Tag: #travelblogger

Our stay in VISIONAPARTMENTS in Zurich

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We travelled to Zurich recently for a short, weekend break. We stayed in one of the luxurious apartments managed by VISIONAPARTMENTS. They offer over 1,800 tailored temporary living solutions in Berlin, Frankfurt, Lausanne, Warsaw, Vevey, Vienna, Zug and Zurich. The main clientele of VISIONAPARTMENTS are businessmen and young leisure travellers who collectively help to create a great atmosphere there.

Location:
VISIONAPARTMENTS Wolframplatz building is situated just a few metres away from the Giesshübel Train Station which can get you to the Zürich Main Train Station in a few minutes. It makes it a perfect location for whether you are there on business or – like us – travelling for a short city-break. The airport is only 40min away can be easily reached by public transport too.
You can also grab a bite to eat nearby, with the nearest restaurants located only a short walk away or go shopping at the Sihlcity Shopping Centre which is a 5min walk away from the apartments.

Apartment:
The concept of an aparthotel is one that offers most of the services of a hotel: rooms are regularly cleaned but rather than living in a room, you are spend your time in a fully-equipped apartment. VISIONAPARTMENTS units are available in a variety of layouts, styles and sizes and are competitively priced whether you are looking for a long- or short-term accommodation.


We stayed in a lovely, fully furnished Junior Duplex Apartment (No# WO010), split over 2 levels. On the ground floor, it featured a bathroom, living room area and a kitchen (with a small mini-fridge, microwave and dishwasher). A staircase lead us up to our spacious bedroom with its own en-suite bathroom.

The bedroom had a large, comfortable king size bed, flat screen TV and handy night stands. There was a selection of toiletries available in our master bathroom in addition to comfy robes and slippers.


After long days of sightseeing, I really enjoyed coming back to our apartment and relaxing on the large sofa watching some news before going to bed. As our apartment had a fully furnished kitchen – we prepared our breakfasts there, trying some locally produced goods.

Overall experience:
We stayed at the VISIONAPARTMENTS in Zurich for 2 nights and we really enjoyed it. The complex is super modern – you do not need to even check in/check out as you get an access code to your apartment on the day of your arrival. I was impressed with how spacious and stylish our apartment was. There is no restaurant onsite but if you do not mind preparing your own breakfast or having it at one of the nearby cafes then that shouldn’t be an issue. I would definitely recommend it to all travellers who like to stay in beautiful modern surroundings that offer an excellent price to quality ratio.

Address:
Wolframplatz. 1,
8045 Zürich, Switzerland

Website:
https://visionapartments.com/en/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Our lunch at BeAbout Burger, Bratislava, Slovakia

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I normally focus on fine-dining and top-end meals we’ve had. Having said that, today I would like to tell you about BeAbout Burger which we visited for a quick lunch whilst in Bratislava as it is definitely worth a visit. The restaurant was recommended to me by one of my Slovakian friends as: ‘the best place to have a gourmet burgers in.’ 

Atmosphere:

When we entered the restaurant, it was already buzzing with many dinners. We sat in the middle of restaurant and were welcomed by a waiter who kindly brought us English menus.

When you enter BeAbout Burger it feels a bit like being in an American dinner and the place has a vibrant atmosphere. The dining room has a contemporary, simple décor.

Food:

The restaurant serves a selection of starters in addition to their signature burgers. All dishes are made from high quality, fresh, local ingredients. There is also an extensive cocktails menu on offer in addition to a wide selection of local and imported alcohol being served.

We were quite hungry when we arrived so we decided to order 3 sides to share:

  • Buffalo wings & rings – barbeque glazed chicken wings, onion rings, BBQ a Blue cheese sauce.
  • Papa T’s chicken pieces – crispy chicken breast in homemade coating and Ranch sauce.
  • Crispy chicken strips – crispy chicken coated in panko mixture and Honey-mustard sauce.

All starters were tasty and tender. I really enjoyed our crispy chicken strips which were delectable.

For my main I decided to have a ‘Maple Syrup Burger’ with guacamole, bacon
beef meat, cheddar and mayonnaise. My husband decided to have ‘Tex Mex Burger’
with beef meat, cheddar, nachos, chilli beans, jalapeño peppers and Mojo sauce.

