The Casual Connoisseur

Harbour front Restaurant, Wollongong

2011-04-16T09:40:00.001+10:00

We had been to this restaurant years ago and been bitterly disappointed. Seeing that it was still open, we assumed it had improved. So, for the next birthday in the group we booked the Harbourfront hoping they would be able to change our mind and praying that we may uncover another decent place to eat in Wollongong.

Unfortunately, we are now left wondering how the place is even open at all.

We waited over an hour for our entrées, the mains were delivered in such a staggered way that from a table of 8 by the time that last person received their meals, the majority of the group had finished and were patiently awaiting the drinks they had ordered 15 minutes ago that had been sitting, unattended on the edge of the bar for 10 minutes.

The raised eyebrow and looks for attention from staff were ignored and it honesty felt like we were the uninvited guests sneaking into a wedding at which, we were not welcome.

So, onto the food. The entrée- under cooked and over salted scallops. The main - being a seafood restaurant we opted for a seafood dish (rather than the steaks etc they also have on the menu). The John Dory with king prawns in a creamy garlic sauce was, whilst not a bad as the scallops, still not worth the price tag of $39.90. Don't get us wrong, we'd happily pay (and have done) well above that price, but you do expect to get quality food and ingredients. This main was served just warm, the fish has no texture (leading us to believe could it have been previously frozen) and the sauce seemed to act as a cover up to the very average quality of the fish. The king prawns were not that large and had little flavour.

After the first 2 courses being so disappointing, we did what we often do in these cases, pull back on the drinks, decline desert and ask for the cheque - why put ourselves through another painful course and further contribute to and reward what is, at best mediocre food and high prices.

With one of the best locations in town, the restaurant needs to do one of 2 things - reduce the prices and continue on, or, increase the quality of the restaurant, food and staff and try to move forward. The place needs a good clean and refurb and the toilets are less than desirable. The place is resting on previous reputations and could, with minimal effort (fresh local produce, a good clean of the restaurant, more and better trained staff) easily improve and we honestly hope that it does. Having said that, we will not be the guinea pigs and will await some serious accolades before we book again.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World - amazing competition

2011-04-11T21:15:00.002+10:00

http://www.slh.com/goldcoins

Worlds tallest hotel opens

2011-04-11T20:24:00.001+10:00

http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/glance/156041/worlds-tallest-hotel-opens.glance

Jamies Italian, Liverpool City Centre, UK

2011-04-10T10:28:00.000+10:00

The restaurant is located in a great spot in the popular LiverpoolOne development. Sitting opposite John Lewis rather than up near the many other eateries surrounding the alfresco area up on the top level, Jaime's is a fairly large restaurant spanning two floors.

As we dined in the less busy lunch period we were seated downstairs with the upper floor closed. As expected, the restaurant had a nice, casual atmosphere and friendly staff. Only one small issue - the tables were packed in a little too tight.

To start we opt for the Italian nachos (crispy fried 4 cheese ravioli with 'angry' arrabiata sauce). Unfortunately, this dish was disappointing. It was a very small portion, quite bland and the alleged ‘angry' arrabiata sauce tasted suspiciously like warmed tinned tomatoes and nothing else – come on Jamie.

For our main we chose the grilled chicken (free range, boned, marinated and char grilled with warm tomato, olive, chilli and caper sauce) was a vast improvement. Big ticks for going with free range. The chicken was cooked to perfection and was lovely and moist. The sauce complemented the meal and was tasty and flavoursome, without being over powering. The 'posh chips' with truffle oil and parmesan were unfortunately less tasty and crispy that we would have liked, and again were a small portion.

As we were en-route to a meeting, it was soft drink and mineral water all round. However, Jamie's has a decent wine list and the purchase options of by the bottle or the glass.

