Tag Archives: Travel Blogger UK

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.

 

Hampton by Hilton Review image

 

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.

 

 

UK Lifestyle Travel Blog Image

 

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?

Ways You Could Reduce Travel Stress This Holiday Season

December 23, 2018 By in Travel Tags: , , , , , 16 Comments

I have always been so excited for the holidays, especially Christmas. The holidays are the best time to spend with your family and loved ones. So are you making plans to travel this holiday season?

If you are, then here’s something you need to know: travelling during the holidays is stressful. Just like you millions of people are planning to travel this holiday to spend it with their loved ones. This is a sign that traveling this season will be extremely hectic.

Encountering the crowd travelling at the same time will be overwhelming. That is not as bad if you’re an experienced traveller. But as a first time traveller, it can be a lot to handle.

 

Travel Tips Image

 

It’s normal to get stressed out in such a situation. You may find some of these nifty tips that will help reduce travel stress this holiday season.

 

Plan what you will do when you are faced with delay

When you’re travelling, delays are inevitable. Flights could be delayed due to bad weather, which could make you miss your hotel reservation. The long queues at the airport could also slow you down.

Planning is key before you set out to travel. Of all the things that you need to plan for, one of the things that will keep stress at bay is to plan what to do when you’re faced with delays.

Some credit card providers provide reimbursements for meals and lodging when you’re delayed. This will help you make sure that you don’t suffer a loss when you’re delayed.

 

Have a checklist

Checklists are very helpful especially when you’re preparing to travel. Create a checklist of all the travel arrangements you need to make or of the things you need to pack for your journey.  I always have my checklist with me when I want to make sure that I have packed everything I need. It also helps me know if I have done all the necessary travel arrangements. It saves you from all the hassles and keeps you focused on the tasks that you need to pay attention to first.

 

Maintain calm as much as possible

It can get pretty hectic when you want to travel. It can be so overwhelming that you end up snapping at people especially at the airport.

Try and maintain calm as much as possible. When someone does something to tick you off, take a few minutes to breathe deeply. This will help you calm down and deal with situations with a clear mind and composure.

 

Make sure your carry-on has everything you need

When you’re traveling , your carry-on bag is the one you’re always with. So, its important to make sure that you have the essentials with you in your carry-on bag.

You can never know what could happen during your travels. That’s why your carry-on bag has what you need to help you through contingencies like inordinate delays or even accidents. A good rule of thumb while packing your carry-on bag is to pack the things you’ll need over the span of 12 hours. Never underestimate the possibility of needing a snack or some toiletries.

 

Half Term in Portugal Part 2

November 12, 2018 By in Travel Tags: , , , , , , 22 Comments

I wrote about our time in Portugal for the half term week yesterday and it has been well received. So I decided to publish the part 2 of our half term in Portugal post today. Portugal is a lovely country. We were in Algarve and also visited Lagos. Our trip was fun. We were in Portugal for 3 nights and the kiddies had a fantastic time exploring the beach, swimming pools and the Realito Kids Club.

 

Vacation Time Image

Half term Portugal Image

 

 

Realito Kids Club

The kiddies had a great time at the Reality Kids Club. The workers were warm and pleasant to be around. They also engaged with the kids and kept them busy which was good. My daughter enjoyed colouring, playing with Lego and watching the staff dance to dance videos. My son was more interested in the toys and the outdoor slides. They both loved the kids club and it comes highly recommended by us. If your kids are over 3 years, you have the option of leaving if you wish which is handy for when you need some child-free time. We visited the Realito Kids Club twice and although we didn’t leave the kids, we saw many parents do.

There is also a table tennis section to keep the parents occupied. I saw a couple of parents doing that.

 

Colourings for kids image

Play centre Portugal imageLifestyle blog Cheshire UK ImageSwimming time image

 

 

The Beach

We had a lovely time exploring the beautiful beach. The weather was great and beach was a sight to behold. My kids love playing at the beach. Building sand castles and dipping their legs into the water is their favourite thing to do. They also enjoy posing for photos, which I am always happy to take. I guess that is why I have so many photos from our trip. But there is never a thing like too many photos, especially when it comes to holidays.

 

Beach ImageTravel Blog PictureUK Blogger ImageBeach holiday image

 

 

The Swimming Pools

We had the opportunity to dip into the swimming pools. I spotted about 4 different outdoor pools in the entire hotel –  Grande Real Santa Eulalia Resort & Hotel. And they were indoor pools available as well. We even had a private pool for our side of the resort which was usually not busy. I have never seen a hotel with these many swimming pools until I visited this one.

We had a blast swimming in warm afternoons. It was a great way to unwind, relax and bond as a family.

 

swimming tips imageswimming image Swimming pool Portugal image

 

 

I still have quite a lot of photos to share. My plan is to write-up another post so I can include the rest of the photos on there. The photos serve as a reminder of our Portugal trip and I would love to have them all on Fashion and Style Police. For the next post, I will be sharing photos from our visit to Lagos Portugal, and other bits. The next travel post should be up in the next few days so watch this space.

 

Holiday mode imageTravel Website ImageUK Blog Image

 

 

Is Portugal on your list of countries to visit? Do sound off in the comments section below. Thanks for stopping by as always.

error: Content is protected !!