Both burgers were served with fries, onion rings, tomato, red onion and pickles. The portion sizes were very generous and unfortunately after finishing our starters and mains we were unable to have any desserts so I hope that I will be able to try some next time we are around.

Overall experience:

If you like burgers then you should definitely visit BeAbout Burger for a lunch / dinner.  Our food was served quickly, was tasty and the service was good so I would definitely recommend it. What’s more, all dishes were reasonably priced and we could customise our burgers which is always a plus.

Address:

You can experience BeAbout Burger at one of these two locations:

Prešernova 4, Bratislava / Dulovo Námestie 5/A, Bratislava

For more information and to book visit:

https://www.beabout.sk/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Bristol, UK

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Last month my mum visited me in London and as I wanted to spend some quality mother-daughter time with her I booked us a weekend trip to Bristol. I was there last year after we got engaged so I have many happy memories in that city. We left London at 11a.m. and after a couple of hours on a train, we arrived in the centre of Bristol.

Bristol is a city in South West England with a population of almost half a million inhabitants. The Bristol metropolitan area is the 12th largest in the United Kingdom. The city buzzes with lively students and it is built on the creative media, electronics and aerospace industries. Bristol is one of the UK’s most popular tourist destinations, and The Sunday Times named it as the best city in Britain in which to live in 2014 and 2017. The city has also recently won the EU’s European Green Capital Award.

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My mum was super excited about our trip and discovering the city.

The city is steeped in history and there is something spectacular everywhere you turn. Here is a short list of my suggestions of places worth visiting whilst in Bristol:

  • Bristol Museum & Art Gallery – located a short 10 min walk from the city centre this museum exhibits some outstanding collections of art, archaeology, Egyptology and natural history in a magnificent building.
  • Bristol Cathedral – England’s only hall church Cathedral
  • Clifton Suspension Bridge –  a suspension bridge spanning the Avon Gorge and the River Avon, linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset
  • Cabot Tower & Brandon Hill – set in the parkland and provides priceless views of the city.
  • Pero’s Bridge – pedestrian footbridge in honour of Pedro Jones.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review 🙂

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Pauline

Dinner at Cantinetta Ristorante & Bar in Hamburg, Germany

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If you are adventurous then there are a lot of traditional dishes worth trying when in Hamburg including fish sandwich with pickled herring, labskaus served with fried egg and herring or kale served with fried potatoes and sausages. Don’t judge me but I love Italian food so on the second day of our mini-break, we decided to visit Cantinetta Ristorante & Bar and I really enjoyed it so I would like to share our experience with you all.

Location:

Cantinetta Ristorante & Bar is located in Ameron hotel in Hamburg’s Speicherstadt which in the heart of the port city. It is only a short walk away from one of the city’s main attraction – Elbphilharmonie Hamburg a modern concert hall in the HafenCity quarter of Hamburg built atop old warehouse.

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 6:00 p.m. We were greeted by a friendly waitress who made us feel welcomed took us to our table.

The restaurant has a modern and stylish décor which keeps the tradition of Speicherstadt. It features mid-century style stools and a library with a fireplace whilst the tables have a minimalist look with some fresh flowers featured. There was some soft Italian music playing in the background.

The menu:

Cantinetta Ristorante & Bar offers its diners famous Italian specialities with a twist which are creatively and perfectly prepared by chef Christopher Gieritz and his team. During the lunch, you can order from ‘Pranzo con espresso’ menu which changes daily in whilst it’s dinner à la carte selection of dishes changes seasonally.

We commenced our evening with a refreshing aperitiv. Our waitress also brought us some complimentary bread and olive oil.

To start with, I fancied some beef tartare with avocado cream, guacamole, fried garlic bread & herb salad.

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My husband had some Vegetarian soup with fresh vegetables, Grana Padano & chili.
Both dishes were tasty and nicely seasoned.

Secondly, I had some fried halibut fillet with creamy truffle risotto & fresh truffle
which was mouth-watering. My husband decided to have fillet of beef, truffle jus, Mediterranean leaf spinach & gorgonzola gratin. It was exceptional.

Lastly, it was time for some dessert. My favourite Italian dessert is tiramisu so surprise, surprise – I ordered TIRAMISÙ ALLA CANTINETTA which was served with white coffee ice cream. Delicious!