With great rustic themed décor (loving the old toilets will the pull flush, but beware of the hand dryers that almost blew me out of the restroom), a casual atmosphere, good, swift service and reasonable prices, Jamie's has done well. With a few minor improvements to portion size and either sauces or description of sauces, this place will be a roaring sauces (although, given the name on the door it will probably be a success regardless)

The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards 2011

2010-12-06T18:49:00.000+11:00

Three Hats: Marque, est., Quay

Two Hats: Aria, Assiette, Becasse, Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Berowra Waters Inn, Bilson's, Bistro Ortolan, Buon Ricordo, Claude's, Four in Hand Dining Room, Guillaume at Bennelong, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Lucio's, Pilu at Freshwater, Rockpool, Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sepia, Tetsuya's, Universal

One Hat: Ad Lib Bistro, Altitude, Arras, Astral, Billy Kwong, Bird Cow Fish, Bistro Moncur, Bistrode, The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, Bodega, buzo trattoria, Cafe Sopra, Catalina, Etch, Fish Face, Flying Fish, Golden Century, Jonah's Whale Beach, Koi, Longrain, Mad Cow, Manly Pavilion, Omerta, Ormeggio at the Spit, Oscillate Wildly, Otto Ristorante, Pendolino, Pier, Restaurant Balzac, Sailors Thai Restaurant, Sake Restaurant & Bar, Sean's Panaroma, Spice Temple, Yoshii.

Regional

Two Hats: Lochiel House (Kurrajong Heights), Rock (Pokolbin)

One Hat: ashcrofts (Blackheath), Bacchus (Newcastle), Bamboo Restaurant and Bar (Casuarina Beach), bells at killcare (Killcare), Bistro Molines (Mount View), Caveau (Wollongong), dish (Byron Bay), Darley's (Katoomba), Eschalot (Berrima), Fins (Kingscliff), Italian and Sons (Canberra), Lolli Redini (Orange), Muse (Pokolbin), Neila (Cowra), No. 2 Oak Street (Bellingen), Ottoman Cuisine (Canberra), Restaurant Como.

Just St James, London, UK

2010-09-20T22:55:00.000+10:00

With its location in an affluent area close to Buckingham Palace and just down from the Ritz hotel, you would think it would live up to its website statement 'Just St James Restaurant and Bar is one of the top restaurants in London'. However, this was definitely not our experience.

It is a very large restaurant spread over 2 levels, and to have such a large restaurant with only 2 tables seated at 7pm at night – we should have known better.....

We started with the Cornish Lobster and Watercress Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce. The presentation was ok but we could tell before eating it that the pasta was slightly undercooked. On tasting the dish it was obvious that it was not freshly made when ordered.

For the main we opted for the fillet of Aberdeen Angus Beef, Wilted Leaf Spinach, Nutbourne Vine Tomatoes, Armagnac Jus and also a side of buttered Jersey Royals.

Within a few seconds of the food arriving (I had managed to put one piece of potato in my mouth) the server asked if everything was ok – with a mouth full of potato I nodded as thus far it was – BIG MISTAKE (and possibly a very sneaky move – read on)

The meat was tough, chewy, grizzy and had a large lump in it?????? It was that bad that this was one of the very rare occasions that the food was such poor quality we could actually not bring ourselves to pay for one of the meals. After discussing whether to make a complaint and offer our opinion in relation to what was served up, we mutually decided that it was unacceptable and we would make a complaint and request removal from the bill.

When the floor manager/host had finish his lengthy discussion about his upcoming sabbatical to a winery with his friend at the table next (whom we assumed from the questions asked ‘why isn’t it busy’, ‘do you have a function coming in later’, may have been an investor in the establishment) he sidled past and asked if we had finished.

It was at this point we motioned to the offending plate and advised we were unhappy with the meat. Straight away he swooped in with – the server checked if everything was ok after delivery and you said yes............hmmmm well that half a potato was ok. We explained the issue was with the steak and not wanting to have one of us sit with an empty plate while the other finished their mediocre piece of meat (sans lump and grizzle but still not up to par) we had simply left the meal. (We have a rule – if you send something back, don’t order anything else).

Most decent restaurants would have been embarrassed and offered sincere apologies. However, this host floated away to ‘check the quality with the chef’ – after all, as long as the chef is happy who cares what the customers think – that’s the best way to run a business isn’t it????????????

Having checked with his chef – who, due to the chit chat and lengthy schmoozing with the table next to us we learned was his father, we were advised they were happy with the quality of the meat – oh, well that’s great but they didn’t have to try and eat it.

