[GIFTED] Accommodation at City Nites in return for a blog post review.

One of the things that's always on my December to-do list is a Christmas market. It's one of my favourite things to do around the festive season and it's actually been years since I last checked out the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market, 'the largest authentic German market outside of Germany and Austria' (Visit Birmingham). Before the chaos of Christmas commenced I headed over to Birmingham for a festive getaway, thanks to City Nites. City Nites are 1&2 bed serviced apartments in the heart of the Birmingham city centre. 

The stylish serviced apartments are over the road from the Birmingham Arena and just a 15 minute from the city centre, making it a great spot to stay when visiting this thriving place in the UK. Birmingham attracts over 41 million visitors a year, with just over 1 million of these being international visitors. It has an incredible amount of things to do and see, their hotspot for shopping, the Bullring is one of the largest shopping centres in Europe. Not only that but there's 50 festivals there each year and they are playing host to the Commonwealth Games in 2022. It's a great city with so much to offer. 

I've got a previous blog post with ideas for what to do and see in this city, read 24 Hours in Birmingham.

The City Nites apartments all come equipped with a fully functioning kitchen, free Wi-Fi and washer/dryers, making your stay as comfortable and practical as possible. We stayed in a 1-bed apartment within the Area View Apartments. It was a spacious apartment, with a fantastic bathroom and large bed for us to sink into after a long day walking around Birmingham. The apartment looked tired as we noticed a few of the interiors were worn and damaged which was a shame. Another thing we did notice was that our complimentary Wi-Fi didn't work, this would be something to consider should you be visiting City Nites apartment for a business trip. It didn't phase us too much as our visit was for leisure but could be inpractical for those relying on good Wi-Fi if they're working during their stay at City Nites. During our stay we definitely felt safe and secure in our apartment and was able to get a quiet night's sleep, even with a main road into the city centre right outside our window. 



There is parking available for guests staying at City Nites, it was £10 and available for 24 hours which is fab if you are hoping to have a mooch around the city before heading home. It's secure parking too which definitely puts your mind at ease when you are in your apartment or in the Birmingham city. 

Prices here range from approx £52-85. It's a fantastic price in consideration to the prices at similar apartments and hotels in and around the city. City Nites is definitely ideal for those looking for affordable acommodation in Birmingham.

You can find out more about City Nites by visiting their website here. 

[AD] Collaboration with Darwin Escapes.

Photo Credit: Carpe Diem Emmie

There's definitely something about finding the perfect dog-friendly holiday in the UK that can be quite difficult. We went on a 2 hour 30-minute drive from Leicestershire to one of my favourite spots in the country, Bath, for a holiday that was certainly needed. 

Darwin Escapes is a British based company that is fast expanding and currently provides 22 handpicked UK holiday destinations. Each holiday is designed to have its own unique character to ensure they can provide a wide variety of customers with the perfect setting for their holiday. 19 of the resorts offer accommodation options made up of traditional static caravans, quirky beach huts, treehouse accommodation and luxury hot tub lodges. 

Around 8 of the Darwin Escapes also provide Dog-Friendly Holidays and Accommodation in the UK. You can experience gorgeous spots in the UK like the Lake District and Somerset whilst bringing your four-legged friend for the journey. A change in circumstances meant we needed to take my mum's rescue dog on her first holiday and our trip with Darwin Escapes made it stress-free and an enjoyable weekend away in one of my favourite spots in the UK. 

Other providers offer second-rate accommodation when a dog is in attendance but not with Darwin Escapes. Their dog-friendly lodges are no different to the rest, there is still Wi-Fi, modern kitchen and cosy lounges and some even have private outdoor hot tubs. Our lodge was pretty secure too with a sturdy gate and fenced balcony meaning you could allow your dog to explore with ease and in safety around your property. 

We stayed at the gorgeous Bath Mill Lodge Retreat and it was one of the best places we've stayed in this year. The resident cat, Murphy is cute too! This place is most definitely the perfect alternative to a Bath city break as it's situated just a couple of miles outside of the city centre in the beautiful Somerset countryside. You take a long and winding drive up to the retreat where you can enjoy on-site facilities like the bar and restaurant and a small gym. It seems that the bar and restaurant is popular with guests as it was very busy on the weekend of our visit.

