Review: The Terrace at Royal Horseguards Hotel, Embankment, Central London

Located near the London Eye and overlooking the River Thames on the Embankment, The Royal Horseguards Hotel couldn't be in a more ideal location. I was invited along to the summer launch of their terrace for an evening of drinks and BBQ nibbles. Such a lovely way to spend a mild evening in the city.

The Royal Horseguards is pretty fancy and the terrace is no different. The food was absolutely delicious. Mini sliders, hotdogs and satay chicken all hit the spot. The sliders in particular were juicy, flavoursome and moreish - beef burgers topped with crispy bacon and gooey gruyere cheese.  I just wish I could have eaten more! Filled with fragrant blooms and comfy armchairs, the courtyard is the perfect place to relax after work or meet with friends at the weekend.

If you want to reserve an area with friends, there's a minimum spent of £20 which can easily be spent on a few cocktails. Keep an eye out for the London Eye looming over - I still never tire of that view! Alternatively, you can pick a special set menu BBQ package for your group. Coming in at £50 per person, you will get two types of meat. one type of seafood, one type of vegetarian, two types of salad, two types of dessert and a glass of pimms. More than enough for you to make a day of it in the sunshine!

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Hotel review: Hotel Lyskirchen Cologne, Germany

For our trip to Cologne we wanted a hotel that was central yet far enough away from the main strip to still be quiet - it's never about only having a few hours sleep. We stumbled across Hotel Lyskirchen*, a modern hotel close to the River Rhine.

Offering 105 rooms, free wifi and air conditioning, the hotel is located 1.5km away from the famous Cologne Cathedral and just 300 metres away from the old town. Our economy room was a good size, with a fridge, sofa and wardrobe offering lots of storage space. It was so lovely to not feel cramped as what is common with many city hotels. Check in was a doddle and the staff were extremely helpful - I felt like I could go down quite easily if I had any queries. The breakfast buffet was the perfect way to set us up for the day - so much food! I'd really recommend booking Lyskirchen if you ever find yourself in the city!

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Hotel review: Qbic Hotel London City, Aldgate East, East London

I love a staycation in London so when my boyfriend and I booked ourselves gig tickets on our anniversary night I decided to throw caution to the wind and look for a hotel for the night. I came across Qbic Hotel London City. Based in Aldgate East, it was the perfect location from home. Only about 45 minutes on the tube and ridiculously close to Duck and Waffle for our brunch the next day. Brick Lane is one of my favourite areas in London so it was a good excuse to have a wander around the markets the next day.

For just over £100 a night per room, we opted for the second cheapest. Gotta have some luxury on an anniversary night right! I wanted something that looked a little quirky, stylish and had character. Chain hotels can feel sterile and boring. I think Qbic ticked all the boxes. I loved all the fun little touches hidden around the hotel such as the teddy do not disturb sign, the hosepipe lamp at the end of the bed, postcards of the local area and the slightly awkward lady above the bed - her eyes felt like they followed me around the room.

The bed was enormous and the room was spacious and light - something that some city hotels fail to get right. They can feel cramped and gloomy. I had a great nights sleep and it was a struggle to get up in the morning.

I couldn't fault the staff and they were even kind enough to let us leave our suitcases there the next while we explored the city - without charge! Checking in and out was a breeze and the free coffee machine on each floor was a lovely touch. I'd definitely recommend booking a room if you're ever visiting London - it's nice to have somewhere a little bit cool to head home after a day in the city.

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Review: Afternoon Tea at The Goring, Victoria

A couple of weeks ago I booked my mum and nan in for afternoon tea at The Goring hotel for my nan's birthday. As our birthdays are only a day apart, we always try to do something together. For the last five years it has been somewhere fancy for afternoon tea. This year I decided to pick the hotel where Kate Middleton stayed before her wedding because if it's good enough for royalty...

Now I can safely say that it's ranked second in my favourite traditional afternoon teas after Claridges. I emailed them beforehand to explain it was my nan's birthday and they very kindly gave us one of the best seats in the house AND a special chocolate birthday cake. How's that for good service? The little touches were what made it so great. Our server was attentive without being suffocating. She offered great advice about the teas and made sure we were topped up with plenty of sandwiches and cakes. We didn't even have to ask!

So onto the most important part. The food! We had an unexpected starter in the form of a cheesy, cauliflower soufflé topped with some crispy puffs. It was delicious and certainly wet our appetite for the main event.

The sandwiches consisted of ham and mustard, chicken and stuffing, cheddar cheese and chutney and smoked salmon and cream cheese - all the classics! I loved the variety of soft bread and they certainly didn't scrape on my fillings. I can't for the life of me remember what all the cakes and pastries were but I do know they tasted absolutely delicious. Especially that creamy, white chocolate log on a biscuit base. Perfection! The scones? Well these bad boys were huge. With both a warm plain and fruit scone on offer, it was hard to choose what to eat first. But rest assured I did manage to eat them both.

The Goring isn't cheap but in this case you definitely get what you pay for. The service was faultless, the food was delicious, the setting was stunning and the experience was perfect for a birthday. Looking to take someone somewhere a bit special? This is the place.

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Places to stay: Lancaster London

A few weekends ago I had the pleasure of an overnight stay in Lancaster London through work. It was such a pleasure that I've decided to blog about it too!

Based just a few steps away from Lancaster Gate tube station, the hotel is in a superb location. It overlooks the superb Hyde Park. We stayed in a room on the 18th floor and were rewarded with stunning view of the city. You could literally see for miles!

If you're after a few nights of luxury, you've come to the right place. The staff were so helpful and really couldn't do enough. We had a handwritten note in the room from the manager and a cheeky trio of delicious macaroons to scoff. The bed? Oh that bed! It was huge and so comfortable with massive soft feather pillows. I didn't want to leave the room. We were even treated to a special turndown service when we ventured back to our room after dinner. It was so lovely to see our bed covers pulled back and a pair of slippers next the bed ready to pop on. It's the little things that make a stay feel so special. The hotel isn't cheap but for a special treat you can't go wrong. It's a great location in London and you're within walking distance of so many highlights.

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Places to stay: Malmasion Oxford

Perhaps the reason why the boyfriend and I have been together eight years is because we both like slightly unusual things. Or he just amuses me by going along with slightly unusual things. One such unusual thing was booking me a nights stay in this amazing hotel as a birthday present. It is a converted prison in a medieval castle with a lot of the period features on show. The staff were extremely kind and helpful, they even tried to book us a table in town for dinner. But atlas, it was fully booked. We stayed in the superior suite - the lovely boy cheekily paid for an upgrade - and it consisted of three cells knocked together. It still has the cell down intact too. If you go down to the ground floor you can actually see a cell how it originally was.

I may have let out a little squeal when I spotted the roll top bath - filling it up to the brim on Sunday was pure heaven. We didn't touch the mini bar as we were too poor, but they had absolutely anything you could ever fancy. I loved the little touch of the bath robes and we kicked ourselves when we saw the DVD player. Games Of Thrones is crying out to be finished and we could totally have spent the entire evening in bed. The room was by far one of the best we've ever stayed in and we made that excuse when we trudged off after eating too many burgers to get into bed. At least we made full use of the room eh?!

Despite him remarking at least three times - 'The amount this cost me, we went to Berlin for the weekend' - it was certainly worth the money. The boyfriend has a very nice idea of taking me away for the birthday the kind soul he is. Sometimes in life you have throw caution to the wind and splash out. A little bit of luxury is what makes the world go round.

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