We were clearly unhappy with the whole evening and to remedy this, the tact chosen was for the waiter to argue with us and the host to argue with us – always a good customer service strategy.

Had we eaten half the meal and then complained we could have understood the argument, but only two bites were taken from the meat (one of those ending up in a napkin)

We found the staff rude and condescending and it seems there is clearly a lack of understanding in relation selecting and cooking meat.

Based on our experience, we were left wondering how the place is still open. Clearly they rely on corporate functions – but even if we were on the corporate credit card or a work Christmas party, we still would have complained about the meat!!!

After it appeared the investor/friend, had begun to take note (and that we could no longer be bothered with his rude attitude further ruining our night and given up the argument) the host took the service charge off and shunted us towards the door.

Will we go back???? never

Relish on Addison, Shellharbour, NSW Australia

2010-08-21T20:50:00.000+10:00

Located in Shellharbour Village and just a short walk to the harbour, this cafe/restaurant has delicious food, friendly staff and a great atmosphere.

With a contemporary and extensive menu including seasonal specials, the food is fresh, tasty and the menu is changed on a regular basis. We would have to say at this point in time it is the best restaurant/cafe in Shellharbour. For this reason, bookings are recommended for Thursday - Saturday nights as well as Sunday brunch.

The favourite entrées include the mixed bruschetta and the crispy chilli prawns and squid with vermicelli salad. The mains are changed regularly and include pastas, meats, seafood and vegetarian options.

At only $10 the deserts are great value and taste amazing - we recommend the chocolate fondant with honeycomb ice cream or the crème brulee - note, before 5pm you can get these delicious dessert with a free coffee - bargain.

The breakfast menu (Sundays) is great and well priced, offering pancakes, full english, omelettes etc. as well as yummy smoothies. The breakfast menu is well priced and due to the great location, you can walk off your food and drinks down the beach - what a great start to the day!

In our opinion the breakfast is the best value for money, however we have visited Relish for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks and never been disappointed.

Opening times for Relish are Tue-Fri 9.30am-8pm, Sat-Sun 8.30am-8.30pm.

Amazing competition from Small Luxury Hotels

2010-08-15T14:50:00.002+10:00

For the chance to win your dream holiday check out

http://www.slh-competitions.com/

Pullman Hotel, Olympic Park, Sydney

2010-08-05T21:23:00.000+10:00

We had never stayed at Olympic Park before, and, to be honest, we didnt really want to. We had assumed the hotels would be pretty average, catering for the one nighters going to events and providing 3 star service at best.

However, after deciding it was too much hassle getting to and from the city when we had an event at Olympic Park we decided to have a more detailed look at what was on offer, and were so glad we did.

We found the Pullman Hotel initially on wotif and after reviewing the hotel website we decided to book what looked like a great offer - and it was!

The 'Shop til you drop package' includes:
1 nights accommodation in an executive room
Buffet breakfast for 2
Access to the Pullman executive lounge (including pre-dinner canapés)
$100 Westfield Voucher
2 glasses of champagne

After checking in, we enjoyed drinks in the executive lounge, which boasts pay tv, comfortable chairs, board games, complementary drinks and free internet access as well as great views.

It was a shame we were not able to make the most of the executive lounge privileges during our time at the hotel, due to having an event on that evening - however, we did try our best to get up there as much as possible during our stay.

After our free drinks in the lounge we took a leisurely 15 minute walk to the DFO outlets shops.
We returned in time to get ready for dinner and decided to see what the quality of the 'pre dinner canapes' that are part of the executive experience, was. After experiencing some very sad displays of what ever they had spare at other hotels as part of the pre-dinner display, we were pleasantly surprised to find fresh, tasty food that was of high quality on offer. It was basically a selection of the restaurants entrees and they were beautiful. They included a mix of seared yellow-fin tuna, fennel salad, ruby grapefruit, crisp lotus root, parmesan crumbed asparagus and vegetable spring rolls.

After enjoying the canapés , along with 2 vodka drinks and beers (all part of the executive experience and at no charge), we strolled down for our 6.30pm reservation at the hotels restaurant 'Bacar', and we have to say, this was on of the best hotel restaurants we have been to.

