambleside or down to Hawkshead which is only a short journey away, but we felt like exploring and as I was technically on holiday, I wanted a nice G&T in a country pub.  The walk to Hawkshead was a little adventure, walking by nearby farms and in the heart of the countryside with the only living creatures that we saw for miles being farm life. However, once we  found our bearings it was easy enough to find and because it was a nice, bright evening, it was quite a romantic walk down. 

When we arrived in Hawkshead, we stumbled across an old 17th Century guest house  called the Queen's Head and decided that this was place we would stay and have dinner. The menu was quite extensive with lots of options for vegetarians and was reasonably priced at around £12-16 for a main course. Each of the menu options had been designed to utilise local ingredients and there was everything from pizza to pasta to more a la carte options like rosemary and thyme polenta cake with butternut puree. I opted for the wild mushroom pappardelle made with incredibly fresh pasta and my husband ordered a pizza, which was huge. 

The next morning we woke up at around 8am for breakfast, after what had been one of the best nights sleep I have had in a hotel. Breakfast was served downstairs and consisted of a continental buffet, as well as a vegetarian cooked breakfast of your choice. To start I had the vegan smoothie was wonderfully refreshing and a bowl of soya yoghurt and fruit. I then ordered a cooked breakfast of vegetarian sausage and scrambled tofu. It was the perfect, healthy ending to our trip at the Lake District.

It was a short, but sweet visit to Yewfield and Windermere and I loved every moment of it. I've been to the Lake District several times now and each time I go, I discover even more wonderful places and come back with even better memories. Yewfield Guest House has really transformed my opinion of B&Bs and I would definitely stay there again. 

Have you been to Yewfield or the Lake District?

*My stay at Yewfield Guest House was complimentary, but views are my own.

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A Night at Tewkesbury Park - Review

The Cotswolds has been on my UK bucket-list for quite some time due to its quintessentially English villages, picturesque landscapes and abundance of world heritage sites and two weeks ago, I finally got the chance to go when I was invited down to review the Tewkesbury Park hotel. For those  who are unfamiliar with the Cotswold, the Cotswolds stretches across five counties of England - Gloucester, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire. The Cotswolds is popular with tourists worldwide due to it's astounding beauty from the lush green fields, to villages nestled by rivers and in 1966, it was given an (AONB) and declared an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' by UK environmental agencies.

Tewkesbury is one of the many traditional medieval English towns in the Cotswolds which rests next to the River Avon and it is known for its vintage and antique shops, quaint coffee shops and Tewkesbury Abbey, the second largest parish church in England and a former Benedictine monastery which dates back to 715. Tewkesbury Park, is set in 163 acres of undulating parkland and overlooks the town and the famous site of the AD1471 Battle of Tewkesbury. The hotel completed its second phase of it's extensive two-year renovation at the cost of £4 million in the autumn of 2016, with the brand new addition of nine luxury historic suites, two new spa rooms, meeting rooms, an Orangery and a cocktail lounge and two weeks ago I was invited to check it out.

Driving up the steep hill to the hotel foyer, the views were impressive. You could see the abbey at the bottom and the golf course was vast with beautiful lush greenery, neatly trimmed hedges and picturesque forestry - it was idyllic and everything you would want for a few nights, undisturbed in the countryside. When we checked in, we were equally impressed with the hotel lobby which is decorated with regal blues and gold colourings. The bar was spacious with an beautiful log fire which is lit on an evening and in the entrance there's an antique piano with a sign welcoming guests to play. 

Once we had checked in at reception, we headed to our room which was one of the new suites, the King Richard III suite on the third floor.  The suite featured a gigantic king size Hypnos bed, a 40 inch Smart TV, a Nespresso coffee machine  a separate dressing room complete with dressing table and wardrobe space and a large bathroom with a free standing bath and separate shower room. One of the things I loved the most about the hotel room was that it came with a hot water bottle and the hot water bottle was heated up when we came back to my hotel room after our evening meal. I suffer from chronic pain and cannot live without my hot water bottle at home, so it was lovely to have one readily available to me here and I really appreciated the fact that the filled it up during the turn down service.

