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Living Like a Local in London

April 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Living in London

More and more people are choosing to rent a holiday home when travelling rather than a hotel room and I can totally understand why. You get to live like a local. You can shop in local markets and cook your own food. You have plenty of space to live in and you don’t need to be bothered by the cleaners knocking on your door at 9am. Renting a holiday home especially makes sense if you are interested in slow travel and prefer to spend weeks or even a month or more in the one location. The longer you rent the cheaper your accommodation costs will be and the more you’ll feel at home in your destination.

One Fine Stay

Not all short stay holiday home sites are the same however. OneFineStay.com is a little different than most you see around as they focus on upscale houses and apartments with all the amenities you’ll find in a top hotel. You book online as you would with a hotel and you have the option of daily maid service. Another benefit is that the owners leave tips for things to do and places to eat in the area. I’m trying to focus on slow travel but I still like a little luxury so this is the kind of accommodation I’m leaning towards using.

Where to Stay in London

I lived in London for a while, just near Little Venice and briefly in East London but neither are my favourite parts of the city. If I was recommend a place to stay in London it would be one of the following areas.

Borough Market

The Borough Market is a fantastic foodie market with loads of little stores selling fresh food and pre-prepared meals. You can get delicious olives, cured meats and fresh cheese and plenty of wine and international beer. For dessert you can pick up cupcakes, French pastries and even Aussie Lamingtons. The Borough Market/Southwark area is one of my favourite parts of London and mostly likely the area I’d choose to live if I was to return to London.

Covent Garden

I’m not sure Convent Garden would be a great place to live long-term as it is constantly packed with locals and tourists but it’s undoubtedly one of the best spots in London for shopping. If the primary purpose of your stay in London is shopping then this might be the area for you.

Notting Hill

Notting Hill Gate is one of the most popular areas in West London where you’ll find great restaurants, markets, bakeries and pubs as well as quiet parks to get away from the noise of the city. This is a lively area and a great place to immerse yourself in London life.

Those are a few of my favourite places in London. Where would you recommend staying in the capital?

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Hotel Am Terrassenufer Dresden

January 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Immediately upon entering my hotel room at Hotel Am Terrassenufer I saw this:

Hotel Am Terrassenufer Dresden

I went out and took some night photos of Dresden and the next morning I woke up to this:

Hotel Am Terrassenufer View

I know there’s a lot more to a hotel than the view but that’s a pretty good start and you won’t find a view like this in any other hotel in Dresden.

The Room

The room was huge, one of the biggest I’ve stayed in for quite some time. The bed was huge too, with two separate doonas which is commonplace in Germany. Wifi was fast but not included in the price of the room which unfortunately is also commonplace in Germany. There is no air conditioner in the rooms. Of course the view of the city skyline is the main attraction and I suggest asking for a room with a view on a high floor when you book.

Hotel Room in Dresden

Room With a View Dresden

The Bathroom

The bathroom was quite basic with just a shower with a shower curtain but it was spotlessly clean.

Dreden Hotel Bathroom

The Breakfast

The breakfast buffet is served downstairs overlooking the garden. There was plenty to choose from, all kinds of sliced meats, cheese, hot food, cereal, etc. The breakfast staff didn’t speak much English but they did their best to understand me and were very friendly.

The Location

Located right on the Elbe River and a 10 minute walk to the Frauenkirche, museums and opera, the Hotel Am Terrassenufer is perfectly situated. If you are arriving by train, the hotel is a short tram ride away from the main train station and the tram stops just in front of the hotel at the New Synagogue tram stop.

Summary

The clean large rooms, great location, friendly staff and of course the view make the Hotel Am Terrassenufer a great choice if you’re looking for a hotel in Dresden.


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Schiller5 Hotel in Munich

December 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Munich is one of my favourite destination in Europe. It’s a lively, dynamic city, big enough to have many international events but small enough to be a great walking city. On this trip to Munich I stayed courtesy of the Schiller5 Hotel and Boardinghouse located just near the main train station.

Even though it’s called a hotel and boarding house, it’s really just an apartment hotel and a very nice one at that. Rooms range from single one bed apartments (which I had) to two bed, two bath family suites. On entering my room there was an entrance hall with a small open kitchen. Off this room was the bed/living room, the bathroom and a separate WC.

The Room

I had a single but the room was huge and included a work desk and tea making facilities. The single bed was more like a small double and everything was spotless and very comfortable. There was free wifi in the room (and throughout the hotel) which was fast but I had some trouble staying connected. A number of times I had to disconnect and reconnect to get it working again but it was all good in the end.

Schiller5 Hotel Room

The Bathroom

I initially thought this hotel was brand new because everything looks so perfect but in fact it was renovated a number of years ago. It’s clearly a very well maintained hotel. I love the fittings in the bathroom and it’s one of the cleanest I’ve ever seen. The WC is in a separate room with its own hand basin.

Schiller5 Munich

The Kitchen

I didn’t cook during my stay at Schiller5 but the kitchen was fully equipped with cooking utensils, plates and cutlery etc. There are hotplates and a microwave. The nice touch here is the fridge which is stocked with free drinks; water, orange juice, soft drinks and beer are offered and replenished each day.

Apartment Hotel in Munich

The Breakfast

The breakfast had plenty to choose from including all the usual; eggs, sausages, hash browns, cereal, fruit etc plus a few extras like pancakes, yum!

