Showing posts with label luxury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label luxury. Show all posts
I love looking at Instagram for travel inspiration and to see some amazing images. There are so many accounts to follow and so much talent it can get a little overwhelming at times! I have read quite a few lists of who to follow on Instagram and thought I would share with you an insight in to who I follow and who I recommend. This is a list of my '12 Travel Instagram Accounts to Follow'.
anddicted - 270k followers
worldwanderlust - 387k followers
bemytravelmuse - 44.8k followers
theygetaround - 10.2k followers
lifestyleandlaffs - 1005 followers
helloemilie - 505k followers
tuulavintage - 2.1m followers
snowflakesfairy - 92.1k followers
izimbozada - 149k followers
prettylittlelondon - 47.7k followers
hal_ellis_davis - 59.2k followers
parisinfourmonths - 843k followers
Let me know if you have anyone you follow that you would recommend too!
I was recently contacted by the Owner of OX Pasture Hall Hotel, a luxury country hotel in Yorkshire, to enjoy a night in one of their Suites and have dinner in the Restaurant. As it was close to my boyfriends birthday I thought what better reason than to visit and celebrate the occasion in Scarborough. It has become a bit of a tradition to book a hotel for each of our birthdays and this invite came just at the right time.
From Nottingham to Scarborough it was a simple but long train journey via Leeds on the way there and Sheffield on the way back. *TIP* If you are planning on getting a train always check how much the tickets would be on each journey instead of a complete trip; by booking a train from Nottingham > Leeds > Scarborough and Scarborough > Sheffield > Nottingham we managed to save around £200!
From the train station to the hotel it was less than 10 minutes and we were greeted on arrival by a very warm and welcoming Restaurant Manager, Paul. I signed the registration form and off we went to Room 3. Being February in the Yorkshire Dales it wasn't the warmest of days and you could tell this from the bitter wind and frost over the beautiful grounds. With views for miles and the opportunity to watch an amazing sunset we were blown away by the serene ambience this hotel radiates. As mentioned, February isn't the warmest of months to go to the countryside and the corridor leading to the room definitely reminded us of this. As we entered the room we noticed the heating may not have been turned on prior to our arrival and immediately turned up the radiators. After taking a look around the room I began to question if this was the luxury suite as mentioned when booking the stay; as this was a complimentary visit for review purposes I didn't want to fuss too much and double checked with Paul as to whether the room type was correct and requested a heater. I was assured this was the luxury suite as booked and a portable heater was delivered promptly - at this point we all agreed the heating was not working which was clarified by the lack of hot water too. Paul being the friendly host sent us some coffees and warming brandy to help us get a little more comfortable.
As pleasant as the room was we became a bit too cold and decided to get changed and head to the bar which benefits from a beautiful log burning fire - heaven! The bar at OX Pasture Hall Hotel has a very cosy and country style atmosphere and we were even offered a table for dinner in front of the fire. Deciding to truly experience all the hotel has to offer we declined the fireside table and opted to dine in the 2 Rosette Award winning Restaurant. As a vegan guest the chef really did go above and beyond as I was given my own menu to dine from for the evening and was wowed by the variety and flavours he had managed to create. With a wonderful bottle of Prosecco we ordered our food and were shown to our intimate table in the fine dining restaurant.
Bread was served to the table initially, butter for the boyfriend and delicious rosemary olive oil for the vegan; along with the most amazing amuse bouche I have ever tasted consisting of lemon and rocket - I couldn't stop raving about this whilst sipping to cleanse my palette!
For Starters I went for the Fan of Avocado served with Asparagus and Tomato Chutney, who would have thought that tomato chutney would go so well with perfectly fresh avocado. This was a brilliantly light starter and was just enough to get me ready for my Main Course. Mushroom Risotto - as a vegan I always expect this option when looking at a menu but the vast array of mushrooms used and the perfect consistency of the risotto meant this was the one of the best I have ever eaten.
Pre-Dessert was a vegan version of their Whisky Sour Mango Sorbet, this usually comes served with cream however was delicious just the way they served it to us. Finally Dessert! This can always be difficult when you're vegan as everything normally has milk or egg in. Again, the chef did well and I went for Red Wine Poached Pear with a Winter Berry Compote. This was perfect for the time of the year we were visiting and again was just the perfect amount to finish the meal.
After our delicious meal we went back to the bar to finish our wine and get the update that our room should be warming up with hot water now. Further apologies from Paul came with a nightcap of our choice, being the boyfriends birthday and a special occasion we both went with warming scotch - Highland Park for him and Singleton for me. At around 9:30pm we decided to call it a night and head back to our room. There was still no heating or hot water and the power had gone from the living room and bathroom areas. Another call to Paul resulted in us moving rooms at 10:30pm with reassurance this room was warm with hot water. On the way to this room Paul explained he had moved us to a Honeymoon Suite - which was lovely but confirmed my initial suspicions that the first room we were allocated was not the room initially offered or indicated on the registration form. This room did have hot water and heating but we were too tired to properly appreciate the luxury offerings and headed straight to the land of nod.
