Brighton, United Kingdom - The Artist Residence

Me and four girlfriends visited Brighton the last weekend of September 2016. 

We had booked the "below deck - the big one for 6" which was a perfect hang out for us with a private living room and keeping us all together rather than booking 3 separate rooms. 

The room had 4 bunk beds and a 1 king size bed in a separate bedroom, a big sofa and comfy armchairs, a nice bathroom and a separate toilet. 

I would rate the room (5 of 5) and the perfect choice for a girls weekend. 

Location
The location is great and very central, just behind the British Airways i360 (useful marker when navigating Brighton), so just off the seafront. 5 minute walk to the shops, 5-10 minutes to the pier, 5 minutes walk along the sea front. I would rate it (5 of 5).

Breakfast 
The breakfast restaurant is lovely and I had a really nice Eggs Florentine and cappuccino. 

I would rate the restaurant (based on breakfast only (4+ of 5).

Rating
I would give the Overall Experience (5 of 5). The only negative thing we experiences was on check out when we discovered that the water bottles in the hotel were not complimentary (EUR3 each) and with the hot weather we drank all the water in the room (6 bottles per day) which was very expensive.

Links 

• Link to hotel website: http://artistresidencebrighton.co.uk/
• Link to tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186273-d1162253-Reviews-Artist_Residence_Brighton-Brighton_East_Sussex_England.html

Lanzarote, Spain - Princesa Yaiza Suite Hotel Resort

We visited Lanzarote and stayed at the Princesa Yaiza Suite Hotel Resort 23 - 26 September 2016. 

We had booked the "relaxation package" which included the following:

• gourmet a la carte Breakfast in Isla de Lobos Restaurant with sea view terrace;
• daily access to the SPA;  and
• daily aromatherapy on turn down service. 

There was champagne on arrival and we received a complementary upgrade to a suite which was very nice. 

Facilities
The SPA was nice and clean with great service. Women had to purchase a showerhat for the pool (EUR 2) with slipper and robe being available at the SPA. 

During our stay we enjoyed the “A Thousand & One Nights Circuit” (sea water circuit) and the sauna but never booked any treatments as we simply ran out of time.

We also had a look at the gym which was nice and clean with weights and running machines and which offered daily cardio and spinning classes. 

I would rate the facilities 4 of 5. 

Pool
The hotel had two large outside pools, one heated and one cold. The pools are nice and clean. On check-in you receive towel cards which is exchanged for towels.  The hotel policy is that you are not allowed to reserve the deck chair but this is not really monitored and even if you go to the pool at 10am many of the chairs will already be reserved with towels. 

I would rate the pools 4 of 5.

Restaurants
It was a short visit, simply a long weekend away but we had the loveliest time. The hotel was great and we did not have time to fully explore it so may need to come back for a longer stay. There was three different buffer restaurants available for breakfast as well as the choice of eating breakfast in the gourmet a la carte adult only restaurant.  

We tried to buffet one morning which was very nice with a great selection of food including hot and cold food, pastries and a selection of freshly squeezed juices and smoothies and champagne. We also ate in the a la carte Breakfast one morning with a great selection of very well cooked dishes and great service. The last morning we ordered room service as we had to leave early for the airport. The room service was complementary (small selection) with the option to purchase more options. 

We never ate dinner at the hotel as there were so many restaurants a short walk away so we choose to go out for tapas and sangria in the village. 

I would rate the restaurants (based on breakfast only (4+ of 5).

  


Rating
I would give the Overall Experience (5 of 5). The only negative thing we experiences was on check out when we discovered that the water bottles in the hotel were not complimentary (EUR3 each) and with the hot weather we drank all the water in the room (6 bottles per day) which was very expensive.

Links 

• Link to hotel website: http://www.princesayaiza.com
• Link to tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g652121-d290459-Reviews-Princesa_Yaiza_Suite_Hotel_Resort-Playa_Blanca_Lanzarote_Canary_Islands.html