HOTEL SANTA CATERINA | LUXURY IN AMALFI

If you’ve read my An Italian Road Trip To Remember blog post you would have noticed that I mentioned the last hotel we stayed in in the Amalfi Coast as a key place to visit. I decided to give this particular hotel it’s own blog post as it was the most incredible hotel I have ever stayed at.

Hotel Santa Caterina really stood out for me on this trip, as I believe it was the perfect end to our holiday. It was luxurious, relaxing and beautiful. After busy few days in Naples, and driving down from Salerno, spending a few nights in Amalfi was just what we needed.

Hotel

The hotel itself is on the coast just past Amalfi, which means the majority of it is built along the edge of the mountain resulting in breath taking views of the sea, sunset and the rest of Amalfi. Although the hotel is set on the main road (access to positano, amalfi and ravello) the rest of the hotel is extremely quiet in comparison.

Our room was on the first floor. That said, we still had one of the most beautiful views. The majority of the hotel is built up with the beach bar and beach itself the lowest part of the grounds (sea level). Although the rooms are white, each room has so much character; from the beautiful tiled floors to the Mediterranean style bathrooms you can tell you are in an authentic Italian hotel.

For me, my favourite part of our room was the balcony. Waking up and walking to the balcony to see the views of Amalfi was just out of this world. I think the position of this hotel serves great as it’s a 10-minute shuttle bus away from the main Amalfi so you have the best of both worlds. You can easily get to and from, yet you’re far away to feel completely private.

Service

As a family run hotel the staff are incredible. From the cleaners to the concierge, each member of staff greets and wishes you a pleasant day. I’ve been lucky enough to stay in many 5* hotels all around the world, but none compare to Hotel Santa Caterina. One of the most thoughtful hotels with meticulous attention to details shines above anything else.

Having decided to drive around in Italy we rented a car and had the valet park the car over night for us. The next day when we decided to make our way to Positano we were greeted by the same guy who remembered us, our car, and brought it to the front in a matter of seconds. He also put a bottle of cold water for each of us in the cup holders which just sums up Hotel Santa Caterina for me. They go above and beyond making you feel welcome, accommodated and comfortable.

The staff pre-empt your next move and are constantly working hard to make your stay be hassle free. As the hotel is quite small it allows staff to become personable with guests and offer their services at a high rate.

Food

We initially were going to spend one evening in the hotel and make our way to Positano for dinner on the last night but decided to stay both nights as we were impressed by the food and service.

The hotel has two restaurants and a beach bar that also serves food. Breakfast and dinner are served in the main terrace restaurant where you are greeted by friendly staff. We were extremely lucky that each meal we went to have we managed to have a beautiful view overlooking the sea.

If you’ve ever seen Charlie and the chocolate factory then you’ll appreciate the fact that this hotel has a glass elevator that takes you from the main part of the hotel to the lower grounds where you’ll find the second restaurant, pool and beach area. It’s a sight not to be missed as you can see exactly where you’ll be heading whilst still admiring the views.

Pool/Beach

The pool is relatively small but for the size of the hotel itself, it doesn’t need to be bigger. The pool is salt water which is great for those days it’s a little too choppy to actually get into the sea.

The beach doesn’t have a shore, so if you’re not a strong swimmer stick to the pool. The beach is easy to access with steps but as it was too windy while we were there the staff had blocked it off and asked us not to swim as it’s a little dangerous.

Although the hotels along the coast are relatively small, Hotel Santa Caterina never felt too cramped or too busy. There are so many different areas in the hotel to go and explore that you don't feel like it's too small.

A huge thank you for Hotel Santa Caterina for hosting us [gifted]. We had such a wonderful time here and I am looking forward to returning back to Santa Caterina one day. I managed to fit my entire wardrobe in the Samsonite Medium Cosmolite [gifted] which made is super lightweight and durable for travelling from location to location.

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Hotel Barcelo Torre De Madrid X 48 Hours In Madrid

If you’ve been following my blog for the last year or so you will know that one of my favourite things to do is travel. Whether it be a city break or a two week island break I’m up for it. Just no backpacking. Please. I don’t think I’m quite cut out for that. Not any time soon anyway.

When I travel I like to stay in luxurious hotels. Travelling in itself is quite a stressful process so I like to reward myself with a beautiful hotel. I spent the first part of this week in Madrid staying at Barcelo Torre De Madrid. This hotel is situated right in the centre of Madrid. It’s a wonderful escape from the hustle and bustle from the streets below.

