A FABULOUS NIGHT AT ELMORE COURT

Swooning back to last weekend when I had the absolute pleasure of being invited to Elmore Court for a rather intriguing Moon Party! Now like you I didn't really have a clue what a moon party was  – or what to wear – but the evening was such good fun and the historic mansion was utterly gorgeous that I had to share it with you.

UPDATE YOUR HOME WITH A DESIGNER SOFA THIS SPRING

GUEST POST

It’s springtime, the time of the year when you should be considering what style update to have in your home.  This week it’s all about luxury designer sofas and what fabulous designer pieces you can add to your concept.  A beautiful contemporary sofa will be the focal point of your living space, whether it is a formal sitting room or relaxing, child-friendly area.   I’ll be going through my top contemporary picks for this season and give you some advice on how they could work in your home.

STYLISH DESIGN FROM HOTEL TO HOME WITH URBANARA AND GIVEAWAY

There are two great pleasures in waking at a design hotel. First is the bed, the soft pillows and duvet that you sink into like a marshmallow mountain and the second is the robe, feeling your body sigh as you wrap yourself in a blanket like state of cosiness while hanging out in your room.

If you're lucky the towels will feature on that list too, along with luxury toiletries and the pages of a lifestyle magazine as you sip gin from the mini bar *swoon* then all too soon it's back to reality with a bump as you turn the key in the front door. But what if you could recreate that touch of luxury and enjoy stylish design from hotel to home?

On a weekday my morning routine is quite simple, roll out of bed into the shower, throw on a assemblance of clothes, moisturise and ensure child is dressed before stepping out of the door for school. It is neither slow nor steady, instead a loud jumble of instructions and thoughts of caffeine as my brain tries to kick in, but the weekend...now that's a different story. 

As Saturday dawns I like to take my time, wake slowly wrapped in my version of comfort, drink coffee, read magazines and take long showers – heaven – and if I can recreate any of the features that bring such joy from my nights away, then all the better.

This beautiful Kotra Bathrobe from URBANARA is just that, a little bit of luxury. This natural cotton and linen blend, with its anti-static and non allergenic design, is perfect for sensitive skin and makes my weekday mornings a bit more special. The sleek and contemporary design with a wrinkle black and white waffle finish feels like it belongs in a spa rather than hanging on my bathroom door, but with a robe like this I can indulge in taking time to relax at the weekend.

Then imagine this sophisticated style also comes in the form of a towel collection, yep that's right a towel for every moment to make your bathroom beautiful, plus the perfect thing to wrap yourself in after a long soak *swoon* no more mismatched towels.  

The lovely people over at URBANARA have offered one of you gorgeous readers the chance to win a four piece Kotra Towel Set to give your bathroom that hotel feel. All you need to do is enter using one of the options below for a chance to win. Good luck! x

T&C Giveaway will run for two weeks and the winner will be drawn by random using rafflecopter on the 29th February. Free UK delivery will apply for your purchase;  This prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for monetary value; No cash alternatives to the stated prize will be offered. By entering you are signing up to the Wild & Grizzly E-newsletter. Open UK residents only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

OUR STAY AT THE MERINO APARTMENTS IN LONDON

With the Christmas countdown now on I've been planning fun adventures and family festivities for the kiddo to enjoy and even though we've just stepped into December, the weekends are flying by. So with a sparkly weekend of magic planned, last Friday evening we headed to our home away from home, with a stay at the Merino Apartments in London.

Now when I say home away from home, I'm not kidding, as the word apartment doesn't quite cover this luxury boutique serviced three floor house. Yep these 5 star luxury serviced stays are nestled down a small cobbled mews in the heart of Bloomsbury, where every detail is designed to make your stay as relaxed as possible.

After sat nav successfully directed us through central London *high five all round* we were greeted by Andres from the Merino Hospitality team, who happily guided us through the amenities while F squealed with delight on finding a special surprise room on the top mezzanine level.

A FAMILY FRIENDLY STAY AT THE LUXURY MAGDALEN CHAPTER HOTEL

A few weeks ago we were thrilled to be invited to stay at the Luxury Magdalen Chapter Hotel in Exeter – cue me whooping at a night off parenting, exploring a new city, dinner, drinks and mostly a lie in. However as it got closer to 4pm our childcare arrangements changed last minute, a trunki was packed and an excited kiddo was bundled into the car ready for our night away. Not quite what I had in mind but thankfully the Hotel reception were super helpful and didn't bat an eyelid as we changed dinner reservations and asked for our small person to be added to our nights stay.

On arriving at the entrance and beautiful red brick facade, F was beyond excited as we made our way through the glittering crowds enjoying prosecco up to feature room 211, while taking in the array of artwork and design features that adorn the hotel blending old and new.

Our room was the perfect mix of contemporary design with lavish linens, stylish grey felt sofas, my favourite Eames chairs and advanced booking technology with our own iPad providing room service and reservations. Even the multiple lighting options where perfect for creating a relaxing bolthole for the night. Once settled room service turned down F's sofa bed while we busied ourselves getting ready before heading downstairs and enjoying the buzz of the hotel's many rooms; the bars, nooks and cosy library perfectly tucked away for a stylish stay.

Instead of our original 8.30pm reservation, reception kindly changed our table without any fuss to 7.30pm which is late by F's standards, but thankfully the excitement of staying in a hotel had kept him wide eyed and perky and I decided to make use of the extra adrenalin, enjoy a meal together and supress the mama guilt.

The menu was delicious and extensive with a varied list of Gluten free options for Paul, and fab children's menu – win win all round! The best thing was the in depth wine list on the iPad, allowing us to view the interactive list and provide great recommendations to accompany the meal. I tucked into a scrumptious plate of charred red mullet, heritage carrots, ginger beer and scallops while F opted for his trusty pasta option and it wasn't long before we were stuck into desserts with a sleepy boy on our arms.