The sign-in process at Bath Mill Lodge Retreat is very prompt and friendly - we also found our lodge very quickly, which is useful when you've been driving for 3 hours and you're desperate for a cuppa! The lodge we were staying in was just beyond the entrance to the lodges meaning we had an easy route in and out of the park.  

Our lodge for the weekend was incredibly spacious with an open planned and fresh design. The lodge had two bedrooms, both of which had their own TV with Freeview, one of the bedrooms came with an en-suite and fantastic storage space for your belongings. We had everything we needed for our weekend in the kitchen, including a dishwasher, grill and oven making it really easy for self-catering options. We personally loved being able to rustle up a full-English breakfast in the mornings on this trip and enjoy cooking dinner in the evenings. The living room space is open plan with the kitchen, dining and lounge all in one area. It didn't feel cramped and we both complimented on how cosy and warm it became. Ideal as the weather wasn't great for the entire weekend but we enjoyed being able to just hide in the lodge - and not regret that choice!

I slept in the master bedroom for our trip and it was heavenly - even more so when I could hear the rain hit at the windows. The bed itself was incredibly comfy (and Millie thought so too!)

For a dog-friendly holiday, Bath Mill Lodge Retreat is perfect. We have a nervous SBT so taking her on her first holiday came with a lot of anxiety whether it would cater to her. We were impressed! We managed to find a break in the weather to walk along the Newton Brook (this leads directly into the city) and surrounding areas around the park. It's a gorgeous scenic walk and the perfect time to see Autumn emerge amongst the trees and many plants. We also noted that the staff were incredibly friendly to Millie and even gave her a handful of treats whilst we enjoyed a drink after our walk, which I know she loved!

As mentioned Bath Mill Lodge Retreat is in perfect location for a day trip into Bath which I took total advantage of! It was 10 minutes in the car and I got straight onto the Bath Hop On Hop Off Tour leaving the dog with Jordan at the lodge whilst I enjoyed exploring the historic city on my own. At £15 and valid for 24 hours, it meant you could travel the city at your own pace. 

AD – Complimentary stay at Hilton St George's Park in return for an honest review.

Nestled within the National Forest is the breathtaking Hilton at St George's Park in Burton upon Trent. Known for its first class sports, conference and events facilities, it's also a fantastic place to enjoy for a short getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It's located close to the M1, M6 and M42 making it a good spot to be able to locate. It only took us around 40 minutes from our location in Leicestershire to get to. 

The hotel is a incredibly spacious facility with an onsite restaurant, lounge, coffee shop, health club and spa. We visited on what was quite a busy day for the hotel, but this didn't halt our experience too much and we were still able to enjoy all of the facilities the Hilton at St George's Park during our stay. 

Our room for the night was a King Deluxe Room which was a large room with a king-sized bed, deluxe amenities and we were in luck with a gorgeous view overlooking the National Forest. Waking up to see those breathtaking views of the British countryside was a winner alone! Our room offered us with a great desk space to work from using the complimentary WiFi which worked like a dream during our stay. Other features of the room included a robe and slipper, a luxurious bathroom with a stand-alone shower, a bathtub and premium bath products. In the room we also had a fantastic LCD TV where we could unwind at the end of the day and enjoy whatever was on the stations. 

The bed itself in the hotel was incredibly comfortable and very soft. We thought the room was incredibly spacious and well air-conditioned for the warmer summer evenings. 

We made time to check out the hotel's spa facilities and were really impressed with what they had to offer. Their pool is a decent size with a Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and foot spa jets for you to indulge in. We definitely enjoyed a quick swim and the spa facilities before getting ready for dinner. The only downside was we visited during peak time so there was children messing around, therefore I would recommend that you ask the staff when is best to enjoy the facilities if you want it to be more peaceful.

It wasn't long before it was time for us to head to the restaurant and enjoy some dinner. When making your booking for the hotel I would recommend making a reservation for the restaurant at the same time. We were told the restaurant was full so was planning to eat our dinner amongst a lot of people who were watching a football game in The Cross Bar, it wouldn't have been as enjoyable so we were glad the team were able to move us into the restaurant for dinner.


