City Breaks

Hoxton Lloyd Hotel Amsterdam

- Vicki Leave a comment

After the huge success of the original Hoxton on the Herengracht, Hoxton opened, a second hotel in Amsterdam, in a more quiet neighbourhood in the Eastern Docklands area of the city called The Lloyd. I have stayed at both Hoxton hotels in Amsterdam, and they’re extremely different in both style and location, but I have to say without a shadow of a doubt that the Lloyd Hotel is my preferred place to stay out of the two, and have actually been back 4 times in the past 18 months.

The Hoxton, Lloyd Amsterdam, is a striking blend of history and modern design. Housed in a national monument, the building carries a legacy spanning over a century. Originally commissioned by the Royal Holland Lloyd (Koninklijke Hollandsche Lloyd, KHL), it has served various roles over the years from hosting immigrants to being a detention centre and artists studios, The Lloyd Hotel officially opened in 2004, housing 117 rooms and becoming a popular meeting place for locals and visitors. The Hoxton took over, and gave the tired hotel an extensive refurbishment, doing what they do best, which is blending historic charm with contemporary aesthetics. They opened in September 2023, and I was so excited to visit that I booked a room in October, the hotel was so new, and I was very impressed by all the attention to detail.

The building is so striking and dominates the area, it looks dark and imposing (I love its Wes Anderson vibe) but when you enter the interior is bright and unique. They have done such a good job at keeping so many of the building’s original historic features and making the decor contemporary, it has good energy and you instantly feel comfortable.

The Breman Brasserie, which is the hotels, restaurant is named after the building’s original architect and this grand space is beautiful, with high ceilings, huge windows which let a lot of light in and the decor is elegant and inviting. You can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as taking your time over a coffee or sit at the bar for a cocktail. The atmosphere is warm and friendly, and I really enjoyed spending time in here, the food is fantastic, but I do wish they would offer a few more Vegan options.

The hotel is a space for relaxing and taking your time, there are lots of places to sit and let the time pass you by. I am in love with the decor, I really like the way they have not shied away from using pattern and colour. The whole hotel is a vibe and it just feels so inviting and interesting. Everything from the original tiles in many of the rooms and the corridors, the incredible light features and the grand high ceilings add to its rich charm.

I have stayed in a few different rooms, all of which had very different decor and vibe. The rooms photographed below are both ‘concept rooms’ and have features that are protected and could not be changed. Like the white subway style tiles that line the walls and the huge mirrors. I really liked this room but my husband said it was quite cold and clinical, I see what he means, I thought it was very interesting and unusual. The bathroom was massive and bigger than the actual bedroom, the showers in this hotel are fantastic and the ‘blank’ products you get in the shower/bathroom are very nice.

We also stayed in the Tune concept room, this room was insane, it had a split-level connected by a statement spiral staircase with the sleeping area upstairs and living space downstairs. The decor was so whacky and the scale of the room hard to take in at first. The vaulted ceiling was so tall and so too were the windows, the room had the biggest mirror I had ever seen, a grand piano and the staircase was a work of art in itself. Such a treat and a room I will never forget, have you ever seen a room like it?

I think our favourite part of the entire hotel was the bar, Barbue has a level of cool which for the time I was there made me feel like I was a little cool too. The double height room, with a mezzanine level, has wood panelling which gives it a warm feel, and the low lighting makes it feel atmospheric and quite sexy. There is a South American flair, giving a nod to the hotel’s rich history, the classic old ticket office, where travellers once purchased tickets before embarking on ships to seek a better life abroad, has been fully preserved in its original state.

The bar is beautiful, and the drinks/cocktail menu has been very well curated with lots of Argentinian offerings, again in keeping with the hotel’s rich South American connection. The staff are fantastic and very helpful when recommending or explaining the heritage and flavours of the drinks. We spend many a night in the bar, soaking up the atmosphere and trying some new and unusual cocktails. Even if you’re not staying at The Hoxton, Lloyd Amsterdam, I highly recommend visiting Barbue for a drink. The bar is intimate, effortlessly stylish, and exudes a very cool vibe, making it the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy its exceptional drink menu. I can’t wait to head back.