My husband ordered arachide – a peanut brownie served with peanut ice cream, marshmallow & peanuts. It was scrumptious.

Overall experience:

We really enjoyed our meal at Cantinetta Ristorante & Bar. All dishes were tasty, nicely presented and the service was faultless. I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you are a fan of Italian food with a modern twist.

Address:

Speicherstadt
Am Sandtorkai 4
20457 Hamburg

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Our stay at Regnum Aparthotel & Spa in Bansko, Bulgaria

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A few weeks ago, I was in Bulgaria with my husband to resolve some issues with my parent’s holiday home. We spent a few days in Bansko and a couple of days in Sofia. I love travelling to Bulgaria and today I would like to tell you about our stay at the Regnum Apart hotel & Spa in Bansko.

Location:

Regnum Apart hotel & Spa is based in the popular town of Bansko at the foot of the Pirin Mountains, in southwest Bulgaria. It is only a few minutes’ walk from town’s high street on which you can find many nice restaurants, clubs and a gondola. The hotels location is perfect – no matter whether you are in Bansko for skiing, hiking or just passing by.

Atmosphere:

Regnum Apart hotel & Spa has a classic and sophisticated décor. Its guests can enjoy many common areas such as an outdoor swimming pool, spa, bar, reading room and a large lounging area. All staff members we spoke with were helpful and accommodating.

Room:

We stayed in an Executive deluxe suite which consisted of two rooms, bathroom and a balcony with stunning mountain views. We enjoyed relaxing in our spacious living room with kitchenette which was fully equipped with a kettle all plates, cutlery, mini-fridge, safe box, and oven. We didn’t cook whilst we were there, but it would be handy for anyone who fancy preparing their meals whilst away from home. Our bedroom had a stylish décor and a comfortable with king size bed and a flat-screen TV.
Our bathroom had both shower cabin and bathtub and again was finished to a high standard. A selection of complimentary toiletries was also provided.


My favourite space in the apartment was our balcony – the view was simply stunning and as we were in Bansko in June it was perfect to lounging on with a drink after hiking all day.

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Overall experience:
We enjoyed our stay in Regnum Apart hotel & Spa and I would recommend it to anyone travelling to Bansko. In addition, the hotel has recently opened its own thermal SPA in a picturesque village of Banya. Regnum Banya Thermal features an outdoor swimming pool with mineral water which is complimentary to use for all hotel guests and can be easily reachable in 10min by a free hotel’s shuttle bus. The SPA has great facilities including a steam room, sauna and if you fancy you can have one of beauty treatments or a massage whilst in there.


The only let down was hotel’s buffet which we decided to try on one of the nights. All food was bland and overpriced for Bulgaria as it was around 20euros per person. It was a canteen quality food which I would not expect in a 5-star hotel.

Website:

For more information and to book visit:
https://www.regnum.bg/en/

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Hillwood, Washington D.C., USA

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As some of you might know, I traveled to Washington D.C. a few weeks ago. During my stay, I decided to visit some historic homes and gardens. Today, I would like to tell you about my visit to Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden.

Museum

Marjorie Merriweather Post bought Hillwood in 1955. She was a daughter of Ella Merriweather Post and Charles William (C.W.) Post, who founded the Post cereal empire. She decided that she would like her home to become a museum:

“I want young Americans to see how someone lived in the twentieth century and how this person could collect works of art the way I have… I want to share this with the rest of the world.”
—Marjorie Merriweather Post

Her estate holds the most comprehensive collection of Russian imperial art outside of Russia, a distinguished eighteenth-century French decorative art collection, and twenty-five acres of serene landscaped gardens and natural woodlands for all to enjoy. It was firstly opened as a public institution in 1977 to inspire and educate the public.

Gardens:

Marjorie designed the gardens to flower in the spring and fall however nowadays they are open to public all year round.

Visitors can walk through some beautiful paths that lead them to:

  • Rose Garden
  • Four Season Garden
  • Japanese Style Garden
  • French Parterre
  • Lunar Lawn

Location:
4155 Linnean Avenue,
NW Washington, DC 20008

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Heurich House, Washington D.C., USA

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As some of you might know, I traveled to Washington D.C. a few weeks ago. During my stay, I decided to visit some historic homes and gardens. Today, I would like to tell you about the Heurich House Museum known also as the Brewmaster’s House.

