A Fabulous Festive Stay at Ibis Liverpool Centre Albert Dock – Liverpool One #Review

A Fabulous Festive Stay at Ibis Liverpool Centre Albert Dock – Liverpool One #Gifted

February has come around quickly, so I would like to take you back to all things Christmas and location lovely Liverpool, where we enjoyed a super sparkly stay at the centrally located Ibis Liverpool Centre Albert Dock, what a fantastically fabulous festive treat.

Right in the heart of all the action, just opposite the Royal Albert Dock, the M&S Arena and a few minutes’ walk from the Albert Dock, Matthew Street, Tate Gallery, The museum of Liverpool, the Liver Building and Liverpool one shopping centre you are spoilt for choice.

Immediately noticeable was that the hotel was decked out in Christmas loveliness, upon arrival we received a wonderfully warm welcome, and right there and then we knew we were going to have a lorra lorra laughs as it was good vibes all round and we were ready to rock around the Christmas tree.

After a friendly and informative check in process we headed up to our cosy double room so we could chill over a complimentary cuppa, from the in room fully stocked tea and coffee tray, while we planned our Liverpool Christmas adventures.

The modern bedrooms, offering a city or riverside view, are furnished with the new Sweet Bed by Ibis and have 1 large double, desk area, internet & TV, hairdryer and a modern ensuite bathroom including complimentary toiletries for you to use throughout your stay.

Now, Christmas in Liverpool is full of festive cheer there are various Christmas markets, including at both Liverpool One and George Street, so you can get your festive jingle on for sure.

After building up an appetite why not head down to the onsite Fogg’s restaurant, serving a choice of international cuisine, as it is the perfect place for couples, family, and friends to enjoy good food and good times. Décor is contemporary and chilled out providing guests home away from home vibes, now onto the food and drinks.

Super starters included super spring rolls with sweet chilli dip, mouth-watering Mozzarella cheesy sticks with a lush salsa dip and a beautiful bowl of onion rings really yummy and fabulous food all round.

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Summer Fun in the City with Accor: Ibis Manchester Centre 96 Portland Street Hotel #Review

Summer Fun in the City with Accor: Ibis Manchester Centre 96 Portland Street Hotel: #Gifted

The Ibis Manchester Centre 96 Portland Street Hotel is perfectly located right in the heart of Manchester City centre.  The hotel has a cool chic lounger and bar area perfect to enjoy a coffee or cocktail and people watch.

Warmly welcomed, by the lovely Ibis team as per usual, we headed up to our room. The bedrooms are cosy and snug; the double bed provided an excellent night’s sleep.

There is a spacious wardrobe, a desk area with a plug port so you can ensure all your gadgets are on full charger before exploring all that Manchester has to offer.

The Bathroom hub has all you need including a shower unit with complimentary toiletries to use during your stay. There is also a fully stocked tea and coffee tray ideal for a cuppa while you plan your city adventures.

Once you are all settled in it’s time to head out and explore all that Manchester city centre has to offer. There are art galleries, museum’s, plenty of activities and shopping are just a few of my suggestions.

After building up an appetite why not head over to The Exchange Food and Drink Lounge, located in the Ibis’s sister Hotel Novotel Manchester Centre, as it is the perfect place for couples, family, and friends to enjoy good food and good times.

What is really lovely about The Exchange Food & Drink Lounge, within the Novotel Manchester City centre, is how superb the whole team are, from the chef to the servers, and for me this makes you feel instantly at home.

Décor is contemporary, cosy and chilled providing guests home away from home vibes, now onto the all important food and drinks.

The Exchange lounge food and drinks menu is extensive, there is something for everyone, it is next level. The all new starter boards are amazing and the perfect way to share a few nibbles while waiting for your mains. The choice of cheeses, fresh vegetables & fruits, olives, humous, dips, meats and breads are superb.

Mouth-watering mains include the fabulous Fish & Chips with mushy peas and all the trimmings along with the Prawn Linguini you have two winning dishes.

Now, if you fancy some sweet stuff why not go for a pre-dinner cocktail and if you have left some room, I would highly recommend sampling the delicious desserts including the Bakewell tart with fresh berries and custard and also the luscious rice pudding with pear and chocolate sauce, this was a real winner! All washed down with a liquor coffee.

The best part is that your snug Ibis room is literally a hop skip and a jump away so you can take it easy, sit back and relax.

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Chinese New Year Celebrations at the Novotel Manchester Centre Hotel #Review

Chinese New Year Celebrations at the Novotel Manchester Centre Hotel #Gifted

The 4-star Novotel Manchester Centre is located, within the heart of Manchester city centre, near to all the main transport hubs such as Manchester Piccadilly & Oxford Road train stations is perfect for business or leisure.

Just a hop skip and a jump away from Manchester’s China town The Novotel Manchester Centre is perfectly located to take advantage of the Chinese New Year Celebrations. The 2023 Chinese New Year Celebration marks the year of the rabbit and makes for an exciting time to be in the city for sure.