Thankfully the hotel offered us the choice to download a baby listening app to our room iPad which we could link to our phone, acting as a baby monitor through the thick brick walls of the former iconic Eye Infirmary. Eager to get F down and give this a whirl, I hastily jumped into bed to cuddle my little one to sleep only to wake at 1am realising we had all taken a nap! So after jumping into pj's and turning out the lights I settled down and prepared myself for the early wake up call that is the boy.

Just like clockwork little hands grappled at my face and I blinked awake to see a big cheesy grin peering into my face and a bouncy five year old ready to start the day. After a quick wash with the complimentary REN products, we popped downstairs for breakfast. Bowls filled high with fruit, nuts, seeds and yoghurt, turkish baked eggs and coco pops we were ready to take explore the hotel before wandering into the city for a bit of retail therapy.

I love the collected art work, thoughtful design and commissioned pieces that gives the Magdalen Chapter Hotel its distinct style and creates a pocket of contemporary flair while retaining the countryside at its heart. Paul enjoyed a coffee under the arc of the large palm copper wall painting that adorns the walls by artist Hugo Dalton, while I decided to take a peek at the spa and perfectly formed outdoor heated pool. The blazing log burner and twinkling lights keep the pool cosy and reminded me off the rooftop pools in Reykjavik. I was left kicking myself for forgetting my swimming costume – a perfect excuse to come back though right? That and the cocktails!

The hotel even has a cute vegetable garden for the restuarant and uses the original morgue, which has been transformed into a luxury private dining room for guests and businesses to hire. I love how each of the spaces embodies a different style, dark and moody, light and fresh, each creating a unique atmosphere. I could have stayed curled up in the cosy library by the fire sipping hot chocolate all day *sigh*.

Finally we said goodbye to the wonderful staff who made our stay seamless, packed up our bags ready to head home to Bristol. Not surprising F is still talking about his fun adventure!

*We'd like to thank The Magdalen Chapter Hotel for providing us with a stay as part of this review and being so flexible with our extra guest. All words and opinions are 100% my own.

A LUXURY STAY AT THE KINGS HEAD HOTEL IN THE COTSWOLDS

A few weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of being invited to spend a night at the newly reopened luxury Kings Head Hotel, proudly situated in the beautiful market town of Cirencester and snuggled in the heart of the Cotswold's, this beautifully restored and elegant hotel offers sanctuary from the daily bustle and a space to escape and clear your mind, replenishing both body and soul. 

On arrival we were shown through the elegant reception and up to our suite 101 on the first floor. I love staying in hotels and never tire of the excitement of stepping into a beautifully designed room and the Kings Head certainly didn't disappoint, with each of the 45 rooms being uniquely created by Calico Interiors. Not only was the room spacious and light with the perfect addition of gin & tonic to welcome us, but the attention to detail surpassed my expectations. From the four poster bed, large circular mirrors, wardrobe area, grey subway tiled bathroom, stand alone bathtub and industrial wooden side table, the room was a beautiful mix of old meets new and the bed was dreamy to sink into.

After getting changed into fluffy white robes and slippers we headed downstairs to the Subterranean Spa to indulge in a Lubatti Pure Luxury Indulgence treatment which includes 80 minutes of pure relaxation focusing on the key areas of the body. The Pure Luxury Indulgence started with an eye and lip treatment, including Lubatti’s signature cleansing and toning facial routine, which uses only the finest ingredients. The décolleté and hands are exfoliated with Lubatti’s Caramel Body Polish followed by a stress relieving back massage, I didn't realise how much tension I carry in my shoulders but afterwards I felt completely replenished and my skin was glowing, and after a short time in the relaxation room it was time to get ready for dinner and cocktails. 

The bar and restaurant were equally well designed with flagstone floors, dark interior walls punctuated with copper and gallery walls. There was a huge log fire ready to be lit on colder months and the menu introduced us to a new style of Robatayaki dining, which uses the Japanese technique of grilling food over hot coals to seal in the flavour. Each dish is presented as a small bite so you can order a few plates from each section of the menu allowing you to get a full range of the flavours on offer. The dishes were beautifully presented, delicious and the colours were leapt off the plate. 

We rounded of dinner with a few mystery cocktails created by the barman, this orange creation had Iron Brew as its secret ingredient and was super tasty, oh and this flaming Mojito was fab! I love the atmosphere at night, a mix of hotel guests and locals all coming together to enjoy a drink in the beautifully designed bar which stay open until midnight.

After the most restful sleep with no small person to wake us at the crack of dawn, we took our time getting dressed using the Nespresso machine to give us our caffeine kick before heading down for breakfast. There was a huge selection of continental meats, cheeses and cereals as well as a cooked menu, I wolfed down the Eggs Florentine and Paul was pleased with the Gluten free option and the service was impeccable.

After a tour around the rest of the tardis like hotel, which houses a huge selection of rooms available for hire from private dining in the wine cellar, beautiful ballroom hall for weddings and the underground vaulted room – fab for private parties – I returned to the room to pack and take a sneak peek at the bridal suite with free standing copper bath *swoon* and take a mental note of the afternoon tea's – my excuse to return soon!



The Kings Head has been lovingly restored and is the perfect getaway from life and enjoy luxury design in the Cotswold's, and I would recommend anyone to book a night as a treat. Room prices range from £120 to £450 for an evening although prices change depending on season and the hotel often runs supper clubs and events for those not wanting to stay but experience a touch of luxury.

*We received a complimentary stay, treatment and meals as part of this review. All words and opinions are 100% my own.