After a wonderful nights sleep we enjoyed the beautiful bathroom, huge bathtub and waterfall shower whilst getting ready for a Yorkshire Breakfast. Lyndsey, the General Manager, was there to greet us and apologise for the occurrence the night prior which was lovely. Again, the chef had gone the extra mile creating a delicious vegan cooked breakfast with the added extra of baked beans - apparently not a usual sight on a traditional Yorkshire breakfast!
We gathered our belongings and checked out ready for a stroll around the Scarborough coast and to reenact some childhood memories on the 2p machines! As we visited in February not all of the amusements were open however, the coast looked beautiful and there were still some arcades for us to wander into. Taking a walk along the promenade is a great way to explore Scarborough, lined with arcades, fish and chip restaurants (for you omnivore and pescetarian readers) and tourist gift shops. I can imagine in the Summer this coast is very busy with local holidaymakers and local residents enjoying the sound of the crashing waves and smell from the local restaurants and food stalls.
Scarborough also has a small shopping area meaning you can wonder around the shops on your way back to the train station. We didn't have time for shopping but it only took us 15 minutes to walk from the coast to the train station and take a look at Scarborough as first time visitors. Scarborough isn't a large town but for a short seaside break there is plenty to do. It is home to Europe's largest open air theatre and for families there are lots of attractions such as the Mini Monsterz outdoor play area and regular Boat Trips around the coast. Once back at the train station it wasn't long before we were headed back to Nottingham and back to our regular everyday life.
Overall, our experience of Scarborough and OX Pasture Hall Hotel was average. I can only imagine that had we been given the correct room in the first instance than our views would have been different. It also didn't make sense to us that the best room was not initially allocated as we were told we were the only guests booked into the hotel that evening. This might sound ungrateful but from a hotel perspective you wouldn't allocate your Standard Double Rooms when your Suites are empty.
I also couldn't help but notice the rates for that evening did not reflect the low occupancy and during the colder low season months I would have expected better rate management to attract more customers; I am only hoping these are not the off-peak rates as I am not sure higher rack rates could be justified. The restaurant was amazing and the chefs definitely deserve their 2 Rosette Award however, the service and hotel needed more attention. As a luxury hotel I would expect a napkin to be with the bottle of Prosecco and high level dusting was obviously an issue in all areas of the building (some dusty drawers were also found in Room 3). Attention to detail in a hotel which offers rooms starting at £135 for a Single should be high on the list of priorities here.
In the Summer I believe this may be a great hotel and the grounds beautiful for the setting of an outdoor wedding. In the Winter season though OX Pasture Hall Hotel seems to become dormant like its surroundings in Scarborough.
OX Pasture Hall Hotel, Scarborough, North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire YO12 5TD
Tel: 01723365295 Email: info@oxpasturehallhotel.com
I was recently introduced to St Kitts Herbery through the gifting website The Bloggers Hangout. After browsing their website I was lucky enough to receive some a sample of some of their most popular scents.
St Kitts Herbery was founded by Susan & Paul Johnson in North Cornwall in 2001 and they opened their first store and workshop in 2003. They produce luxury toiletries using the finest ingredients and are made using their skills and expertise gained over the years. They make everything from shampoo and conditioner to preserves and chocolates. Just last year they opened their second store in Cardiff, Wales.
I received three of their bestselling scents as sample perfumes - Summer Rose, Mist and Rosemary & Bergamot. They are each distinctive and each have scents unlike any other perfume I have tried before.
Summer Rose
'Fruity, floral and fabulous. The divine scent of summer'
This perfume is feminine and floral but unlike other floral perfumes I have tried doesn't have that powdery slightly old person smell. This perfume is literally like walking through a rose garden and has a slight citrus lemon scent which makes sure this perfume isn't too sweet. It is light and definitely can be worn as a day to day perfume.
Mist
'Elusive, vivacious and light. Capture the moment. For men & women'
Ah Mist. This is a perfume which is light and not at all overpowering. It has a slight lemon and citrus note to it, the same as Summer Rose, but also has a fresh herb garden undertone. This scent is definitely noticeable but will have everyone asking you what scent you are wearing. It has a slight musk smell which means combined with the herbs and lemon this is perfect for both men and women.
Rosemary & Bergamot
'Our signature fragrance. Alluring, fresh and vibrant. For him & her'
This is the scent I thought I would love the most. I adore rosemary and bergamot and thought together in a perfume this could be amazing. It is amazing and has a slight spicy and typical masculine scent which is quite strong but doesn't come across heavy when sprayed onto skin. I would say this is more of a scent for men than women and reminds me of a scent my Dad would wear.
After trying all of the scents I decided to get a bit experimental and overlap them. As I really wanted to make Rosemary & Bergamot a scent that was less masculine and more feminine I initially applied Summer Rose over the top. This created a more subtle scent and the citrus notes in the Summer Rose scent brought out the bergamot in the Rosemary & Bergamot scent. My favourite combination was Mist with Rosemary & Bergamot. The fresh herbs and citrus notes of Mist meant that they both complimented each other so well and made the perfume more of an evening scent combined with the warm notes of Rosemary & Bergamot.
Overall, I would say that Mist could be my new signature scent and I have already been browsing the selection on their website to see what I should buy!