Every time without fail, we have always been greeted with a warm welcome and this time was no exception.  As always, knowledgeable team members on check in and were checked in and had all the key information explained in no time.

Our room provided us with a huge Queen bed, 55-inch LCD TV, sofa area, work/vanity desk, providing a modern and contemporary space to relax and unwind. As you can see, the wall artwork of Manchester city is absolutely amazing!

The bathroom has all you require including rainfall power shower and complimentary upgraded toiletries.  There is also a separate toilet area, a spacious sink area with fully illuminated mirror and plenty of mirrors to beautify yourself.

Importantly, there are fluffy robes and slippers for use during your stay, a complimentary tea tray, Nespresso coffee machine, hair dryer, iron and a safe.  We also had use of the hotels complimentary Wi-Fi while onsite so we could still keep connected while we enjoyed some chill time.

Now you are all settled in, I would recommend heading down to the hotels onsite Exchange Bar & Restaurant as they serve some fabulous food and it’s the perfect place to enjoy a few drinks, because the place has an amazing atmosphere with just good vibes.

Starters It is always nice to enjoy a glass of bubbles and/or rose along with some scrummy starters including a perfectly presented salad, pad thai and some poutine.

We opted for casual bites, so our marvellous mains included burger & fries, Fish & chips with a good pint of beer to wash it down with.

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A Lovely Liverpool City Break with Novotel Liverpool Centre #Review

A Lovely Liverpool City Break with Novotel Liverpool Centre #Gifted

Liverpool, the home of the Beatles and the ideal city for a fun, interactive and entertaining city break.  The fabulous 4-star Novotel Liverpool Centre, located right in the centre of all the action, is the ideal hotel for both business and leisure stays.

The reception team provided a lovely Liverpool welcome and even went all out to check us in early which was much appreciated.  Highly recommend booking a two night stay to give you time to explore Liverpool’s exciting offerings.

Our Executive room with King Bed is the perfect accommodations for combining relaxation and focus providing complimentary Wi-Fi, robes and slippers for use during your stay, a Nespresso coffee machine, and for our anniversary the team also provided us with 2 bottles of water and a fabulous fizzy Prosecco welcome which we loved!  

Our shower room had a rainfall shower, with handheld mini spray, sunken sink and some excellent extra bathroom amenities.

Now after good night’s sleep why not enjoy the onsite buffet breakfast, as they have a full range of hotel options including eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, hash browns, veggie sausages all washed down with tea and barista style coffee.

Fancy continental well no problem, as this is also included, you can choose from an extensive range of fresh fruit, cheese, pastries, breads, muffins, yogurt, orange and apple juice, so you are spoilt for choice.

Impressively, the hotel has a fully equipped gym and pool onsite, so make sure to book in, so you can dip your toe in the water and enjoy some wonderful water time.

The basement level pool, provided guests a relaxing and tranquil atmosphere to chill out, relax and unwind.  Sit back on the lounger and enjoy some much needed me time after a busy day exploring.

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An Amazing Anniversary Hotel Stay at Novotel Manchester Centre #Review

An Amazing Anniversary Hotel Stay at Novotel Manchester Centre #Gifted

The 4-star Novotel Manchester Centre is located, within the heart of Manchester city centre, near to all the main transport hubs such as Manchester Piccadilly & Oxford Road train stations is perfect for business or leisure.

Make your way through the revolving doors, into the bright airy reception area, and prepare to check in for a sensational stay.

Warmly welcomed by the reception team, who checked us straight in and provided lots of useful information about the hotel, including the use of their complimentary Wi-Fi while onsite, and instantly made us feel at home.

The Executive Rooms provide guests with a huge Queen bed, 55-inch LCD TV, sofa area, work/vanity desk, providing a modern and contemporary space to relax and unwind. 

Shower room was wonderful, with complimentary upgraded toiletries, and a refreshing rain shower with a unit that has a silent privacy screen, if you want to see into the bedroom while showering. There is also a separate toilet area, a spacious sink area with fully illuminated mirror and plenty of mirrors to beautify yourself.

For our Anniversary, the team’s attention to detail went above and beyond, creating a fabulous floral rose petal display for us as well as including some lovely extras such as complimentary peanuts, crisps, bottled water and two bottles of wine – all of which were really appreciated.

As standard, within the Executive rooms there are fluffy robes and slippers for use during your stay, a complimentary tea tray, Nespresso coffee machine, hair dryer, iron and a safe.

Now as if that is not enough to make sure that you have a memorable stay, why not head down to the onsite Exchange Bar & Restaurant for a few glasses of wine, some yummy food and the perfect place to sit, chat and enjoy the good vibes.

Dan, Gaskey and all the food & beverage are a dream team, real diamonds that make sure they always go the extra mile, so guests leave happy.

The Exchange Bar & Restaurant has an extensive drinks offering including plenty of gins, spirits, beers, lagers, Ipas, wines and of course cocktails.

