Hotel - House Of Coco Magazine

Hotels & Spas January 31, 2024

Hotel review: London’s Amano Covent Garden is a great place to stay in 2024

Hotel openings are second to none in London – fitting for a city that attracts the millions of tourists that the UK capital does. Arriving in the West End at the end of 2022, Hotel Amano as firmly cemented itself as a trendy spot to stay when in the city and comes complete with contemporary interiors and a moody ambience.

Complete with its own immersive restaurant – plus a rooftop bar, which offers gorgeous London views, Hotel Amano has good reason to be on your radar the next time you book somewhere to stay in the capital. From the gorgeous gold bathtub (which has no doubt graced your feeds on Instagram and TikTok) to the brass chandeliers and risqué artwork, if you’re not already convinced, continue reading to see why this you should stay in this hotel during your next trip to London.

hotel amano visit london covent garden review — Why not book Hotel Amano in Covent Garden for your next trip to London?

Hotel rooms at Amano

There’s a large selection of room typs at Hotel Amano, meaning whether you’re looking for a snug space to stay overnight or more space for a longer trip, this boutique hotel can cater to everyone’s needs. From ‘cosy’ and ‘comfy’ rooms to ‘roomy’ and ‘roomy plus’, whatever your preferred bed size, Hotel Amano has you covered. For anyone looking for an extra air of luxury added to your trip, the ‘goldy’ is an essential booking – as there’s nothing quite as aesthetically pleasing and opulent as a gold bath tub and shower.

Amanogroup.com

Food and drink at Amano

Penelope’s

An Israeli-Spanish fusion restaurant, Penelope’s serves up innovative dishes for its diners. With an extensive cocktail and wine list, the premium plates we recommend would have to include the nduja pork belly and the black challa calamari (this might be the tastiest calamari we’ve had in London). The beef short rib is an excellent main course – while the ‘seafood on fire’ makes for an impressive dish if you’re looking for some dinner theatre.

hotel amano penelopes restaurant food dinner — Penelope’s at Hotel Amano offers dinner and a show

Speaking of dinner and a show, Penelope’s is known for its sophisticated decor, which provides a glamorous ambience. As well as contemporary dishes, the dining experience itself is immersive – particularly come the weekend, when the restaurant hosts its famous Isramani nights. You’ve not been to a dinner party like it, with sparkler-garnished cocktails, shots straight from the bottle and belly dancers galore.

Amanogroup.com

Amano Rooftop Bar

London knows a thing or two about a rooftop bar – and the terrace at Hotel Amano Covent Garden offers a gorgeous skyline view as you sit back and sip a cocktail. A unique panorama of the city, it’s the perfect place for an aperitif or post-dinner drinks. For anyone who needs a snack with their drink (our hands are raised), there’s a selection of bar bites available (coming from the kitchen at Penelope’s) so you can enjoy that gorgeous black challah calamari alongside your cocktail.

hotel amano rooftop bar london — Hotel Amano also has a hidden rooftop terrace bar

Overall, Hotel Amano is perfectly-located the for typical tourist or traveller visiting London. In the heart of the West End, the hotel is just a five-minute walk from Covent Garden tube station (seven minutes from Holborn and 10 minutes from Temple). In addition to good transport links, guests will find themselves literally nextdoor to attractions such as the Lyceum Theatre, the Royal Opera House, London Transport Museum and a short stroll from Leicester Square. If Penelope’s isn’t the preferred dining choice, guests are spoiled for choice with restaurants and bars in the West End.

The hotel is a small boutique style – so if you’re looking for somewhere with a spa, gym and the whole works, Hotel Amano might not be for you. However, what this hotel does deliver is gorgeous decor, comfortable beds in stylish rooms, good food and a rooftop bar – on the doorstep of one of the most popular areas of London. So, what are you waiting for?