After indulging in a few too many of the free canapes in the executive lounge, we skipped the entrees and went straight to the main - seared beef fillet, celeriac puree, king brown mushrooms, braised red wine onions. The steak was a good inch and a bit thick and cooked to perfection. With a side of potato puree, garlic butter and buttered baby beans we were in heaven - who would think this was a restaurant in a chain hotel.

At this point we were running late for our event but were bitterly disappointed that we didnt haven time to have a 3 course or the degustation that was on offer.

After our event had finished, we walked out of the stadium and straight into the hotel - there really is nothing better than walking out of the venue and practically straight into the front door of your hotel =)

Our executive room was large and modern. The décor and linen was beautiful and we had a great view across Olympic Park. The bathroom was well stocked with toiletries and towels and the bathroom itself was huge compared to most hotel, with both bath and shower.

In the main room was a Nespresso Coffee Machine, available free of charge =)

As a guest at the hotel you can also enjoy complimentary access to the hotel gym, pay

tv and access to the state of the art Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre

We encourage Accor to continue to keep this hotel as is. Would hate to see it become a Novotel or Ibis. It caters for travellers other than, no disrespect intended, families on a budget or young people looking just for a place to lay their head after a concert.

All we have to say to Pullman Olympic park is 'thank you very much, we will be back, and please do not change'

Caveau, Wollongong

2010-06-16T21:25:00.002+10:00

Thank you Peter Sheppard for bringing fine dining to Wollongong!

As Wollongong's only hatted restaurant, as awarded by Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2010, we had high expectations for this regional restaurant.

Located on Keira Street in Wollongong CBD, the layout is nice and simple - clean white table clothes and uncluttered tables. A small an intimate restaurant with an upstairs dining room for more private occasions such as birthdays or dinner with a group of friends.

Caveau has a decent sized, seasonal menu and the wait staff are friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. The only complaint we have is that after over 3 visits to the restaurant and repeated requests, they still do not stock bottled still water =(

On our first visit to Caveau we enjoyed the following dishes:

Seared scallops with sweetcorn puree, braised witlof, crisp potato - this dish was light, airy and had amazing flavours.

Grain fed beef eye fillet with potato gallette, creamed spinach, snails and herb butter - the snails may put some people off but they were actually quite tasty, the texture a little firmer than mushroom and taking on the flavours of the dish. They were a great complement to the crispy potato.

Roasted breast and confit leg of duck with sauteed potato, walnuts, blueberries and preserved truffle - Delicious. The two ways of cooking gave different textures and flavours to the duck and the accompaniments complemented the flavours beautifully.

Chocolate pithivier with vanilla bean ice cream - having experienced such lovely dishes for entree and main, we had great hopes for the desert. However, whilst the vanilla bean ice cream was divine, the chocolate pithivier was ok, but not to the standard of the rest of the meal.

Visit 2

Sand whiting with scallop mousse, seared scallops, fennel and champagne veloute - beautiful flavours, fresh seafood, but a very small portion.

Australian venison loin with carrot puree, potato dauphinoise and boudin noir - This was amazing. I was left wanting more, mainly due to the delicious flavours but also due to the small portion size. Don't get us wrong, we are used to the smaller dishes served in degustation menus, but just another small piece of venison would have made this dish perfect.

Vanilla creme brulee with mandarin and passion fruit ice-cream - as we cracked the top and tasted the mix of crunchy brulee and velvety creme we knew this was the perfect end to a beautiful meal.

It is great to see a quality restaurant, producing great meals thriving in a regional area. Obviously the restaurant has won the hearts and stomachs of loyal diners, wishing to support local talent and will hopefully continue plating up delicious dishes for a long time. After a few visits we have decided we like the restaurant so much we have enrolled in one of their Sunday cooking Courses (post to come).

Sebel, Surry Hills, Sydney

2010-06-16T20:25:00.000+10:00

For the bargain price of $145 a night for 2, including parking a breakfast, we decided to stay at the Sebel, Surry Hills on our last visit to Sydney.