So in a nutshell this hotel is fantastic, unusual and in a quiet part of the city but still very well-connected, and you get to also explore new neighbourhoods. As someone that has visited Amsterdam many times, it is nice to be slightly out of the madness but still have access to it. It is easy to find, easy to get about and a lot more affordable than most Amsterdam hotels, but it is up there with the best I have stayed in. No compromises, they give incredible service, the rooms are quiet and I love the decor.

This is from The Hoxton website, on how to find The Lloyd & get about by tram, car,

‘Rietlandpark tram stop is a mere 3-minute walk from the hotel and you can hop off there from any point in the city – including Amsterdam Centraal Station, which is around 10 minutes’ away by tram and connects to regional / international train services. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is a 20-minute drive.’

The Barn, 4 Nights In Devon

- Vicki Leave a comment

Let me tell you about the most idyllic place I have ever stayed, I wanted a few days away from home, somewhere quite close but not in Cornwall. Do you ever get to a point where you just need a break from where you love but don’t want it to be a big thing, just far enough away that you feel like you are on holiday but close enough that you dont have to plan an expedition.

The barn was less than an hour from my house, just across the Cornish border in Devon, it is tucked away on a farm in a very, very peaceful location. Perfect for what I needed. I was craving being offline, just me & my husband to decompress, read, drink wine, cook have some proper quiet time.

The barn is on a farm and is owned by an interior designer and a photographer, they renovated it themselves, even the cob and lime rendering was done by them. It is a stunning space, open-plan living and kitchen space with a lovely long farmhouse table which we spent so much time at. The bathroom is also downstairs, it had a roll top bath, incredible rainfall shower and underfloor heating.

Upstairs is the bed deck with vaulted ceilings and exposed beams, the bedroom has so much light from 4 huge skylights. The space had such good energy.

We turned off our phones when we got there, didn’t watch any TV, listened to music on their SONOS, cooked lovely meals and read our books. The hosts also had wonderful taste in magazines and had left so many great interiors and photography ones. I read them all, the Country Living Modern Rustic ones gave me so much inspiration and since coming home I may have bought a copy or two for myself.

Our hosts baked us a vegan banana bread (delicious) and left local tea and coffee (with a grinder, so we could have freshly ground coffee) so we were all set. The weather was perfect for having 4 lazy days, it was stormy and wet almost the entire time we were there, but listening to the rain on the skylights and the wind rustling though the trees was so relaxing. We didn’t leave the property from the moment we arrived & being still & peaceful for 4 days is just what we needed.

The bathroom was lovely, very minimal but felt bright, clean, and rustic. There was a huge skylight which let in so much natural light. The roll top bath was huge and very relaxing. I spent a lot of time reading and soaking in there. The shower was also amazing, very powerful, and it was a rainfall shower which I love, oh, and they had underfloor heating which made it so cosy and warm. Not what you think you’d need in July, but the weather was more Autumn than Summer.

The kitchen as I said was open plan and the huge table in the middle of the room was great for prepping meals, and it meant the space felt very social. It had everything we needed, as we cooked all our meals here over the 4 days. So we put it to good use. We spent a lot of time in this part of the house, either cooking or sat at the dining table, with the stable door open & the patio doors too. Just listening to music or the sounds of the comings and goings of the surrounding farms. Simply idyllic.

I live in Cornwall at the moment and have been here for almost 10 years now, hard to believe the time has gone so quickly. I never meant to stay here that long, but I became comfortable, and it was easier to stay put than move. We have had quite a few big life-changing events happen over the last 3 years, I didn’t have the energy to think about moving but being in this space made me realise that although I live in a pretty part of the country, the road I live on has become so busy, over the years the traffic has increased so much and the noise is getting to me. Staying in such a peaceful location made me realise that I have to move, and I think it is time I said goodbye to Cornwall and try somewhere new.

So 2025 will see me in a new location, not sure where yet, but what I do know for certain is that it will not as far south, or in a busy tourist location.