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The Heurich House Museum is a well-preserved Victorian mansion previously owned by Christian Heurich, a German immigrant that left his country to start a new life in Washington, DC. It is located near the trendy Dupont Circle.

 

The Heurich House Museum.as built from 1892-94 by German immigrant, local brewer Christian Heurich (1842-1945). He lived with his family in Dupont Circle from its 1894 until 1956. He was terrified of fires and the mansion is notable for its fireproof construction. It has original interiors that still look amazing due to the shade and lower temperature of the house.

The Heurich House Museum offers guided tours that last approximately 1 hour on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. I’ve joined a tour on Saturday and it was great to learn about the history of the house, its owner and what currently happens there. We walked through the rooms with a knowledgeable guide and admired lots of beautiful antics inspired by French style.

What I found interesting was that the Heurich House Museum, runs a monthly History & Hops event every third Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30pm. During that events the museum partners with a local beer insider for house tours and beer tastings so if you enjoy trying some local beers then you should definitely book yourself in on one of these evenings.

I loved the quotes that were displayed in a drinking room of the owner where he would meet up with a group of friends to try his locally-brewed beer.

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Address:

Heurich House Museum

1307 New Hampshire Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20036

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

 

Dinner at Oliver’s restaurant in The Woburn Hotel

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A couple of weeks ago, I travelled to Woburn with my husband. We stayed at The Woburn Hotel and as we are both massive foodies, we decided to visit ‘Olivier’s’ – 2 AA Rosette restaurant.
Olivier’s Restaurant is recognised to be one of the finest restaurants in Bedfordshire in addition to maintaining its 2 AA Rosettes for 11 years it has won multiple awards most recently “Best Restaurant in Bedfordshire” at the Bedfordshire Business SME Awards held in May.

Location:
Olivier’s Restaurant is based at The Woburn Hotel, which is perfectly located in the heart of Georgian village of Woburn, at the gateway to the historic Woburn Abbey Estate. It is easily reachable from London, Milton Keynes and the surrounding Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire areas.

Atmosphere:
Olivier’s Restaurant has a modern, stylish décor following its recent refurbishment. Guests can enjoy a relaxed setting whilst having some of the best of English and continental dining prepared by talented chefs under the supervision of Olivier Bertho.
Our table was attended by two waiters – Sergio and Mateusz. They both made us feel welcomed and relaxed whilst being attentive and polite.

The menu:
Olivier’s Restaurant offers its dinners a few menus to choose from – A La Carte, Sunday, Lunch, Children and Afternoon Tea. Each of the menus offers dishes that were created by its talented chefs who all have a real passion for good quality food. Due to Oliver Bertho’s french heritage and his experience in quality restaurants the dishes combine classic French and English influences to create signature dishes. Most of the ingredients are sourced locally to make the most of seasonal ingredients.
We had an afternoon tea on Friday in The Repton Room when we arrived at The Woburn Hotel, which we really enjoyed. Having said that, today I would like to tell you about our dining experience when we decided to dine from the A La Carte menu.

Starters:
For my starter, I had some pan-fried scallops with a crispy chicken skin, sweetcorn purée and black pudding crumb. I love scallops and they were simply delectable.

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My husband had a lovely home smoked duck breast with pickled berries served over some green asparagus salad. He really enjoyed it and finished it in no time.

Duck Salad

Mains:
For my main, I decided to order a ginger glazed salmon fillet with sesame and bean salad accompanied by some wasabi mayonnaise. The dish was luscious.

Salmon SC
My husband had a beef fillet with honey roasted baby shallots, pea purée, crispy bacon and buttered baby vegetables. The dish was cooked to perfection.

Beef fillet

Desserts:
I have a very bad sweet tooth and always look forward to having the last course. Whilst dinning at Oliver’s Restaurant, I decided to have a strawberry bavarois with a crème brûlée glaze, lemon curd, shortbread and meringue drops, which was fabulous. My dessert not only looked amazing, but it was also mouth-watering.
My husband ordered a cheese board served with homemade green tomato chutney and traditional sides, which he enjoyed with our leftover wine.