The hotel is literally a stones throw from Central Station, a leisurely 10 minute walk to the markets and 20 min walk to the main shopping area it is in quite a good location for those wanting to spend time around the shops, Darling Harbour for those attending events the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Facilities at the hotel include:

Undercover car parking
24-hr reception
Business centre
Heated in-door lap pool
Spa, sauna and gym
Two restaurants

Part of the Mirvac group and winner of the AHA (NSW) Accommodation Division Awards for Excellence 2009, the hotel has large, light and airy rooms with comfortable furniture and modern bathrooms. Our bathroom was without a bath, which didn’t bother us, but might be something for other travellers to consider and possibly check when booking.

For dinner we had made a reservation at Aria (post to follow) which was a short and relatively cheap ($10) taxi ride from door to door.

The staff on check in and in the restaurant were friendly and helpful. Going down to the restaurant for breakfast, we were pleased to find that guests were seated immediately (nothing worse than queuing to be fed in the morning). There was a decent choice available at the buffet style breakfast including hot and cold options and varied beverages.

We found the hotel to be clean, comfortable and at $145 a night including parking a breakfast was an absolute bargain, meaning we had more money to spend at dinner and shopping (always good). We would definitely stay here again and recommend to those wishing to stay in a good quality hotel for a great price.

City Centre Las Vegas

2010-05-10T18:41:00.000+10:00

Stage one has already opened and we cannot wait until the project is complete.

The development houses fantastic hotels, spas, luxury shopping, fine dining restaurants and entertainment is a welcome and stylish addition to the strip

http://www.citycenter.com/

Food hygiene ratings - London

2010-05-09T22:15:00.001+10:00

This website lets you search for food businesses across London to find out the hygiene rating they achieved from their last food hygiene inspection.

http://eforms.yourlondon.gov.uk/pub/servlet/ep.blank?auth=0&type=sc_home&st=scores

Aman Spa at The Connaught, Mayfair, London

2010-05-06T21:11:00.002+10:00

Stealth wealthers will find no expense spared at the capital's latest grand spa opening

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/good_spa_guide/article7007633.ece

Food Festivals UK 2010

2010-05-06T21:05:00.000+10:00

Get a taste of the year ahead with the UK's most comprehensive foodie events listings on the web

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/real_food/article5524488.ece

Tired of coming back from holidays with a little 'excess baggage' from over indulgence?

2010-05-05T15:03:00.002+10:00

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/holiday_type/active/article7059819.ece

Air passengers face a summer of disruption from Icelandic volcano

2010-05-05T14:48:00.003+10:00

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article7116174.ece

Meriton Apartments Broadbeach, Gold Coast, Australia

2010-05-01T20:57:00.002+10:00

A last minute trip to the Gold Coast resulted in a hurried search for a reasonably priced, newish place to stay on the Gold Coast via wotif.

We found Meriton advertising a 1 bedroom apartment for $112 a night and thought great deal, book it!

The hotel has great facilities - parking, BBQ area, garden, indoor and outdoor pool, gym, security, a variety of shops underneath and food options near by.

If you are wishing to stay in a twin there is an additional $10 charge (assuming this is due to the fact that the kings are made up of 2 singles and the charge is for the time taken to separate and re-dress the beds). Another small charge was car parking at $10 per night.

The hotel is quite new in a spot close to Pacific Fair, Convention Centre, Restaurants and the beach. However, if you are wanting to be in the thick of Surfers Paradise then it will be a good 40 minute walk. If you have a hire car then you can get to the main areas of Surfers in 5-8 minutes.

Although the hotel has a variety of apartments with kitchenettes and full kitchens, if you fancy popping out for breakfast, lunch or dinner there are lots of restaurants and options near by.

The rooms have wall mounted air conditioning units in lounge room and bedroom as well as ceiling fans, laundry with iron, washer and dryer, kitchenette and HD flat screen TVs.

The apartments are slightly smaller compared to others on the Gold Coast such as Artique and Circle on Cavill. But it is much better and has great facilities compared to the older style hotels and apartments that are still charging comparable prices.

On the whole we were happy with the apartment for the price. It was clean, modern and well priced.

