Hotel review: BKK Airport Novotel
There is nothing more frustrating than getting stuck in a foreign city when you desperately want to get home. This is what happened on my recent trip back from India. 90 minutes into my Jet Airways flight from Delhi to Bangkok, the plane still hadn’t left the tarmac. When the plane finally landed in Bangkok, [...]
Hotel Review: VIBE North Sydney
The silly season is killing me. The drinking, the lack of sleep and the failure to eat anything larger than a 50c piece at parties means that I am turning from a normal human into a canape-eating zombie. The bags under my eyes need porters. It was an immense relief when I checked into VIBE [...]
Fraser Suites, Sydney
I love hotel rooms in the same way The Cookie Monster appreciates cookies. I really love them. The first time I ever stayed in a hotel was on a school excursion to Canberra. I was so excited I couldn’t sleep. When you grow up in the country, it’s easy to get excited about a budget motor inn [...]
Medina Grand, Adelaide
Secret tunnels, hidden courtyards and private chambers give the Medina Grand Treasury a very appealing Downton Abbey-ishness. It’s easy to succumb to flights of fancy involving Lords, wicked corsetry and French silk frocks … but I digress. This elegant sandstone hotel is situated in the cultural heartland of downtown Radelaide for maximum convenience. Rundle Mall is [...]
Yulefest at The Carrington: Best. Weekend. Ever.
There is something exciting about a girl’s weekend – the delicious promise of wine, shopping and maniacal laughter. A little while back, I was lucky enough to win a night at The Carrington for Yulefest so I decided to take two of my lady friends on a fake Christmas adventure. Arriving at the hotel, you [...]
Views with a room: Norfolk Island Accommodation Review
On my recent visit to Norfolk, I was lucky enough to get a behind-the-scenes peek at the accommodation options. The major highlight of nearly every place was the view from the rooms; verdant hills, pines and glistening blue water. The main trend on the island is toward self-catering options so the rooms come complete with [...]
Hotel Review: The Hermitage Lodge, Hunter Valley NSW
When I booked a two-night stay at The Hermitage Lodge in the Hunter Valley for a special price of $500 (it’s normally $700), my internal monologue muttered, ‘It had better be good …. mutter, mutter, mutter’. I tend to think of things in terms of rent and that’s almost a whole weeks’ worth at Chateau [...]
Pine Rose Inn, Oakhurst, CA
There are some upsides to winging it in the accommodation game. One of those upsides is Pine Rose Inn. The freshly minted First Husband and I went on a US road trip for the first part of our honeymoon. We landed in LA, drove up the Big Sur to Hearst Castle and then backtracked through [...]
Hotel Review: Crowne Plaza Melbourne
There is something to be said for reading your emails properly. My colleague sent me a hotel confirmation last week and I glanced at it and saw the word, ‘Crown’ and immediately thought, ‘Casino!’ which then lead to a whole mental soundtrack of ‘Viva Las Vegas’. Guess what? There are about four hotels in Melbourne [...]
Hotel Review: Vibe Hotel Rushcutters
There is something undeniably delicious about staying in a hotel in your hometown. It’s a bit like drinking Champagne in your pyjamas – all the pleasure without any of the inconvenience. When my very dear friend Tess asked me if I would like to stay at Vibe Hotel Rushcutters, I couldn’t accept quickly enough. I [...]