Shortly after I had rested from my long four hour car journey, I was called down for my treatments in the spa. The hotel has several treatment rooms, a pool, outdoor Jacuzzi and sauna and stream, all of which are available to guests. I was booked in for a full body massage which was a lovely treat after sitting behind the wheel for hours and I loved the aroma that came from the natural, locally sourced body products that they used. The therapist used just the right amount of pressure that I like when I have a massage and when I left, I felt like all my knots had vanished. The full body massage was around 45 mins and when I was finished, I headed to meet my husband in the pool area. Since it was a lovely, bright day we both headed to the outdoor hot tub to soak up the sun. The hot tub just the right temperature and is hidden away in a courtyard so that you're able to relax in peace. I wore my brand new Boohoo swimsuit, which has the most beautiful summery print.

After we had finished around the pool, we headed back to the room to get changed for dinner and headed down to the bar. We both ordered a glass of house wine which came to £5 each, which I thought was really reasonable and then headed to the orangery for our evening meal. We ordered off the A La Carte menu which had lots of great choices with locally sourced ingredients - my only criticism is that the vegetarian options were rather limited, but I find this with most a la carte menus anyway. Overall the meal was wonderful and both my husband and I enjoyed it. The star of the meal was definitely my starter - the World Cheese Award winning Cerny Ash Goats Cheese with Cheltenham Heritage Beetroot, Balsamic pearls and beetroot crisp, it was a delight to eat.

When we headed back to our room, it was dark - that lovely countryside darkness that makes a room feel cosy.  Our slippers had been left by the bedside, the hot water bottle was filled and the curtains were drawn ready for bed. I had one of the best nights sleep that I've had in a long time and in the morning, it was wonderful to open the curtains to a view of the golf course and greenery which stretched for many miles.

In the morning we headed down for breakfast - which was a usual hotel style buffet breakfast and then left the car in the car park and walked down to the town. It was lovely to stretch our legs and absorb the wonderful scenery before heading to our next location. Our stay at Tewkesbury Park was nothing less than brilliant - the staff were excellent, the location is superb and I felt like everyone went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. My only criticism is that there are no lifts and a lot of stairs,  but I would still go as far as saying that this was one of the best hotels that I have stayed in. 

Prices start at £109pn, with a suite being £350pn

Have you visited Tewkesbury before?

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The Sensory Storytelling Experience at The Queens Hotel, Cheltenham

Have you ever visited somewhere and been reminded about that experience through a particular scent? Or do you wear a perfume simply because it makes you think of a special occasion? Scent can be a powerful memory trigger that makes us feel emotive and nostalgic about certain experiences. To celebrate the power of scent and it's ability to make us remember some of fondest memories, MGallery by Sofitel has just launched a brand new sensory storytelling experience at three of their luxurious UK properties - The Francis Hotel in Bath, The Castle Hotel in Windsor and finally the Queens Hotel in Cheltenham, where I was recently invited to trial this innovative experience for myself.

Partnering up with renowned scent historian Lizzie Ostrom from Odette Toilette, MGallery by Sofitel has created three new fragrance collections inspired by the heritage, personality and individual stories of each boutique hotel. Referencing the hotel's unique positioning and drawing from archival research on eighteenth and nineteenth century perfume formulations, guest are able to choose their fragrance as a finishing touch to their room or suite during their stay.

The Queens Hotel in Cheltenham first opened its doors on the 21st July 1838 and was named after Queen Victoria to celebrate her coronation. Since 1955 the  hotel has been listed a Grade II English Heritage building as it retains many of its original features, including wallpaper designed by Pugin, which is the same wallpaper that is featured in the houses of parliament. These days the hotel is popular with locals and visitors alike in Cheltenham, particularly those who visit Cheltenham for the races.

When I arrived at Queens hotel, I was greeted by a member of staff who led me to a table featuring a trio of perfumery bottles and I asked to pick my favourite scent. Each scent has been curated to tell a story about the hotel and the towns heritage. I chose the 'Eau D'Ange' which had a warming scent derived from a mix of cardamom, cinnamon and cedar. The scent was created to replicate the fragrances worn in the 1800s and it is also a known aphrodisiac (although that wasn't the primary reason I chose it, I promise).