Let me know if you have tried St Kitts Herbery or will be now you have read this! xx
St Kitts Herbery Camelford, Cornwall PL32 9XH Tel: 01840 213 442
Twitter: StKittsHerbery
I received these perfume samples for review purposes however all opinions are my own.
It was my birthday at the beginning of June and I thought what better way to spend it then to go to a luxury hotel for the night and have dinner?! I love, love, love hotels (who doesn't) and having recently finished University I felt that a little break was just what I needed.
Hambleton Hall is owned by Mr & Mrs Hart who also have the Hambleton Bakery's, Hart's Hotel and Hart's Restaurant in their collection. If you have been to London you may have visited their restaurants ran by Sam and Eddy, their sons, Quo Vadis, Fino (now closed) and Barrafina. Located by Rutland Waters it is easy to get to via train or car from everywhere and only took us an hour via two trains from Nottingham. Originally opening in the 1980's Hambleton Hall is a large country house hotel featuring 15 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, drawing room and heated outdoor swimming pool. With beautiful grounds and next to the quaint town of Oakham it is a lovely retreat away form the hustle and bustle of busy cities.
After arriving at the hotel and checking in to our room we decided to take a stroll down by the lake and walk alongside the sheep and lambs whilst the weather was being nice to us (this didn't last though and we managed to be on the way back to the hotel with umbrella in hand when the heavens opened!). Time to dry off and have a tea and coffee in the drawing room; as this isn't supplied in the rooms. Personally I really liked this as it encouraged us to see more of the hotel and be in the company of other guests rather than hidden away in our room...although it was so nice that this wouldn't have been a problem at all. Loose leaf tea and a cafettiere of coffee with some homemade biscuits really was added luxury instead of a tea bag and instant coffee, the small things really do make a difference.
Time to head back to the room and really take a look around and get the camera out. We had a Standard Room on the top floor which was the Treetops room - named so because of the view of the trees across from the entrance of the hotel. Each room is individually decorated and named according to it's view and each has a large bedroom and bathroom to go with. I didn't see any of the other rooms but to say ours was a Standard room it was much better than any other Standard room I had been in. The bedroom was large and had a small hallway in-between that and the bathroom. In the wardrobe was a walking pack with maps and granola bars and instructions of where to find the wellingtons to wear for walks around the countryside. The bathrooms was the biggest I have had the privilege of using in hotels with a large bath and separate walk in shower there was probably room to dance in there and two people to actually get ready at the same time. The walls in the bedroom were covered in high quality fabric and the bathroom floor was marble - pure luxury.
We changed for dinner and headed to the bar for a pre-dinner drink and canapés before being shown to our seat. I had a Bramble Cocktail and the canapés included a parmesan windmill and a beetroot macaron with goats cheese. The Sommelier had also introduced himself after our order was taken to recommend a bottle of wine to go with the dishes we had chosen, given the choice of two we decided with a very nice French red.
Starters were served and we were blown away with the Michelin Star quality of food in front of us. I went with the Seared Scallops served with Lapsang Tea Puree and Escabeche. The Scallops were cooked to perfection and the puree provided a slight smokey and flavoursome accompaniment which went beautifully with the light flavours of the Scallops.
For the Main Course I chose the Roast Goosnargh Duck served with Cucumber, Plums and Black Beans. The Duck was, again, cooked to perfection and the sweet plums with black beans and cucumber made the meat taste divine. The portions were not huge but with the amount of flavour we received we were both quite full after our Main Courses and had to hold off dessert for thirty minutes. We decided to try something that sounded light and fruity after our previous courses so we both chose English Strawberries with Champagne Jelly, Sorbet and Pistachios. It arrived on what could only be described as an Oyster dish with amazing flare and attention from every other table. We still managed to devour this and we were then ready to head back to our room to relax. The wine suggested was beautiful and paired well with each course.
We arrived back to our room to find that the turn down service was one better than any other. Our clothes that we had wore during the day and thrown on the bed were folded and put in the wardrobe, our phones were on each side of the bed and everything had been picked up off the floor and put neatly on the side. Some people may find this intrusive however we appreciated the extra touches and were surprised at the effort taken for a service that can easily be forgotten about.
After an amazing night sleep in the huge bed we were in it was time to order breakfast to the room. As Hambleton Hall is part of the collection with the Hambleton Bakeries all of their breads and cakes are made fresh and delivered from the bakery just nearby. All produce is also sourced locally and the quality shows in the taste. I ordered some Loose Leaf Tea, a Tea Cake, a Manchet, Grapefruit Juice and Eggs Benedict. Everything was amazing and I was very satisfied with not a bite-full left on the plate. Time to relax in the large bath and get ready to go home we were very disappointed to not be enjoying another night of luxury.
We very much enjoyed our stay, the staff and food were amazing and we couldn't fault anything about Hambleton Hall - hopefully we will return again one day! Let me know what your favourite hotels are in the comments below!
Hambleton Hall, Hambleton, Oakham, Rutland LE15 8TH Tel: 01572 756 991
Twitter: Hambleton Hall Hotel
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast was a complimentary gift however all opinions are my own.
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