Barcelo Torre De Madrid has to be one of the more stylish hotels I’ve ever stayed in. It has such a cool relaxed Scandinavian vibe with different furniture placed strategically next to the coolest lamps and beautifully painted walls I’ve ever seen.

HOTEL

The interior for this hotel is a millenianals dream come true. From the entrance to the hallways and the bedrooms, every part of this hotel has been thought out and individually the items might not sound like a good idea, but once placed together they create such a powerful look. Each pastel and vibrant coloured piece compliments the next creating a very relaxed ambiance.

Some of my favourite things about the hotel has to be the interior and the large floor to ceiling windows found all around the lobby area. This area is such a beautiful space for those days where you want to get out of your room, but can’t be bothered to leave the hotel. It’s the perfect space to grab a laptop and do some work which is exactly what we got up to while out there.

LOCATION

Having a hotel in the centre of Madrid meant that we were in walking destination to all of the hotspots including the Palace. We went on a walking tour where we got to see all the touristic spots including the world’s first restaurant which was built in 1725.  As well as this, the hotel is a few minutes walk to any shops including my favourite, Zara. I just can’t go to Spain and not visit Zara. It’s not possible as they would say.

BEDROOM

The view from our twin deluxe room was incredible. There is a large window, which makes the room feel so light and open. The views from the room are incredible. The Madrid equivalent to Oxford Street is just down the road and you can see this from the room. Initially, this made me anxious as I thought we’d struggle to get to sleep with all the street noise. However, we soon realised the room was silent. Absolutely blissful.

I also had one of my best sleeps in this hotel. The beds were extremely` comfortable and

FOOD

The hotel has it’s own restaurant called Samos. Here they serve a small Spanish menu with few few options. That said, there is something foreveryone.

If I ever get the chance to visit Madrid again, I will definitely be visiting Barcelo Torre de Madrid, even if it is to sit in the bar or lobby area.

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The Best Four Days In Dubai And Where To Visit

At the end of last year something I had wished for for a very long time, came true. The lovely team at Visit Dubai took myself and a friend to Dubai for a few days to give us the ultimate Dubai experience.

When you think of Dubai, there's so many different things that come to mind, but after visiting I can say it truly is cosmopolitan, elegant and lavish. In that order.

We had a jam packed itinerary full of different experiences that Dubai has to offer. Including land and sea.

Our first day consisted of a fun filled morning exploring the Miracle Garden. In my opinion, a total random feature, but explains Dubai to the full. It's a garden filled with lavish flower displays (including a plane) so beautiful you can't help but be mesmerised. It's a must visit for an Instagram lover as you have to get a picture next to the heart filled flower hallway!

After this we headed out for a desert safari where we were drifting up and down the sand dunes. A total out of body experience where I simply could not stop laughing! The evening ended with food and an array of different shows.

Day two began with the Seawings Sea plane experience. For 20 minutes we got to see Dubai from above visiting all the famous landmarks including the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, and the palm islands.

After this we headed back to our hotel, The Atlantis Palm to emerge ourselves in the Atlantis experience. This started with lunch at Yuan. The Atlantis hotel offers over 24 different restaurant and a huge selection of fast food diners. Yuan is a Chinese restaurant with a delicious menu, I highly recommend the tiger prawns with wasabi mayonnaise and tobiko. Simply delicious.

The hotel also has a fully equip aqua park which we took full advantage of. The aqua park includes a lazy river and a slide through the hotel aquarium. I know...the hotel has an aquarium. It's quite small, but has a large selection of different sea creatures, it's the perfect way to spend a quiet evening in the hotel.

After the aquarium we headed the Ayamna for a Lebanese dinner. The staff were incredible and the food was delicious. We went for the set menu for two and left with two happy full bellies!

Day three we wanted to visit the souks of Dubai to get a more authentic experience. After walking around the old spices, we stepped in to the Dubai Mall. A complete contrast. There you can find everything you can think of and more.

In order to access the Burj Khalifa you have to head through the mall. This is something everyone who heads to Dubai must do. It's incredible standing on the worlds tallest building seeing in to the distance. Rumour has it, If you watch the sunset from up above, by the time you get down you can watch the sunset for the second time. Imagine!