After my scent choice had been noted, it was delivered to my room and placed into a machine that dispersed it at a frequency of my liking via a remote control. During our visit to Cheltenham, we stayed in the Cambray suite, which is one of four suites in the hotel named after local spas. The suite was spacious with a very large bed, Nespresso machine, stylish sofa and free standing bath with White company toiletries and large shower space.  It was the epitome of luxury and the warming cinnamon aroma added to the experience, from the moment I walked into the hotel room, I was instantly relaxed.

Once we had relaxed in our hotel room and freshened up, we headed down for the sensory storytelling afternoon tea. The sensory afternoon tea enables guests to learn about some of the individual notes and materials that make up each of the hotels signatures scents via smell and taste through a specially-created signature cocktail and Afternoon Tea which heroes particular fragrance notes from the hotel's collection, The Queen's Eau D'Ange afternoon tea features a selection of traditional finger sandwiches, apple cheesecake, lavender macarons, Gin-flavoured sorbet, rose chocolate opera, Cinnamon-infused biscuits and plain or raisin scones which locally sourced preserves. To accompany the afternoon tea, we had a sensory storytelling signature cocktail called 'Rose Drop' which had a floral taste and featured Jinzu Gin. The Jinzu Gin cocktail is one of the best cocktails I have ever had - it was not too floral and it tasted very delicate, light, it was so easy to drink. The cakes and sandwiches from the afternoon tea were all superb and the Gin-flavoured sorbet made me a wonderful palette cleanser. 

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects sensory storytelling experience and I think it was a lovely touch to our stay. I really think scent really does help us remember certain memories and different fragrances can help enhance our moods, which is something that is really important when you're taking a trip away. The sensory storytelling experience is £170pp which includes overnight stay, room fragrance, afternoon tea and the Jinzu cocktail.

*I was a guest free of charge in exchange for this review

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Boutique hotels Vs Chain Hotels

Boutique or 'independent' hotels are rising in popularity thanks to the likes of Air BnB, Mr & Mrs Smith and Doris & Dicky, sites which offer millennials the ultimate 'Instagram' experience at low cost prices - rooms that look good on pictures that don't always have the five star price tag. Many young people are now looking for travel experiences that can outdo their friends and they want something that will not only give them a fun experience, but something that will look good on their social media accounts.  Boutique hotels often fill that gap by offering quirky themed rooms that give travellers that unique experience, beyond being a simple place to stay. 

Chain hotels are just as popular, but for a different reason. Chain or branded hotels like Radisson, Hilton to name but a few, are great for those looking for stability and travellers who want to know exactly what they are getting. Many travellers will have a hotel chain that trust and love and will go back to again and again. What they lack often in individuality, they make up for in amenities and their general monopoly over the travel market. 

Here's a simple guide to help you decipher which hotel is best suited to your trip.

Rooms

If you're looking for something with individuality and flair, boutique hotels have that covered, but they generally have a lot less rooms in their hotels which makes booking sometimes an issue and because of their limited availability they can charge a premium. Chain hotels often have the same style room in every hotel which varies in size, but you often know what you are getting and can be assured that will have a comfortable stay.

Facilities

With chain hotels generally being much bigger buildings,  it means they can offer more amenities such as spas, pools, bars and restaurants and sometimes evening entertainment. Boutique hotels will usually have a restaurant, but depending on their size, it can often limit what they have to offer.

Location

Many chain hotels are often based in the heart of the city or town and take up the top spots for tourists. Boutique hotels in a city can be pricey - look for those rural boutique hotels that offer you the best of both worlds, an escape from the city for the evening and the ability to experience what the city or town has to offer during the day.

Local knowledge

Boutique hotels are great for local knowledge as they are mainly ran by people who have grown up in the area or have staff who live locally. Also, from my experience smaller independent companies often like to help each other out business wise so you are likely to get cheaper hotels, advice on great locally ran restaurants and discover some hidden gems from the people who know a lot about the location.

The experience

If you are looking for somewhere luxurious that has all the amenities, posh restaurants, city based, but may not be able to give you 100% of their attention chain hotels are great. Boutique hotels are great for those looking for a unique experience and where they can get to know the area that little bit better. With less rooms to service, Boutique hotels are usually great at adding those personal touches to your stay.

