Long time, no blog post is an understatement. It's been over 2 years since my last blog post, and while I'm not entirely sure if blogs are still a thing people enjoy, I've certainly missed writing posts, so I thought I'd revive this little corner of the internet, and what better post to come back with then a roundup of a few of my most recent favourite hotels. There's nothing I love more than finding a gorgeous new hotel, and these three really impressed me, so without further ado, here they are...
Hotel MOTTO, Vienna:
We visited Vienna for the first time back in March, and during my research for the trip I came across Hotel MOTTO, a boutique hotel with gorgeous interiors and the perfect location (it actually sits right on top of a metro stop).
Location:
Hotel MOTTO is located in the Laimgrube neighbourhood of the city and is just on the corner of the main shopping street, 'Mariahilfer Straße', which you can walk down (for about 15 minutes) to get straight into the heart of the city. Even though it's quite a busy street, with lots of people shopping and walking about during the day, the hotel rooms are lovely and quiet, which is great because while it's nice to be in the thick of it all, I still like a quiet hotel room. As I mentioned above, an entrance to the Neubaugasse metro stop was just under the hotel, which we found very handy for hopping on the metro to get around the city.
I booked a Deluxe room, and as soon as I opened the door, I instantly knew it would be one of my top 5 most favourite hotel rooms that I've stayed in. Every little detail had been thought of and perfected, from gorgeous printed fabric that covered the headboard and wardrobe, to the most stunning claw foot bathtub. Speaking of the wardrobe, it was nice and big, with more than enough hangers (something that's so rare in hotels these days), so we were able to fully unpack and also store our suitcases in the wardrobe too, and since we were there for 4 nights, this was ideal.
Overall:
We had such a great stay in Hotel MOTTO and if you're thinking of booking a trip to Vienna, then I'd highly recommend staying here. There's a restaurant on the top floor with incredible views, and I think since we have visited they have opened their rooftop bar too. Every single member of staff we encountered could not have been more helpful or friendly. Make sure you also check out MOTTO Brot, the bakery attached to the hotel, they do the most delicious pastries and breads!
The Hoxton Southwark, London:
I am a big fan of The Hoxton hotels, and having stayed in the Amsterdam location for my birthday last year (a trip I will definitely have to write a post about soon as I have so many more recommendations to share), my expectations for the Southwark location in London were high. Thankfully, it did not disappoint and lived up to all of my expectations of The Hoxton brand.
Location:
When I was first looking at booking The Hoxton, Southwark, I wasn't sure if it would be central enough, and if we'd feel like we were miles from the heart of the city, but with Southwark tube station a 2 minute walk from the hotel, it was actually perfect. It's also only a 10 minute walk along the Thames to the Millennium Bridge (and of course the Tate Modern and The Globe Theatre in that area too), and less than a 10 minute walk to Waterloo Station which we took advantage of and got the train over to Staines to go to Thorpe Park for the day). Long story short, I think it's the perfect base for a trip to London!
The Room:
Like with all of The Hoxton hotels, the room was gorgeous, with wood paneling on the walls, clever use of space, a nice big smart tv and a rainfall shower. We booked a Cosy room, which was a little small, but perfect since we were out all day anyway, but one thing I will say is that in hindsight, I would definitely have booked the room up from that (Roomy). We are very used to our king sized bed at home, so the queen sized bed in the Cosy room felt just a tiny bit too small, but that's just personal preference I guess!
Overall:
As I mentioned above, if you're looking for the perfect base for your trip to London, and love a laid back, chill hotel vibe, then The Hoxton, Southwark is perfect. There is a seafood restaurant on the roof of the hotel called Seabird, which has the most incredible, almost 360 degree views of the London skyline, and while we didn't eat there during our stay, I have only ever heard rave reviews about it.
The Mayson, Dublin:
Back in June I was lucky enough to be invited by The Mayson to stay in one of their beautiful Townhouse Suites, and 3 months later I am still thinking about how beautiful the room was, and how much I miss their heated outdoor pool!
Location:
The Mayson is located right next door to the 3Arena in Dublin, so it's the perfect place to stay for the night if you're going to a gig there. We actually went to see one of my favourite bands, Foals, in Fairview Park the night we stayed which was less than a 10 minute drive away, so it was ideal for us.
The Room:
I adore the 'heritage' style of interiors, and The Mayson gets it spot on with their Townhouse rooms. There were so many details in this room that I want to recreate in my own bedroom. The copper roll-top bath had to be one of my most favourite features. All of the rooms in The Mayson have a Dyson hairdryer, a turntable (with records in the lobby that you can choose from and bring up to your room) and a Marshall speaker, and I think it's the details like these that really set this hotel apart from others in Dublin city. There are also Warehouse rooms, which have more of an industrial, NYC kind of vibe, and I think the next time I stay in The Mayson, I'm definitely going to book one of the Warehouse Suites.
Overall:
I think one of my favourite parts of The Mayson has to be the heated outdoor pool and sauna. We checked out of our room and headed down there for a few hours of relaxation and it was pure bliss, I honestly could have stayed there all day. We also ate dinner in Elephant & Castle, one of the restaurants in the hotel (there's also Ryleigh’s Steakhouse on the roof of the hotel too), and I finally got to try their famous chicken wings and they did not disappoint. If you're heading to a gig soon (and like myself, don't live in Dublin and have to drive almost 2 hours home afterwards), then I'd definitely recommend treating yourself to a stay here.
Well it only took me over 2 years to actually write a new blog post, but we did it Joe! I hope you enjoyed it, and hopefully it's not another 2 years before I write the next one. If there's anything you'd like to see in particular on here (be it city guides, or book reviews etc), then please do feel free to pop me a message over on Instagram! Thanks so much for reading.
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