29 May 2019

Outstanding among luxury five-star hotels in Ireland and set amidst one of the most scenic and historic estates in the country is The Powerscourt Hotel. I stayed here in March 2019 for the Travel Counsellors Gold Dinner and it was something very special. While it took us time to get to the hotel from Dublin, it was worth the wait. Rooms: The 194-bedroom seven-storey hotel, which was also recently named AA Hotel of the Year in 2015/16, has two championship golf courses, a 30,000 square-foot luxury spa, a fine-dining restaurant and its own traditional Irish pub. Service & facilities: Uniformly excellent: smart, courteous service at all times. The concierge is always on hand to offer local advice, and set up golf, archery, cycling, clay-pigeon shooting, and fishing (all local), plus excursions to the Wicklow uplands and coast. The smart and beautiful ESPA spa is the hotel’s stand-out asset. It’s enormous, ranging over two floors and opening onto the hotel gardens - but intimate and relaxing too, and decorated in soothing shades of cream and muted gold. There's an excellent gym, 24-metre pool (its tiled floor studded with Swarovski crystals), hammam suite, and a impressively wide range of treatments - plus a Spa Café, and a delightful relaxation room with wide views of the Wicklow landscape. Access for guests with disabilities: Powerscourt is fully accessible; and features four fully adapted bedrooms. Family-friendly: Plenty of safe space for rambling, plus a playground in the garden; with kids’ clubs and activities in school holidays; and children’s menus. But do note that the pool is open to children during strictly limited periods only. Experience The Powerscourt Hotel for yourself by calling me on 0113 834 5020.

23 May 2011

I have a son who is 19 and a daughter who is 16. To celebrate my daughters 16th birthday we decided to take her to Paris and Disneyland Paris to celebrate. We stayed two nights in Novotel Paris Les Halles, which is set in the heart of historical Paris next to a gorgeous Parisian park complete with underground shopping and leisure area. The hotel is the ideal starting point to discover Paris and the French way of life with it being at the crossroads of 8 underground "subway and RER" lines (with Disneyland Paris less than an hour away on one of the direct RER train lines). It would also be perfect for a business trip with these great transport links. Both Charles De Gaulle and Orly airports are only 40 minutes away on the RER train and the hotel is within walking distance from famous landmarks such as Notre Dame, the Louvre Museum, the modern Pompidou Centre and the banks of the Seine. Châtelet-Les-Halles, which continues to be known today as the Heart of Paris, is the right place to be for all Paris lovers - Definatley worth a visit for business or pleasure! This standard hotel is great for families wanting to take in Paris and Disneyland Paris for a few nights, it was our first time to Paris and we all said we would definitely go again.

23 May 2011

Clube Praia da Oura is perfectly positioned on the Praia da Oura - the golden beach of Albufeira in the Algarve. The resort consists of 564 self-catering apartments, all with amazing views out over the Atlantic Ocean or the lush tropical gardens and pools. Clube Praia da Oura ticks all the perfect holiday boxes. The facilities include, and adults swimming pool, a children's pool, a sauna, jacuzzis, restaurants, bars, a bowling green and much more. The staff are lovely and remember you each time you go there, nothing is too much trouble for them so it does not surprise me that people do go back year after year !!