The loungeroom was furnished with 2 sofas, one converting into a double bed if required, a small dining table and chairs, a large TV and access to the balcony. The bedroom gave good sized mirrored wardrobes, bedside lamps and access to the balcony. The laundry was well equipped with iron and ironing board, laundry sink, washing machine, dryer and airer - always handy when you are staying for a while or when you have travelled on a budget with only hand luggage.

The only real let down was the bathroom. The room had no window, which wouldn't have been a problem if the extractor fan was powerful enough to remove the steam - it wasnt. The sink was too high, possibly the sink chosen was meant to be dropped into the vanity rather than sat on top. The corner shower with 3 glass panels did not allow water to flow towards the drain, rather it went out under the door and soaked the floor. The shower head was not great, it created a finer spray with rouge jets spritzing your hair whilst you are trying to keep it dry - not a big deal but a bit annoying and easily fixable with a decent shower nozzle.

When booking there is the option of city or sea view. The city side will provide views over a road to the casino, convention centre and Pacific Fair. The sea view - well thats self explanatory, however, due to other properties surrounding the hotel, the higher floors do have much better views.

This hotel would be great for families and offers value for money. It seems to put in a regular appearance on trip advisor so check rates between booking direct or using wotif and you may be able to save a bit of cash.

We had a good stay with no major issues and would stay at this hotel again when visiting the Gold Coast for non-special events, if we could get similar rates.

El Bulli knocked off top spot !

2010-04-30T10:54:00.001+10:00

Eli Bulli has long held the top spot. However, in addition to announcements of a 2 year closure, the restaurant has been knocked off the top spot, whilst still retaining the title of Restaurant Magazine Chef of the Decade

http://www.theworlds50best.com/awards/1-50-winners

http://blog.slh.com/

2010-04-23T22:59:00.000+10:00

Small Luxury Hotels - This site has guided us to some great boutique hotels and often has specials for members http://blog.slh.com/

Travel Blog - Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique & Luxury Hotels

2010-04-23T20:37:00.002+10:00

Great reviewers, have guided us to some great hotels over the years. Well worth a read. Thanks guys.

Travel Blog - Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique & Luxury Hotels

Dukes Hotel, London

2010-04-22T11:39:00.002+10:00

Dukes is one of those hotels that feels like a home away from home. Whilst being near to all that London has for offer you can return to the serenity and calm of your room whenever needed.

The hotel is located St James Place, in in a leafy affluent area close to the famous Ritz Hotel and within walking distance to Buckingham Palace as well as being handy for Petticoat Lane Markets, High end shops and Picadilly Circus (but out of the way enough if you know what I mean).

The hotel is on the main tube line meaning you don't have to be out all day, you can pop in and out whilst still staying on the tourist track. Its a quick 1 stop to Hyde Park and the second stop takes you to the famous Harrods Department Store in Knightsbridge. Within walking distance for any traveller Buckingham Palace (an easy and breezy 8 min stroll). In fact, if you want to, you could do all the attractions on foot - if you up for a day of strolling. If not, the nearest tube station is Green Park or you could jump on one of the sightseeing buses from the top of the street just near the Ritz.

After undergoing redecoration, the hotel is covered in relaxing muted tones and always has fresh flowers in common areas and rooms - these are changed regularly we did see a very busy florist tending to the arrangements twice during one of our stays.

All rooms we have stayed in were elegant, cosy, clean, provided good quality linens, slippers, robes, toiletries and were a reasonable size. On one stay we had the pleasure of staying in a suite - my goodness it was like a full sized apartment and we did not want to leave.

The hotel can lay claim to something we now see as a rarity - a high quality room service menu that was delivered fresh and tasty. We ordered dinner twice during our stay enjoying the venison and beef fillet.

At first we had thought the price for break fast was a little steep. However, we needed an early start so decided to order. On receiving breakfast in our room at our specified time, we found it well worth the price (please see image - this is ONE breakfast). There was a fantastic range of choices to be included and all we had t o do was fill out our card specifying our selection and required delivery time.

The hotel has a elegant drawing room and conservatory overlooking a lovely courtyard which is perfect for afternoon tea and the sophisticated bar prides itself on making the best Martini in town.

