We’ve been super lucky to have had two lush weekends away in London recently including the most ah-mazing stay at 100 Queen’s Gate Hotel (which you can win a family at), and honestly, I didn’t realise how much I needed the breaks until I hit pause and got some quality time my family and friends. Life bounds on at a 100 miles per hour and these tourist breaks in the city I know well and love so much was just what the doctor ordered (literally) post bugs which hit us all.
The first weekend I’m dedicating this post to, was spent with my oldest and closest friend, Carlie and our families a few weeks back that was filled with forever memories that saw us play tourists in the city we know and love, hug, eat, and most importantly sleep like princesses in queen size beds of dreams. Perfection!
Carlie, James and their gorgeous kids live in Manchester so meet-ups don’t come up enough so when they do, we make the most of them and do ALL THE THINGS as you’ll discover in this post.
Carlie and I have known each other since we were 12 years old and even spent some of our 20s as accidental neighbours in West Hampstead after being neighbours in Leeds so many years earlier! Isn’t life crazy?
Carlie is the person I speak to the most on the phone (after my Mum who rings me 188534658906 times a day) and we’ve been there for one another through absolutely everything life has thrown at us over the years. I feel so lucky to have a friendship like ours, one that has endured and thrived over time, place and distance and for so long too. Some people in life are simply your sisters, a bond that can never be broken.
Where we stayed:
Home for the weekend was 100 Queen’s Gate London, Curio Collection by Hilton, a 5 star stunner of a hotel in South Kensington, a short walk from the Science and Natural History Museum and a quick ride to anywhere you fancy in Central London. It only took us 20 minutes to get to Embankment for a trip on the London Eye, with South Ken and Gloucester Road tubes nearby.
A regal Victorian style hotel, 100 Queen’s Gate hotel is in a prime location in the prestigious Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and its multimillion-pound refurbishment within, exudes elegance and style.
The staff were excellent and exceeded all of our expectations with their attention to detail (a receptionist offered to check our tube times without us asking) and the kindness they paid us all and particularly our children in making them feel so welcome and valued, blew us away.
The hotel is a pretty Pinterest-worthy dreamboat with its characterful decor and attention to detail. I loved its sleek, modern interiors and statement walls (the china plates and framed maps are house goals) as well as the further nods to its roots with carefully curated antiques and historical portraits, effortlessly intertwining the old with the new.
Interconnected rooms also made life easy for us all as the children slept together in ample single beds adjacent to the master bedroom which housed a huge bed overlooking a fireplace in the centre.
Beautiful.
And there’s nowhere better to get a view of London than from the sky….
Thanks to Buyagift.com, we climbed aboard the London Eye (I can’t believe Oliver was a toddler the last time we visited) and once again, were dazzled by the twinkling skyline, as we floated on, up high. Dinner was also c/o of Buy a Gift with an Italian feast at Prezzo with plant-based options a-plenty and generous portions on their special menu for both adults and children.
The open kitchen layout meant the children could marvel at the chef making pizzas and with its winding olive tree towards the entrance, and neon signage on the wall, it really is the chicest Prezzo I’ve ever been to.
Sunday saw us wake up late (thanks to the Prosecco the hotel kindly left in our room) before a leisurely breakfast on the ground floor (which included an expansive buffet as well as options to order)…..Yum!
Ample fuel for a day of fun at the Science Museum’s unmissable Wonderlab in the Equinor Gallery: a hub of interactive and explosive demos, activities and live shows that made for one of the best days we’ve ever spent in London. We all learnt so much (it’s been a long time since I studied Science that’s for sure) and only returned a few days ago as part of Oliver’s temporary homeschooling.
We gobbled delicious lunch c/ of The Diner downstairs in the Science Museum (I must recreate the tempura courgette burger which was a taste sensation) and all the food consumed was top-notch across the board. It was wonderful to enjoy a sit-down, leisurely option food too at the museum and works well if you’ve chosen to spend the day there. Then it was bespoke shakes, ice creams and sorbets for dessert by the Wonderlab the kids loved and made for the perfect end to the weekend.
It’s great to attend a museum which takes its culinary offerings as seriously as its scientific ones and we all felt thoroughly grateful for the generosity the hotel, Buyagift and the Science Museum showed us. Thank you all.
What a perfect weekend.
If you like mini movies, why not watch the vlog!
Excitingly, you can win a weekend in the capital as 100 Queen’s Gate Hotel are kindly offering a family (2 adults and 2 children) the opportunity to stay in a suite. Whoop, whoop!
Simply enter below!
Ends Dec 28th 2019 at midnight.
If the winner does not respond within 7 days of the email being sent, a new winner will be selected at random.
The prize is for a one night stay in a one bedroom suite inclusive of breakfast based on 2 adults and 2 children sharing.
Prize must be redeemed by Dec 2020 and dates are subject to availability.
The prize is non refundable, non transferable, resaleable or exchangeable. No cash alternative.
It cannot be used in conjunction with other offers.
Travel is not covered, you need to make arrangements to be in London in the UK to redeem this prize.
Open worldwide.
Single exterior photo of the hotel by/ copyright Matthew Shaw Photography.
Promoted on Prize finder, Loquax, Super Lucky, UK Wins and Competition Database.
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