The restaurant at St George's Park offers a fantastic dining experience with views over the Staffordshire countryside. Their menu features expertly prepared, modern iconic cooking that changes along with the seasons, served within stylish and welcoming surroundings. Their menu is extensive with lots for you to get stuck in, we definitely had burger fever for our trip as we both decided to try out one of these!

For starters I tried the Whitby Cod, Prawn n Chorizo Croquettes with a chilli jam dip. The flavour of these croquettes really impressed me as it was something new for me. The flavours from the cod and prawn were really developed thanks to the chorizo. The dip was super nice too! Jordan seemed to enjoy his Spicy Breaded Chicken Wings as they weren't on his plate for long!

My burger was the Buttermilk Chicken Burger; two fillets of buttermilk chicken were stacked between the soft bun with salad and chipotle mayo. It was really delicious and the buttermilk chicken was cooked exactly how I would have wanted it to be. It wasn't too crispy or too soft. Jordan on the other hand tucked into the Dirty Burger which looked pretty damn tasty too!

Our stay at the Hilton at St George's Park was comfortable, we slept really well during our stay and would definitely visit here again. The surroundings are gorgeous for this hotel and it offers everything, and more for a pleasant stay.

If you'd like to book a stay at this hotel you can book via email stgeorgespark.reservations@hilton.com or call their sales team Mon-Fri on 01283 576615.

DISCLAIMER: This post is written after a complimentary stay at the hotel. All opinions are my own and not influenced by the hotel.

I haven't had much opportunity to visit Oxfordshire since my last visit in 2017.  However, it's one of my favourite places in the UK and I was delighted when I was gifted a stay in The Feathers Hotel recently. It was a great opportunity to head back to the area and see what this hotel had to offer for a perfect getaway in the area.

The Feathers Hotel is a 17rh century house that has been transformed into a place that oozes boutique living and chic decor. The independent hotel is situated in the historic town of Woodstock in Oxfordshire. It sits in the heart of the village; a bustling high street full of independent pubs and shops for you to check out. Although The Feathers doesn't have its own on-site car park, there is plenty of on-street parking available for its guests.  

It sits in a fantastic location and creates fantastic opportunities for the guests to make the most of the places of interest surrounding the Woodstock area. The city of Oxford (27 minutes by car), Blenheim Palace (11 minute walk) and Bicester Village, an ideal place for retail therapy, is just 26 minutes by car from the hotel. 

The Feathers Hotel itself has a lot to offer you. There are over 21 contemporary and spacious rooms on offer in the hotel, making it the perfect place to unwind and relax after a day of exploring in and around the area. From the outside, the hotel looks small and almost cramped but it's deceiving because inside it's incredibly spacious and comfortable. There's a fantastic selection of 16 rooms as well as 5 luxurious suites to choose from. Each of the room in the Woodstock accommodation has its own unique charm and generous surroundings. 

All of the rooms come with a telephone, dedicated housekeeping, room service, complimentary WIFI, flat screen LCD TVs, complimentary water and Tea/Coffee tray, a hairdryer, crisp cotton sheets and luxurious toiletries to enjoy within the modern ensuites. You also have use of an iron and ironing board available should you need it. The Feathers Hotel also offers multiple dog friendly rooms making it a definite consideration for dog owners looking for a dog friendly hotel in Woodstock. 

We were kindly gifted a night in the featured suite with lounge for our visit and we weren't disappointed. Our room had a dining area, a lounge and a separate sleeping area to escape into at the end of the day. The sleeping area and lounge are separated by sliding doors, creating privacy should you use your suite to entertain other guests. There is a separate bathroom available in the suite too. 

It wasn't long before we headed on down to the restaurant to enjoy some food cooked by Chef Ben Bullen. The menu here isn't extensive and it doesn't need to be as their options execute a variety of dining requirements. There are around a dozen options for the main course and six for both starters and desserts. Everything on that menu stood out to me one way or another. 

The restaurant offers fine-dining and is based on seasonal cuisine and using fresh local produce. There is clear thought into how the menu has been formed and resulting in a fantastic meal that really filled me up! 