How cute is this classic Nissan, it is a Pao, they only made a very small number of them, I have only ever seen one other and that was in St Ives & it is a Japanese import I fell in love with it, and now I really want one, it is so full of character and ideal for driving on the small country lanes

It is safe to say that a mini break was much needed and long overdue. I will not leave it so long next time before I take some proper time off and also time away from my phone and being constantly connected. It was nice to properly relax and for my mind not to be worrying, planning or over thinking. I am already planning to go back here in December.

Sunshine Cafe Penryn

- Vicki Leave a comment

The Sunshine Cafe is tucked away in the pretty Cornish coastal town of Penryn. I went just before the Summer holidays, as like much of Cornwall it can get a bit busy there, and with it being quite a small town there is very limited parking. I managed to go on an unusually quiet day and it was so peaceful and charming.


The Sunshine Cafe has been on my radar for a couple of years now, I have had friends recommend it to me & I have also been following them on social media, drooling over all their delicious vegan food and drinks. It did not disappoint, in fact it was a lovely place to stop for a bite to eat. The café space it bright, calm and a very friendly place, I loved the decor and how everything on the menu is plant based with an emphasis on using good local produce. I could have sat in there all day, I felt very relaxed. The food was delicious, I had the vegan beans & sausage on sourdough with a side of sweet potato fritters and an Almond Milk Matcha. I didn’t have room for a sweet treat, but I did spy quite a few options like a vegan croissant, brownies, and carrot cake. If you’re in Penryn, I highly recommend it even if you are not plant based, the food is incredible.

They also have a wonderful yoga space attached to the cafe they offer so many classes throughout the day, from pilates to yoga and guided meditation. I need to go back, so I can attend one of the vinyasa or pilates classes.

Sunshine Cafe and Yoga, Hill Head, Harbour Village, Penryn, TR10 8JU

www.sunshinecafeandyoga.co

Amsterdam Long Weekend March 2023

- Vicki Leave a comment

This was our first visit back to Amsterdam since 2019, in fact it was my first time travelling outside the UK since all the madness of 2020. It was so nice to be in an airport, on a plane and back to exploring one of my favourite places in the world. Amsterdam is my happy place, I feel so calm when I am there. We had never visited in March before, I did miss the tree’s being lush and green, but Amsterdam is pretty no matter the time of year, or the weather.

It is safe to say it we picked the coldest week, it snowed for 2 days, and we had temperatures as low as -4. I just used it as an excuse to stop for more warm drinks and yummy pastries. My friends opened up a Vegan café 2 years ago, and to say I was excited to visit was an understatement. The café is called Margo’s (named after Margo, the owner) and is 100% Vegan. Margo bakes everything each morning, all the pastries, bread and cookies, she is so talented. You have to pop by if you are ever in Amsterdam, even if you are not Vegan, the food is delicious, the BEST croissants, and cakes you will ever try. After 11.30 they have fresh sandwiches and toasties plus coffee, tea and matcha all day long. I am so proud of them and what they have achieved, the café is a delight, and they have built such a lovely, friendly community.

If you have read any of my other Amsterdam Diaries over the years, you will know that I just enjoy exploring, finding new areas to walk in and take photos of all the beautiful buildings and streets. Amsterdam is simply the most extraordinary place to visit, it is charming, pretty, and so easy to explore on foot. Despite the snow and cold temperatures, we were lucky that March was a quiet time of year to visit.

I have eaten at The Vegan Junk Food Bar a few times and always enjoyed it, I had never been to the Reguliersdwarsstraat location and I think this might be my new favourite. I had the kebab and John had the bacon, cheeseburger and chips, delicious, highly recommend. Good-sized portions, friendly staff and very reasonable price.

Spotting the flower bikes that are dotted throughout the city is a fun thing to do, there are not as many as they used to be. They are created by a Dutch man called Warren who started by decorating his wife’s bike, you can see some of his work on his Instagram & his story is inspiring and sad in equal measure.

I have already written a post about where we stayed this time, so if you want to read that, just click here. We usually stay at the same hotel, but decided to try somewhere that has been on my bucket list for a while, it was a treat. I have a few more photos to share, as well as some café and restaurant recommendations, so keep can eye out for that post.

If you have visited Amsterdam, let me know what you love about this City.