Schiller5 Breakfast

The Location

Located two minutes from the main train station, this is the most convenient location in Munich for me and I always stay in this area when I visit. Schiller5 is walking distance to Marienplatz, Munich’s main art galleries and the grounds for festivals like Oktoberfest and the Tollwood Winter Festival.

Summary

Large, modern apartments in a great location and with free wifi, Schiller5 is my new favourite hotel in Munich.


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NH Nuremberg City

December 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I made a special trip to Nuremberg just to visit the famous Christmas markets and stayed at NH Nuremberg City. December is a very busy time for Nuremberg so I suggest visiting during the week to ensure hotel availability and to avoid the weekend crowds at the Christmas market.

The Room

My room was large and spotlessly clean, as you would expect from a 4* hotel in Germany. The welcome bottle of water and chocolates by Ferran Adria were a nice touch and I was very happy to have the luxurious king size bed to myself. ;) Less impressive was the wifi which didn’t exist (there is free wifi in the lobby) but you can get fast wired internet for €10.70 for 24 hours.

nh-nuremberg-city-1

nh-nuremberg-city-5

The Bathroom

Perfectly clean and with a shower over the bath, the bathroom was pretty standard for this kind of hotel.

nh-nuremberg-city-2

The Breakfast

The breakfast spread was impressive to say the least. Countless different breads and cheeses made me happy plus plenty of hot food was available including the popular Nuremberg sausages. This was one of the best hotel breakfasts I’ve had in quite some time. Try the soft cheese with the orange rind (don’t know what it’s called), it was amazing.

The Location

Located near the train station, just outside of the Altstadt (old town), NH Nuremberg City is perfect if you’re arriving via train or car. The Christmas market is a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel.

Summary

The NH Nuremberg City is a modern 4* hotel ideally located in Nuremberg with a fantastic bed and exceptional breakfast. Free wifi in the room would be a plus but otherwise I enjoyed my stay and would return.


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Hotel Kanai in Lille

December 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Lille is a gorgeous city in Northern France, just near the Belgian border, and is ideally placed for a weekend trip from London, Paris or Brussels. On my recent weekend getaway to Lille I stayed at Hotel Kanai, located a few metres from Place Rihour and the Christmas markets. The hotel is in a small, renovated building on a pedestrian street and the friendly staff helped us with our luggage up the stairs to our room (there’s no lift).

The Room

We were in the double privilege room which was spacious and very light due to the huge windows which overlook the pedestrian shopping street. The room has individual air conditioning and free wifi. The wifi was painfully slow but they also have wired access which was probably faster but I didn’t get the chance to try. The bed was a bit soft for my liking but otherwise the room was clean and comfortable.

hotel-kanai-lille

The Bathroom

The bathroom has been totally renovated in contemporary style and stocked with lovely citron scented soap.

hotel-kanai-lille-2

The Location

The Hotel Kanai in Lille is located just along from the city’s two main squares, Place Rihour and the Grand Place (Place Charles de Gaulle). There are plenty of places to eat and drink in the vicinity but for better foodie options head to Vieux Lille 10 minutes walk away. The hotel is 30 metres from the metro where you can easily reach the main train stations, Gare Lille Europe and Gare Flanders as well as the popular museums La Piscine and LaM.

Summary

Hotel Kanai is in a brilliant location, has nicely renovated large rooms and friendly staff. It’s great value for money and a perfect hotel for a short break in Lille.


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Hotel Aquila Bianca in Orvieto

November 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It was a last minute decision to head to Orvieto after we’d been driving all day from Bari. We hadn’t booked a hotel so just drove up to the top of the hillside town hoping to fall into something. Right at the old town gate I spotted the Hotel Aquila Bianca so quickly ran in to ask about availability and prices. At €150 for a triple room it wasn’t exactly cheap but for a 4 star hotel in the centre of a hugely popular tourist town it’s to be expected.

The hotel is in a historic building that has been completely renovated. We had a bit of a misunderstanding with the receptionist who initially told me there was no wifi in the hotel but if I wanted to use the internet I could use her computer. However, on the day I left I discovered there was wifi in the common areas of the hotel and a very weak signal in the room. Private parking is available for €10 euros per night but we found on-street parking right in front of our room for less than that.

The Room

Our beautiful triple room had timber floorboards, air conditioning and a large bathroom with a shower. Even though there was a queen sized bed and a single there was still plenty of room to move around. There was only one chair to sit on but that wasn’t a huge problem as we didn’t spend much time in the room anyway.

Hotel Aquila Bianca Room

The room overlooked the main street into Orvieto but for the most part it was very quiet.

Hotel Aquila Bianca Orvieto

The Bathroom

The modern bathroom had a bidet and shower (no bath) and 3 sets of toiletries and slippers.

The Breakfast

Breakfast was included in the cost of the room and along with the typical continental breakfast foods they also had homemade cakes and biscuits which was a nice touch.

The Location

Easily accessible by car and a 5-10 minute walk to the stunning Duomo cathedral, the location is absolutely perfect. I wouldn’t want to stay any closer to the cathedral as many of the streets are pedestrian only which makes driving around a little complicated. There are many cafes and restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel including one directly opposite.

Summary

The Hotel Aquila Bianca is a beautiful 4 star hotel in the perfect location for visiting Orvieto. The hotel staff were mostly helpful but the mix up with the wifi was annoying and even though the woman on reception knew I had left my car on the street she tried to charge me for parking when I checked out. Having said that, it wouldn’t stop me from staying there again. You can book Hotel Aquila Bianco via Booking.com.


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