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Christmas Celebrations at Novotel York Centre #Review

Christmas Celebrations at Novotel York Centre Review: February 2020 #Gifted

Novotel York Centre is the perfect place for family and friends to celebrate Christmas in style.  Also, with Valentines Day fast approaching, Novotel York Centre would make a perfect Valentines retreat for yourself and a loved one.

Recently, the hotel has carried out extensive quality refurbishment to the property providing guests with an even more fabulous experience.

Their reception area even has super sweetie shop style displays which is a very cool addition.

The newly renovated Junior Suite really is something else, a spacious open plan contemporary family hub to kick back and relax in as you plan all your amazing York adventures.

With a queen bed, desk, tea tray, iron, minibar with complimentary bottled water, Nespresso coffee machine, safe and hairdryer, you really do have all the modern conveniences.

There are two huge flat-screen televisions for viewing both in the bedroom and lounge.  Along with complimentary Wi-Fi access.

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My Best Manchester Hotels #Review

My Best Manchester Hotels – Review: December 2019

The 2019 Christmas Festive season is now in full flow, so why not treat yourself, head to Manchester for a well deserved break and enjoy an exciting range of Christmassy activities and entertainment options.

To enjoy Manchester to the maximum and in comfort, book into one of Manchester’s marvellous hotels.

Here are my best Manchester hotels in no particular order…

DoubleTree by Hilton® Hotel Manchester Piccadilly

The DoubleTree by Hilton® Hotel Manchester Piccadilly, is just a few minute’s walk from Manchester Piccadilly train station, so ideal to go from train to room in record time.

An exciting, electric and eclectic part of the city where you can even watch Manchester’s iconic yellow trams pass by.

Rooms provide a cosy base and hotel facilities include a gym, business facilities and the onsite Store Street Craft Bar and Store Street Exchange restaurant, whose tag line is ‘Exchange the ordinary for something Extraordinary’ and they are not wrong.

INNSiDE by Melia Manchester

Just a short walk away from Deansgate and Manchester Central, INNSIDE by Melia, is located in the vibrant and fabulous First Street development in the heart of Manchester city centre.

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Holiday in Style this Summer with Novotel Liverpool Centre #Review

Holiday in Style this Summer with Novotel Liverpool Centre Review: September 2019

Pride at Liverpool Novotel Centre is a fun time of the year and also the ideal time to book a stay at the hotel for a relaxing pre- holiday departure.

Book yourself a well-earned stay at the Novotel Liverpool Centre, avoid panic packing and that morning rush to the airport, as with the hotel is only around a 25-minute journey to Liverpool airport, so no need to stress about the last-minute dash through the traffic.

The Novotel offers relaxed executive accommodations with a snug bed and desk area.

Also, an open plan lounge some with views across the lovely Liverpool skyline.  Ours had a view of the amazing Liverpool Cathedral!

The Bathroom provides a cosy hub to pamper and you also receive a range of complimentary toiletries, so that can save more room for extra holiday souvenirs.

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The ibis Manchester Centre 96 Portland Street Hotel #Review

The ibis Manchester Centre 96 Portland Street Hotel Review: August 2019

Rock up to Marvellous Manchester, for a chic city break with friends, family or a loved one, and stay in the ibis Manchester Centre 96 Portland Street Hotel.  Located near Manchester Piccadilly train station, the Arndale shopping centre you are right in the heart of all the exciting city action.

Recently refurbished, the hotel’s lovely lobby provides a contemporary space to kick back and chill or a relaxed place to get out the laptop and work your way to the top.  Love the Manchester Bee wallpaper too.

The moment you arrive, the whole vibe is friendly, fab and warm, even as you wait for the lift you get a big beautiful textual hug, “From the heart is personal, a genuine one-off”.

ibis Manchester Centre 96 Portland Street Hotel Review 3a

Stay connected in your Sweetroom with free high-speed wifi, large 22-inch flat screen TV and unique USB charging hub.

The all new Double Sweetroom, provides a modern modular accommodation, with private bathroom including shower and mirrored sink area.

ibis Manchester Centre 96 Portland Street Hotel Review 4a

The main bedroom with splashes of colour vibes, blackout curtain, featured a super snug and cosy SweetBed, a desk area with complimentary tea and coffee making facilities.  The hotel kept us sweet with a fab welcome platter, packed with sweet treats such a lovely touch.

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24 Hours in Liverpool on a budget with Novotel Liverpool Centre #Review

24 Hours in Liverpool on a budget with Novotel Liverpool Centre – Review: June 2019

Novotel Liverpool Centre

Fancy a fabulous city break in Liverpool, that won’t break the bank, well the stylish Novotel Liverpool Centre may be 4 stars, but provides cosy accommodations with a reasonable price tag.

The great thing about this hotel is that they have a range of rooms to suit different budgets from standard to executive. So maybe with my money saving guide across the city, you will be able to treat yourself and upgrade.

Day 1

Our executive room offered a super snug bed with a brilliant functional desk / Vanity space.

Also, a cosy seating area with an amazing view of Liverpool cathedral.

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