Recently on our road trip to the Cotswolds, we were able to take full advantage of exploring the area and head on into Bath. Bath is the largest city within the county of Somerset and is mostly known for its history and culture. There is also an incredible amount of independent shops and cafes making it a hotspot for people from around the UK and beyond to visit.

We were lucky enough to explore the city for a day and even more so when I recently won a competition on Twitter to visit the Thermae Bath Spa with a 3-hour session pass. 

Thermae Bath Spa is an award-winning natural spa in the heart of the city centre where you can bathe in Bath's only naturally warm, mineral-rich waters. It's how the Celts and Romans would have done over 2,000 years ago. It's really quite the grand spa and has everything you need in one place for a relaxing retreat whilst within the city. It's also super easy to locate in the city, about a 7 minute walk from Bath Abbey. 

There are lots to enjoy here like the open-air rooftop pool with breathtaking views over the city of Bath. You can also refresh all of your senses in the spa's Wellness Suite and there are over 40 spa treatments and packages for you to choose from.

We arrived at the spa for our 3-hour session just before 10:30am and the staff were extremely attentive to getting us checked in and prepared for our break as soon as possible. We were given a quick introduction to what's available to us and where everything was situated as well as how to use our smart bands, an excellent electronic device to activate our lockers. We were also handed our free robe, slippers and towel hire as part of our visit but these are included as part of a Thermae Welcome package. The changing facilities in the spa are spacious and enough privacy available for you to get changed. The electronic locker keys were easy to use and it wasn't long before we were off into the spa to enjoy what we could with the time we had.

I loved heading up to the open-air rooftop pool where it was lovely and warm and the views overlooking Bath were really quite something. If you haven't visited Bath before it gave for superb panoramic views of the city from the luxury of a pool. We did quickly discover the popularity of the spa as it was definitely busier than we had expected it to be so meant we needed to navigate around quite a few people when we were using the range of facilities.

Photo Credit: Visit Bath

Photo Credit: Thermae Bath Spa website

On the lowest floor of the spa was another pool, surrounded by comfortable seats and an overwhelming sense of calm. Me and Jordan particularly enjoyed the opportunity for a short swim in the warm water before relaxing in the bubbles of the small jacuzzi situated at the bottom of the pool.

We also checked out the spa's Wellness Suite on Level 2 and indulged in the state-of-the-art experiences in which they had to offer. If you visit The New Royal Bath (Main Spa) then you have full use of the Wellness Suite facilities. There were 6 different areas to enjoy and something that will suit everyone's needs. I was disappointed to find that some of the facilities in this area weren't working on our visit so we were unable to experience those but the ones we did didn't disappoint.



One of my favourite parts in the Wellness Suite included the Celestial Relaxation Room. This room presents visitors another dimension with twinkling lights, five heated loungers, warm fragrant air, and calming sounds. I loved the calming atmosphere presented to me by all of the elements and the visual input from space imagery was really effective in making me feel zen here.

Another space I enjoyed within the suite was the Roman-inspired Steam Room, a place with captures Bath's rich Roman history.  In the room is hand-crafted, traditional stone seating and columns, and upon the end of the room is a mosaic of Sulis Minerva. The steam within the room is infused with the stimulating aroma of botanicals and flowers. The scents within the room were really uplifting and the heat of the room wasn't too overwhelming and it was a really nice room to enjoy.

You can find out more about the other rooms within the Wellness Suite here.

Photo Credit: Bath Thermae Spa website

Photo Credit: Bath Thermae Spa website

The spa also has the added facilities of a restaurant Springs Cafe Restaurant where you can dine and enjoy a drink during your visit. As well as this there is the Cross Bath, although access to this I believe is at an additional cost.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Thermae Spa and it was great fun to experience another spa outside of the ones I have been to within the Midlands. The facilities are exceptional and there is an integration of the city's history that works so well.

You can experience the spa in a Thermae Welcome. With this comes a 2-hour spa session and use of a towel, robe and slippers. Prices for this within the New Royal Bath range between £36-40. You can find out more on their website here.


If you enjoyed reading this post then you may also enjoy reading my spa experience at Eden Hall, Nottinghamshire.