Tag Archives: Travel Blog Cheshire UK

Our Stay at Novotel Hotel Sheffield

September 3, 2019 By in Travel Tags: , , , , , , 12 Comments

*Gifted.

We got the lovely opportunity to spend some nights at Novotel Hotel in Sheffield last week thanks to Red Letter Days. It was our first time visiting Sheffield and we had a lovely time. The road trip was fun; the kids had been looking forward to it and so have we. It was just under 2 hours, so not too long. We found the hotel quickly thanks to Google Maps.

 

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Checking in and first impressions

Getting to the reception to check in was a bit tricky as the lift was out of service, but thankfully the lovely ladies assisted us in getting our boxes up the stairs. Checking in was quick. We got all the information we needed and the ladies at the reception desk were quite helpful. The reception hall is beautifully decorated and very spacious. The kids enjoyed playing around with the interactive board game table. There is also a section for children with books and toys, which I think is great.

 

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Our Family Room

The room was a decent size. The beds were a nice and very comfy. All the basic amenities were in the room except air conditioning. We had to request a table fan from the reception because it got a bit stuffy. I was also not a huge fan of the interior decor in the room. It looked like it needed an update but I liked the fact that there was a fridge and coffee machine available. Also, the toilet is separate from the bathroom which is so handy when you have kids. The WIFI was also very reliable. We didn’t have any problems using it.

Check out the room below –

 

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The Staff

The workers were truly amazing. They always had a smile on their faces. Nothing was too much trouble. They were always happy to help and they all made our stay at Novotel Hotel even more memorable.

Breakfast

The breakfast was good. It was a buffet and we all enjoyed it. It was quiet most of the time, just the way I like it. We pretty much had the restaurant to ourselves, I guess because it was the bank holiday weekend.

 

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The Facilities

I didn’t get to use any of the fasciities but M did. He had fun swimming and even used the steam room which he loved. I took a look at the pool and it looked amazing. I didn’t have swimming wears for myself and the kiddies so we couldn’t take a dip, but it looked really inviting. I wish we had our swimwear with us.

 

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Location

The location of the hotel is in the middle of the city centre so we have access to all the tourist spots in the city. We visited a few places and there were many things for the kids to do. I am glad we got to finally explore Sheffield.

Overall we enjoyed our time at Novotel Hotel Sheffield. It was a fun trip with a lot to do in the city. I will be writing up posts on what we got up to, so look out for more travel posts on Fashion and Style Police.

What do you think of this hotel? Have you visited Sheffield? What are your thoughts on the city? Do sound off in the comments section below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I look for when booking a hotel for a holiday

June 20, 2019 By in Travel Tags: , , , , , 22 Comments

*Collaborative post.

I like to pay extra attention when booking a hotel for a holiday. The last thing I need is to discover the hotel does not suit my needs after checking in.  That would be a holiday from hell. That is why I like to research the hotel we intend to stay especially now that I have kids. When it comes to hotels, I like them luxurious and comfortable. I want a home away from home. The hotel needs to feel like a hotel. It needs to look and feel better than my home, after all it is a holiday and should feel like one.

 

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Here are some of the things I look out for when booking a hotel for holiday –

 

Hotel Facilities

I always check the hotel facilities before booking a hotel. It is important to check the facilities you need are available before booking a hotel. I like to have an amazing room, room service, gym facilities, swimming pool, spa, restaurants and concierge. Room service is so important because sometimes we are just to tired or lazy to go down to the restaurant. So I like to have the option of eating in.

Having a spa in the hotel is also vert important. I like to sneak in a massage whilst on holiday. Having a massage with M is always on the cards too! We have been busy visiting cities in England this year. So far we have explored Essex, London, Birmingham and Blackpool this year, and we have many more cities to strike off our travel bucket list. Cornwall and Yorkshire are on our travel list. We are hoping to visit the both cities soon. I have my eye on a couples spa break in Yorkshire and I can’t wait for that to happen.