Book your stay at Hotel Amano here

Travel January 18, 2024

Escape To The Maynard in The Peak District

Escape To The Maynard in The Peak District is exactly what our girl, Rachel McAlley did. She fancied a little January weekend away, and the Peak District had been put on her radar by some friends. Only a couple of hours drive from her home in North Yorkshire she packed up her family in the car and set off for a few days in Derbyshire.

The Peak District National Park is extremely picturesque, filled with hills and green spaces for miles. It’s a great place for walkers and cyclists as it’s got some excellent bespoke walks and paths for bikes. There’s plenty to see and do, like visit Chatsworth House, or the quaint town of Bakewell.

They Maynard from above — Escape To The Maynard in The Peak District – The Maynard Aerial View

We stayed at the recently revamped The Maynard Hotel, in Grindleford, which is situated in the Hope Valley. A gorgeous 3* Hotel that is 165 years old, which offers boutique-style accommodation and has an excellent onsite restaurant.

Restaurant Lower Floor — Upper Floor Restaurant

Escape To The Maynard in The Peak District

After our drive, which took in Meadowhall Shopping Centre, and Sheffield city centre, we checked in at around 6pm and the bar and restaurant were already buzzing with drinkers and diners.

You’d be mistaken if you thought January was going to be quiet at The Maynard. The restaurant is currently offering customers 30% off all meals from the main menu (Monday to Saturday until 29th Feb excluding Valentine’s Day), and every table was busy enjoying this great offer.

Our family room was located on the 2nd floor, and we embarked up the steps with our luggage. The first-floor landing has the most beautiful ornate window, and the décor of the whole hotel is beautifully put together. Rustic and charming with some wonderful contemporary additions.

We had a huge room with loads of space, perfect for my family of three. With two separate bedrooms and a large bathroom, complete with massive bath we unpacked and descended the stairs to dinner in the restaurant.

After checking out the menu, we ordered the hummus and baba ganoush with artisan breads, twice-baked cheddar cheese souffle with Hartington stilton sauce, and wild mushroom soup as starters. Our mains included roasted vegetable and quinoa salad with satay chicken skewers, bacon and cheese burger in a pretzel bun with triple-cooked chips, and chicken supreme with dauphinoise potatoes, spinach and bacon cream sauce. The desserts we chose were, apple, cinnamon and golden syrup sponge pudding, pavlova with mulled plums and Chantilly cream, plus a scoop of orange sorbet.

Pavlova with mulled Plums — Pavlova wth Mulled Plums

It’s good to note here that almost everything on the menu is Gluten Free, or can be made GF. This is because the Managing Director, Rob Hattersley is coeliac, and the Executive Head Chef, Adrian Gagea and the Head Chef, Greg Robinson have adapted the dishes to be naturally GF. This is a great additional pull for many people as the food is all created fresh in-house and everything is completely adaptable for any kind of food intolerance.

Everything we ate was delicious, and sourced locally, but the outstanding dishes were the cheese soufflé (the best I have ever eaten), the homemade mushroom soup, the chicken supreme, and finally the pavlova with divine mulled plums. We were insanely full after each having 3-courses, stuffed you might even say!

The atmosphere in the restaurant was excellent, the staff were attentive and knowledgeable, and everyone was friendly including both staff and customers.

We ventured up the stairs (which were quite difficult after the amount of food we’d consumed), and literally collapsed on to the bed. After a little Saturday night TV, we fiddled with the futon (which wasn’t the most comfortable bed) for our daughter, and then climbed into our super comfy king-sized bed and happily slept until morning.

Escape To The Maynard in The Peak District

Up early and opening the hotel room curtains to see lots of sunshine over the Peak District hills, and plenty of walkers already out walking with their dogs. It was really nice to see people enjoying the area around the hotel taking a brisk walk on a Sunday morning.

Breakfast beckoned and we strolled down to the restaurant where we enjoyed a lovely, hearty full English, sausage sandwich, and salmon with scrambled eggs and cream cheese muffin. Plenty of coffee, tea, and juice later and we were ready to check out and head to our next port of call.

I must give an extra special mention to the outstanding black pudding that came with the full English, as my fiancé drooled over every mouthful and said it was the best he’d ever tasted.