Cost

Prices vary from hotel to hotel and are very much dependent on location and the star rating of the hotel you go for. Boutique hotels are often pricier because they have less rooms and have a high demand, but also thanks to a lot of great comparison sites out there you can get some fantastic deals. 

What do you prefer, boutique or chain hotels?

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Broadoaks Country House and the Lake District

Broadoaks Country House is a 19th century luxury boutique hotel in the Lake District set on a 7-acre grounds and last weekend my husband and I had the pleasure of staying there. A few weeks ago we were researching places to visit in the UK and although I have been to the Lake District previously, it was a brief visit and I really wanted to go back. We found a deal on Groupon for Broadoaks Country House for £195 which included a romantic room, an afternoon tea for two, four course meal in the evening, spa access at a neighbouring hotel and breakfast. 

We arrived at the hotel for midday and were greeted warmly by the staff and given a tour of the hotel. The hotel features 15 bespoke bedrooms, a music room with piano and guitars for those who are musically inclined with a warm glowing fire so you can serenade your loved ones, a luxury restaurant serving Cumbrian produce with a French twist and a beautiful orangery where afternoon tea and breakfast is served.

As soon as we got settled in, we were led to the orangery for our afternoon tea. The surroundings were tranquil and relaxing, looking out of the orangery you could see miles of autumnal woodland with little streams running through them and picturesque slate buildings on the hilltops. The afternoon tea was served with beautiful patterned china and was over flowing with cakes, delicious sandwiches and freshly baked scones, so much so that my husband and I boxed quite a lot of the cakes up to eat at a later date. It was a luxurious start to our trip.

After our afternoon tea my husband and I decided to check out the spa. Our deal included access to the Old England MacDonald hotel in Bowness-on-Windermere, which was a ten minute drive from Broadoaks. The Old England spa featured an infinity pool which overlooked Lake Windermere and seating outside so you could relax and watch the boats go by. For the brave there's an ice room and for those looking to relax in some heat there was an aroma steam room and sauna. The spa access was a nice little touch to our hotel package and it really added to our relaxing stay.

We spent several hours at Lake Windermere admiring the view and walking all the little cobbled lanes browsing the shops. For those who love little independent stores, Bowness-on-Windermere is the perfect place to visit and there's something for everyone. Also if you love Beatrix Potter as much as I do, there's the Beatrix Potter museum and plenty of gift shops.

Once we had finished looking around the lakes, we headed back to the hotel and finally checked into our room. Our room was the Walnut romantic room which featured a magnificent white super king sized bed adorned with a variety of soft cushions and a victorian style bath with overhead shower and double whirlpool spa bath for two. The room was very luxurious and the hotel went above and beyond to ensure you had a wonderful stay from the impeccable room service to the sweetest handmade biscuits on arrival. 

The star of the hotel stay was the four course meal in the evening. We ordered a bottle of wine in the music room while we ate our canapés and choose what we wanted to eat and then we were led to the Oaks Brasserie which was candle lit and romantic. I opted for the French Onion Soup to start and the mushroom risotto for main. Both of which were full of flavour and not too heavy, it was the amount of food. The mushroom risotto had the freshest ingredients and it was by far the best risotto I've ever had, the roasted peppers on the side were a nice added touch and the amount of risotto was perfect as some restaurants often try to give you too much. In between the courses we were given two palette cleansers - firstly a champagne sorbet and secondly a limoncello shot, both of which were nice little touches, even though I'm not a fan of limoncello. For dessert I chose the vanilla creme brûlée which was again really light and the perfect end to the meal. The food was exceptional and many Tripadvisor reviewers agree, I would happily dine at that restaurant again.

The next morning breakfast was served in the orangery and consisted of a help yourself continental breakfast or a hot cooked meal to your liking. The breakfast menus were hidden in Beatrix Potter books which I thought was a lovely touch and I really enjoyed reading through one of my favourite childhood books waiting for my meal to arrive.

Our stay at Broadoaks Country House was wonderful, the staff were lovely and we got so much for the money paid - £225 for a bottle of wine, a four course meal for the both of us, afternoon tea for the both of us, a beautiful room, spa access and breakfast was incredible, especially when you would pay that just for a room in some hotels in the Lake District. Would I stay again? Definitely.

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