A health club is located within the hotel providing a wide range of services. However, on each trip we neglected to use it due to being preoccupied with sight seeing, shopping and eating.

As far as hotels in London go, we would rank this with the best of them due to location and comfort level and is most certainly our regular and reliable place to stay when in the capital. However, the hotel may be a little expensive for those travelling on a budget or wanting an extended stay in London with rates starting from £220 per night including breakfast.

Hipping Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale, Lake District UK

2010-04-20T22:09:00.008+10:00

Hipping Hall is a 17th century house close to Kikby Lonsdale. It is tastefully renovated and decorated on the inside with quirky rooms and an intimate feel.

Having checked out the website and read numerous positive review on trip advisor, we felt the need to see for ourselves, so we set to the beautiful Lakes District.

It was like the stresses of the working week melted away as we pulled into the driveway and saw this lovely hotel and its small but lovely grounds.

Rates include dinner, bed and breakfast as well as tea/coffee and home made biscuits on arrival - what a lovely start to what would be a relaxing weekend.

There are 9 room options including 3 cottages. For our stay we chose room 3. Whilst one of the smaller rooms in the hotel we were happy with our choice as it was cosy, had fabulous views over the garden and had a great bathroom.

All rooms are decorated in muted tones with Vi-spring beds, meaning a comfy nights sleep.

The hotel provides good quality toiletries, bath robes and bottled water in room as well as free newspaper of your choice.

Please note - there is no mini bar, tea/coffee making facilities or fridge in the room, but the idea of the hotel is as a retreat where all of your needs can be taken care of. You wouldn't want to be going out to eat as the food here is fantastic !

Meals were served in the impressive dining hall with a large wood fire place. There is a decent range of options available on the al a carte menu - we would have loved to try them all but decided on the scallop entree and the lamb loin main.

Breakfast is included - a decent sized menu is provided and you can order whatever you like and have it cooked fresh - a welcome change from standing in those canteen like queues waiting for some stale baked beans that have has some egg and half a sausage dropped in them.

The smoothies were amazing, the full English was delicious and the quality of the produce for all meals was beautiful.

The hotel is great for relaxation and romantic getaways. With attentive staff, intimate feeling, relaxed atmosphere and great food. AND, it is so nice to see owners who have kept such a lovely property in original condition and with many original fixtures BUT have been brave enough to make the necessary changes to allow modern amenities and clean, fresh contemporary feel to the rooms.

Too often hotels in older style buildings feels that EVERYTHING including the carpet, crockery and linens should be from the same age - might attract the retirees, but in this now heavily competitive market it will not attract the experienced traveller.

Although the grounds were a liitle smaller than expected, we were very impressed during our visit and would definitely return. Hipping Hall deserves all accolades received on trip advisor.

Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego

2010-04-19T06:48:00.002+10:00

Loved, loved, loved this hotel =)

Located in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, an area that has undergone regeneration, the Hard Rock Hotel was one of the best surprises during our trip.

We had been expecting a rowdy, less than perfectly clean hotel full off wanna be celebs. However, this was not the case.

The hotel was, and this is saying something, faultless. Yes, the rooms were great the dining options were great, the location was great and the staff were amazing - special thanks to the staff at Maryjanes where we spent most of our time due to yummy breakfasts and making the most of $3 tacos and beer - fantastic range and quality food. We had planned to eat at Nobu but we just couldn't leave Maryjanes, the staff were great the food was lovely.

Located across from the convention centre and the harbour, next to the PETCO stadium and with plenty of shopping nearby along with multiple dining and drinking options.

Now to the rooms.

Due to high occupancy at the time of our stay we were in one of the lower graded rooms. However, we were very impressed, the room was large, modern and well equipped.

This hotel had the best stocked mini bar we have ever seen - mind you, you would expect that from the Hard Rock. The linen was soft, the bed was comfortable, the bathroom was very spacious and the room also housed a large flat screen tv and a decent sized working desk for anyone that would want to work whilst staying at this fabulous hotel???? We on the other hand, spent our time seeing the sights during the day, with Sea World and San Diego Zoo within easy reach, and enjoying the hotel and it's facilities at night.