The reception team were lovely to deal with, happy to answer any questions I had about the local area, and eager to ask about our meal the night before. It’s always a pleasure to tell the reception staff how amazing the food is, especially when it’s as good as it is at The Maynard.

The family room we stayed in was priced at around £135 for our family of three and included breakfast. Dinner was priced individually and our meal plus drinks came to £97, this included the 30% new year discount offer.

After leaving The Maynard we headed to Bakewell (just 15 minutes away) to pick up a famous Bakewell Tart to take home, and enjoyed an afternoon shopping and walking on the riverside before driving home to North Yorkshire.

Huge thanks to the entire team at The Maynard for making us feel extremely welcome, and the hospitality was second to none.

Here are the details to visit The Maynard to book a room in the hotel or a table in the restaurant.

Where are you planning on visiting in 2024? Escape To The Maynard in The Peak District words by Rachel McAlley.

Travel December 20, 2023

Wake up here hotel review – Introducing you to the Polurrian on the Lizard on the Cornish coast.

After what had been somewhat of a hectic year, the invitation to visit the Polurrian on the Lizard on the Cornish coast was swiftly taken up. It promised a relaxing pre-Christmas sojourn which was very much needed.

This contemporary Cornish retreat in a spectacular clifftop setting was over four hours from where I lived, but the lure of the Cornish coastline and some serious R&R made me not hesitate to say yes to the Polurrian on the Lizard. Set in 12 acres of mature cliff-top gardens, this luxury seaside hotel offers the most exceptional far-reaching views across Mount’s Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and even on a slightly overcast November day, it makes for a truly mesmerising view.

Nestled on the Lizard peninsula, the hotel sits on the most south-westerly point of England on the western side of the peninsula, just outside of the sleepy fishing village of Mullion along the South West Coastal Path. Venture to the back of the hotel past the pretty gardens, and guests can wander down to Polurrian Cove, a secluded beach which is one of the best in this region.

As one of the oldest hotels on the peninsula, the Polurrian on the Lizard attracts both holiday makers and locals who use the spa and restaurant facilities. It has an impressive heritage and has previously welcomed illustrious guests such as Clark Gable in the distant past.

One of its standout features is the expansive and contemporary conservatory which has floor-to-ceiling windows which invite you to gaze upon the stunning coastline whilst enjoying lunch, dinner or even afternoon tea. The vibe is very much laidback but luxurious and it’s really easy to feel completely at home at the Polurrian.

We stayed at the brand new Island Suite at the Polurrian on the Lizard, which was located at the back of the main building with two separate entrances, three bedrooms and one incredible hot tub which almost made it impossible to never leave!

This new suite is suitable for friends, couples, families and comes not only with a fabulous hot tub to while away the hours, but your own unique transportation to boot. This came in the shape of a ‘NoSmoke’ electric buggy which is a fun yet sustainable way of exploring this gorgeous area of Cornwall. It’s very much ‘on road’ and you can drive this vintage style buggy out of the grounds and into the nearby village and down to the beach.

The suite has a separate kitchenette which is ideal if you want to do some light cooking or meal prep either before or after a serious day’s sightseeing. Having flexible accommodation is really helpful as is having two bathrooms and a separate toilet, especially if there’s a group staying with you. Ideal for those bringing pups or children, the hotel can provide guests with all those much-needed equipped essentials like changing mats, nappy bins and bed guards, should you need them.

Whilst it’s not aimed at the super luxurious market, the aesthetics are rustic yet simple and it makes for a really comfortable stay.

The main draw is the hot tub which we took advantage of every day and night during our stay. It was the perfect place to retreat to with a glass of fizz after our long journey and got us in the mood for dinner which was served at the hotel’s Polurrian restaurant. The décor embodies a classy aesthetic with sleek lines, muted colour palettes, and luxurious textures giving it a real modern meets vintage vibe that is sophisticated yet laid back.

