After a short xmas break I was back on the road again! In the first few weeks of 2017 a short hop from Stansted with easyjet took me to Glasgow for an industry conference and exhibition. Given the conference was at the SEC there is really not a better place than the Crowne Plaza. Situated literally 2 minuets from the doors (or if you can work out the internal network of passages you don’t even have to go outside!) This modern, clean business focused hotel is a great place to stay. Not having stayed at a Crowne Plaza in a while I found the booking process on the website to be fast and efficient and this was continued to the standard of welcome at the hotel. The reception staff knew the…
I don’t often stay in Central London due to the close proximity to home and travel being simple, but due to a late finish and early start in December 2016 I tried out the Z Hotel Victoria. Following on from the very successful “simpler” room format mastered by the likes of Easy Hotels, there is a new breed of Hotel chains like Z Hotels which keep the rooms simple but in theory more cost effective. Pitched between the Easy Hotel and normal hotel chain its meant to bring luxury to simpler rooms. It’s possible to book the rooms with or without a window. Having stayed in windowless rooms before I can honestly say I don’t like them – so on this occasion I stayed away from these options when booking.…
The Final stay of 2016 saw me staying at the Mercure Nottingham City Centre hotel. The hotel is situated right in the middle of the city centre. When walking into the room you can see the free ear plugs (as well as the extra double glazing) – a nice touch but a clue its where it is! The hotel dates back many years and thus off the main corridors it’s a network of small passages and landings to finding the room rather than a more modern planned layout. However once in the room it was modern, spacious had bonuses such like the addition of sockets by the bed. The bathroom was clean and tidy. In the room there was also the addition of Sky Sports on the TV which I…
Mercure Dartford Brands Hatch Hotel & Spa is set in the beautiful countryside close to Brands Hatch motor racing circuit, where you can take in a whole hosts of motorsport events (a good favourite of mine as a proper petrol head!). Located just a few minutes drive from London Golf Club the M20 and M25 Motorway. There is a good sized pool, spa and gym facilities on site. The first impressions on the room was although it had been recently overhauled with a fresh motorsports theme was that it really smelled of smoke! I did pass this on to the management and they said it would be investigated. On the room itself it was clean, large and presentable. The bed was comfortable and selection of pillows were provided. Even though I checked in at…
New York is SUCH a great city. With so much to do it really is one of the top cities in the world to travel to. However what happen’s if you’ve splashed your cash just getting there but don’t want to spend hundreds doing things? Well it’s certainly possible to do A LOT on not very much money and you too can post those classic social media photos so everyone will think you’ve seen everything. What are my Top 10 Things to do In New York on a Budget? 1 – Central Park Central Park is one of the most recognisable places in New York. It’s totally free to wonder around and is like the Oasis of calm in such a large bustling city. There are over 25 different things…