We were pleasantly surprised with the free wifi. Although you dont want to spend your holiday looking at a computer, it is great to have the service available to keep up with e-mails, check your bank or what there is to do in the area without having to pay inflated charges or trek the streets for an internet cafe.

Maryjane's coffee shop was well frequented during our stay, enjoying breakfasts, lunch and dinner - all went down well. The happy hour runs 5-7 when you can treat yourself to $3 tacos, $3 beers and $5 cocktails - and these specials were taken advantage of during our stay. The tacos are well worth a try.

Although there were no events scheduled during our stay, it was evident that this hotel knows how to party. It is well set up to house numerous events with the impressive 'Woodstock' area, the 9,000 square foot event space near the roof top bar.

We cannot fault the staff they are so helpful and friendly and in a nice homely way, not a cheesy fake way.

If you like modern hotels with good amenities and friendly staff we recommend hard Rock San Diego.

Tip: valet parking is available at the hotel, but the multi-storey car park across the road is a cheaper and still convenient option.

Crystal Bay Sports, Lauterbrunnen

2009-11-30T20:31:00.008+11:00

If your heading to Lauterbrunnen there is not a great deal of choice in the tiny village. The main spots are the contiki camp at the bottom of the village or Crystal Bay Sports Hotel near the train station.

Now whilst it may not be comparable to other accommodations on the blog, the small family run hotel rooms are clean with fabulous views over the valley. You know when you get the brochure and the the view is nothing like the picture???? Well the view here is straight from one of those pictures - fantastic.

The room we stayed in was at the back of the hotel with a decent sized private bathroom on a high floor. Although the hotel is small, do not worry, it does have a small lift for those with heavy baggage. The room was large, light, airy and clean and the beds were comfortable with nice fresh linen.

The breakfast was a well stoked continental style with plenty on offer. The staff at the hotel were willing to try to accommodate requests for boiled eggs, cereals etc. for those not wanting the continental experience.

Lauterbrunnen is a very small town that is en route to Jungfraujoch and has easy access via train the the larger town of Interlaken. We did make the train trip to Interlaken as we were keen to check out prices on the Swiss made watches - yes they were quite discounted here =). We also found a giant Hooters - slightly took away from the Swiss Alps experience but it seemed to be doing a roaring trade non the less.

On advice from our hosts we caught the bus (not far about a 10 min ride) to Trummelbach Falls. Trummelbach falls belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Jungfrau-Aletsch and is listed in the Federal Inventory of Landscapes and natural Monuments of National Importance of Switzerland, so we thought it must be worth a look.

The falls provide walkways that allow access and viewing of deep crevices and caves that have been cut out by heavy streams of water. Its wet, its loud, and a unique half a day out - well worth the short trip. En-route you can stop for a quick putt putt game at the small and slightly humble course (no big clowns eating your balls or windmills launching them at speed as far from the hole as possible) just concrete and grass.s and caves

The cog train to 'The Top of Europe' Jungfraujoch, will require an early rise but is well worth it. The view, the ice caves and the husky dog sled rides are definitely worth it.

For James Bond fans you can visit Piz Gloria, the revolving restaurant sitting on the top of Schilthorn were scenes for 'Her Majesty's Secret' where filmed.

Due to the altitude you may find yourself rather weary on return. We arrived back to the hotel at 2pm (opting for the early train) decided to take a 'quick nap' and awoke at 10pm only to find there was nowhere open for the hungry travellers to get a feed =( Thank goodness that our lovely hosts at Crystal Bay had packed us a lovely brunch (we had advised the staff at the hotel we were heading to Jungfraujoch and would miss breakfast the the night before. They had arrived after dinner that night armed with a mini fridge packed with a large breakfast/lunch of croissants, sandwiches, snacks, fruit and juice). That brunch would have to tide us over until morning - still the trip was worth it =)

Nestled in a valley in the Swiss Alps, Lauterbrunnen was a welcome change of pace after completing a whirlwind trip through Europe. Going for walks, visiting the falls, the 'top of Europe' and admiring the view out of the window was just what we needed to recharge our batteries. having said that, it may not be the ideal stop for those wanting a fast paced energetic fun filled time. However, your energy could be put to use with snow activities on the mountain =)