A simple, but delicious menu, guests can choose from starters like a terrine, soup or mussels for a starter, steak, fish & chips, turkey or similar for a main course and a lovely selection of desserts which includes a sumptuous strawberry cheesecake.

Both dinner and breakfast were served up by friendly and efficient staff who clearly took pride in their work. The staff throughout our stay were nothing short of superb and made every effort to ensure our trip was nothing short of special.

Cocktail fans will love the chilled vibes of the Vista Lounge which serves up an impressive selection of delicious cocktails and wines.

As this trip was all about rest and relaxation on the Cornish coast, we simply had to take advantage of the hotel’s spa facilities which includes a 30 ft indoor swimming pool and hot tub. We also indulged in a spa treatment each at the brilliant Elemis spa which included one of the best facials that I have ever had. The therapists took every care and my skin looked the best it had looked in ages. The Island Suite also has Elemis toiletries for guests to use for the duration of their stay.

For a pre or post Christmas treat, the Polurrian on the Cornish coast offers a real oasis of calm and the Island Suite is a fantastic option to enjoy a seriously chilled out break with 24 hour access to your own personal hot tub at any time you want to use it.

Check in from £159 per night

Restaurants & Bars December 6, 2023

How Does a Hotel Get Five Stars?

While there is no universal hotel rating agency, all five-star hotels share certain commonalities and offer a truly stunning guest experience. The next time you are looking for a five-star hotel, keep an eye out for these offerings!

Amenities on Top of Amenities

At a budget-friendly three-star hotel, you are lucky to get a gym and maybe a swimming pool. This is not the case at five-star hotels. You can find everything you could possibly want, from massive fitness centres with every piece of equipment known to man to spa facilities where every type of treatment is on the menu. Some five-star hotels even have their very own casinos.

Casinos take many forms and offer a wide range of different vibes. There’s the kind that most people think of when they hear “casino” – where you throw on your tuxedo or ball gown and play some high-stakes baccarat. But casinos today are just as likely to be online, offering an experience to those who don’t necessarily want to get dressed up to the nines. If you’re looking for a more private experience you can access the full range of casino games online. With themed titles like Big Bass Bonanza, some online casinos have even more slots than brick-and-mortar ones. Not all in-person hotel casinos are the high-end kind, either – some of the land-based ones have themes and will take you on luxurious journeys to Venice or Lake Como.

Stunning Architecture

Five-star hotels are often located in historical buildings with gorgeous facades or, on the other end of the spectrum, are brand-new and have been designed by leading architects. If you enjoy cutting-edge design, then you need to stay at the ME Dubai Hotel, designed by Zaha Hadid, which looks like a giant glass letter H.

Five-star hotels don’t just have impressive exteriors, their lobbies just ooze luxury and are littered with designer furniture and often employ the highest quality materials. Don’t be surprised if everything is decked out in marble! And, of course, the rooms are equipped with top-of-the-line beds and beautifully designed bathrooms and are composed to ensure you have a comfortable stay.

Award Winning Dining Options

Do you love nothing more than a grass-fed ribeye, or are you more into bluefin tuna sashimi? Five-star hotels typically have multiple restaurants located at the property. These restaurants specialise in different cuisines. For example, you might have an Italian restaurant near the lobby and then a Japanese fusion spot located on the rooftop. Five-star hotels often link up with award-winning chefs to open restaurants. For example Gordan Ramsay operates the Savoy Grill, which is located in Central London at the Savoy Hotel.

And don’t get us started about the breakfast options at Five-star hotels. These properties typically have buffets that stretch as far as the eye can see, with chefs whipping up personal omelettes and eggs in styles you never knew existed! Also, if you ever get hungry during the night, you can also give room service a call.

A Five-star hotel gets everything right from the moment you set foot on the property. The staff are trained to the highest degree, and throughout your entire stay, you will wow from the lobby to the rooms to the amenities. However, the standards for five-star hotels can vary dramatically based on location, and ratings are typically updated every 5 years, so choose a hotel wisely and don’t forget to read reviews!