For dinner we headed to the famous Nusr-Et for a delicious dinner. I have no words on how incredible the steak was. If you're after a little flamboyancy, give this place a visit, I spent the entire evening watching what the waiters were up to with the delivery and service of each meal.

Day Four was our last but we still manged to cram in a visit to the beach and a tour of one of the seven signature suites of The Atlantis. If you have $15,000 to spare. I highly recommend an evening there!

All in all, Dubai is such a beautiful place to visit. Although it doesn't have as much cultural history as a lot of other middle eastern countries, there are still so many other things you can do.

I would like to thank Visit Dubai for taking me on this trip. If you would like to see more from my trip watch my vlog down below.

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How To Spend 24 Hours In Barcelona

One of my favourite cities in Europe has got to be Barcelona. I have now visited the area twice and I can't wait to head back again. There's something about this city that is so captivating and so beautiful.

This time I headed to Barcelona for 24hours. It was a quick stop over before I headed on my first ever cruise among the Shipsomnia. And although we only had a day in the city, we made sure to see as much as we could and still have a relaxing day.

Transport

In most cities you can buy a 24hour travel pass, however in Barcelona we managed to get a 48hr pass for around €14. This took us from the airport all the way to the docking harbour. Last time I went to Barcelona I spent the majority of my money on cabs and to be honest, the metro stations are a delight compared to London so I really didn't mind travelling around underground. Most of the stations are right next to key touristic points so you really don't have anything to loose.

Hotel

We were lucky enough to spend the night at Hotel Granados 83 which is two minutes from Provenca station. The room we has was extremely beautiful. It was a three storey hotel room with two bathrooms and access to a private pool.

I was utterly shocked at the size of our room as it looks quite small from the outside, but we were pleasantly surprised to see that we had such a large suite to ourselves. The hotel is a small boutique hotel with beautiful art deco pieces within the hotel and the rooms.

As we had one of the suites we had access to the roof terrace with a plunge pool. As Hotel Grandos 83 is in the city centre, the views are not that great, but they have made the area as relaxing as possible with a lot off different seating areas. As the weather was so great we managed to sit out on the terrace that evening and have a quiet night before a busy day.

Our suite had both a downstairs shower and an upstairs bath which I made full use of. There's something about hotel baths. They're generally a lot bigger than the ones back home and I find it so relaxing after a long day of travelling.

The hotel also has a great bar located on the lobby, as well as a wonderful terrace where you can sit and enjoy your breakfast or a drink from the bar.

In June, there are a lot of festivals and events going on in the city so it's important to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Food

The night we arrived as soon as we unloaded our suitcases into the hotel we wanted to head out to eat somewhere quite local. The friendly concierge at Hotel Granados 83 recommended a few different places just across the road from the hotel and we decided to head into Cu-Cut. Personally, when I travel I like to go to places that have been recommended to me by a local. There's nothing I hate more than not having a proper meal. I don't think I'm alone here when I say that I genuinely get so upset (near tears) if I am hungry and don't have a proper good meal.

Cu-Cut is a traditional Spanish tapas restaurant with a vast amount of different fish dishes. The next time I head to Barcelona I would love to try a delicious paella. So if anyone has any recommendations do let me know!

Touristic Spots

If you ever find yourself in Barcelona for a short (or even a long time) there are three places that you must visit.

The first is possibly the most famous, Park Guell. It stole my heart two years ago and I never managed to see the whole park so I knew I had to head back on this occasion to see the entirety of it's beauty. People from all ages and cultures can appreciate just how beautiful this park is. With ruins to gorgeous flowers, there's something for everyone. And despite the police best effort to keep the park touristic friendly, there are people selling cold water on every corner so there's no fear of being dehydrated.

The majority of the park is free to walk around, but if you wish to head into the Monumental Zone it's €7 and must be booked in advance as entry is limited to certain times.

The next must visit site is Sagrada Familia. This cathedral is still being built and is estimated to finish 2026-2028. They started building in 1882 and it's so fascinating to see how they are building such an intricate building. If you do wish to head inside the cathedral, it's best to book in advance to avoid long queues.

Lastly, you must visit La Boqueria the fruit and vegetable market. For a food lover, or anyone who likes pretty colours, the fruit market is a mesmerising experience. All your senses are heightened and the fruit are very reasonably priced and taste absolutely delicious. So if you're ever in Barcelona, make your way down to La Ramblas and feast your eyes on one of Europe's largest and most famous markets.

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