 

Location

The hotel location is very important. I like to stay in a decent area and I like the hotel to be reasonably close to the tourist attractions we will be visiting. Being fairly close to the airport is also important. I don’t like to spend hours commuting to and from the airport, so the closer the better really. However, the more central a hotel the more expensive it is, but it is a price we are willing to pay.

 

 

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Reviews

I make sure I read the hotel reviews online before booking. I like to read the good and bad comments to see if the hotel would suit our needs. The reviews with real pictures are also very useful. I don’t pay too much attention to the photoshopped pictures on the hotel’s websites. Sometimes, the pictures look nothing like the rooms in real life. I also check the hotel rating as that is another way of checking the quality of the hotel. The hotels we like to go for usually have a 4 or 5 star rating, especially when we go abroad.

 

Luggage Storage

Hotels with luggage storage are amazing. We like to make use of the luggage storage option when we have an evening or night flight. Sitting around in the airport for hours with kids is not wise. We rather explore the city for a few more hours after checking out so the luggage storage option is very important.

 

Free WIFI

I work from home and pretty much anywhere, so having free wifi is so important, especially when we go abroad. Free WIFI is an essential I won’t stay in a hotel where I have to pay for an internet connection. It is shocking that we still have many hotels charging expensive fees for WIFI.

 

What do you look out for when booking a hotel?

How to plan a great weekend trip with kids

May 9, 2019 By in Kids Section, Travel Tags: , , , , , , , 19 Comments

We love travelling and creating memories as a family. Which is why we try to explore our surroundings as much as we can, and travel internationally at least twice a year. So vacations and a weekend trip is always on the radar. We are yet to go anywhere this year for many reasons. However, travel is still on the cards. We just need to get organised and get a holiday booked (we are usually so last minute on travel related plans for many other reasons but we are getting better).

 

 

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We have been on a few trips within the country this year. Our first trip was to Birmingham for 2 nights for new year. Then we visited Chelmsford Essex in February for a weekend away. And we spent the spring break in London and Essex. We were there for 2 weeks exploring the cities, and it was a lot of fun. I am kind of a mini guru when it comes to planning a weekend trip with kids. My twins are 5 years old, and we have been travelling around and outside the country since there were babies. So I kind of know what to do when it comes to comes travelling with children.

 

Here are some of my tried and tested tips –

 

Plan your trip well in advance

I am a very organised person, which is why I like planning our trips before we go. I always have a packing list so I don’t leave anything behind. There is also another list; I usually call this list the itinerary list. This itinerary list contains our plans for the actual trip. So places we plan to visit, prices for attractions, alternative attractions, travel routes, and so on. That way I know what to expect and I prepare myself and the kids for it. Planning in advance also allows me space out our activities so we are not too shattered. This preparation usually helps our trip go really smoothly.

 

Book child-friendly accommodation

When booking a hotel for our trips, we ensure we pick a child-friendly accommodation. So spacious rooms with beds for the kids is a must. A hotel with good internet connection, restaurant, room service and concierge to help with the luggage. I also like great customer service, which is why I make sure to check Trip Advisor’s website for reviews. That way we don’t get any nasty surprises.

 

Involve the kids

I make sure to get the kids involved in our trips. They know well in a advance where we are going and we plan to do there. I also get them involved in packing before the trip and activities while holidaying. I find that getting them involved gets them all excited and keeps them well behaved.

 

 

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Have snacks and entertainment ready

I never leave the house for hours with the kids without snacks. Having snacks and some form of entertainment while out and about with children definitely helps. My crossbody bag comes in really handy for popping little snacks in, especially when we are on the move. They definitely make our trips go

 

Stick to the routine

We try to stick to our routine as much as possible when holidaying. Sometimes it is not possible at all to do so, but we try our best. Routines are so important with young children, and they help them behave better. Which is why we try to stick to ours when on holiday. Children thrive on a routine, so it is important to implement this even when on vacation.

 

Do you have any tips for planning a great weekend trip with kids? Please share your tried and tested tips in the comments section below.

 

 

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