Overall experience:
If you love great food and faultless service, then I would definitely recommend booking a meal at Olivier’s Restaurant. It is perfect for special occasions or if you just want to treat yourself to a remarkable dining experience.

Website:
For more information and to book visit:
https://www.thewoburnhotel.co.uk/oliviers-restaurant-bedfordshire/

Address:
1 George Street,
Woburn,
Bedfordshire,
MK17 9PX

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

Holiday destinations: Washington D.C., USA

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A few weeks ago, I traveled to Washington D.C., the capital of the United States. Washington, D.C. is formally known as the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as “Washington”, “the District”, or simply “D.C.”.

Statistics from last year show that Washington had an estimated population of 681,170 however commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city’s population to more than one million during the workweek. Washington, D.C., is located in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. East Coast.

There are many places worth visiting in Washington. Please find a quick summary listed below:

  • Learn more by visiting free Smithsonian museums so you can absorb culture the way it was meant to be experienced — in short encounters in the midst of everyday life.
  • Take flight at the National Air & Space Museum.
  • Learn about the freedom of the press and take some cool photos at the Newseum.

IMG_2019You should also visit the Pulitzer Prize photographs gallery which features all the winning photographs.

  • Go and take some photos of the White House. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get the access to the building but there are quite a few good places where you can view it from.
  • Visit United States Capitol. You can still access it and the tickets are available from a kiosk just outside the building.
  • Stroll down The National Mall. It is definitely the best way to see most of Washington’s monuments starting from the Capitol all the way to the Lincoln Memorial.
  • Visit Washington National Cathedral. This beautiful Gothic cathedral has been used for state funerals for three presidents and many other important burials and memorials.
  • Go shopping at Tanger Outlet. It is located 20 min drive from central Washington and if you like a bargain then you should definitely go there and check it out.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

X

Pauline

Birthday celebrations at The Woburn hotel

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Someone wise once said that as you grow older, you learn to understand life a little better… I turned 34 a couple of weeks ago and as I love relaxing, being surrounded by nature and animals, we’ve decided to travel to the picturesque Georgian village of Woburn in Bedfordshire to celebrate it. We’ve stayed in ‘The Woburn Hotel’ – an award winning, 4 AA star hotel.

Location:

‘The Woburn Hotel’ is perfectly located in the heart of Woburn village, in the historic Woburn Abbey Estate that is home of the 15th Duke of Bedford. It can be easily reached from London (~1 hour), Milton Keynes (~20minutes) and in about 30 minutes from Luton Airport.
If being surrounded by nature and animals appeals to you then the hotel’s location should exceed your expectations as it a stone throw away from Woburn Safari Park and Woburn Abbey and Gardens. We visited all of these attractions on Saturday and I really enjoyed our drive through Woburn Safari Park which has over 1,000 wild animals roaming in 300 acres of beautiful parkland. Following from that we discovered an amazing deer park and visited Woburn Abbey which has been home to the Dukes of Bedford for nearly 400 years. In addition, if romantic walks around the gardens are of interest to you then you will be able to explore the 28 acres of award-winning, Humphry Repton inspired, Woburn Abbey Gardens.

Service:

As soon as we entered the hotel, we were welcomed by a very helpful and professional receptionist. He was really approachable and handed us our tickets to Woburn Safari park, which we were going to visit the day-after. He also provided us with some leaflets about the village. Once we checked in, we dropped our bags at our cottage, and we went straight to our afternoon tea. We found all hotel staff at reception and restaurant extremely attentive and friendly.

Rooms:

The Woburn Hotel offers its guests a selection of rooms to choose from in the main hotel ranging from double standard rooms to Abbey rooms to suites in addition to one of seven lovely cottages adjacent to the hotel to suit all budgets. All rooms have stylish décor providing you with everything you need for a relaxing stay. We stayed in a lovely, two storey cottage with a mezzanine floor called – ‘Wispers’ which was overlooking the hotel and its front garden. Each of the cottages have been designed to reflect their connection to the Russell family. The cottage we stayed in was named after an Estate in Sussex, which was purchased by the 11th Duke of Bedford for his wife, Mary back in 1927.

Our cottage featured a comfortable bed, luxury linen, safe, a TV and a telephone.

In addition, there were tea and coffee making facilities a selection of delicious complimentary chocolates, which were freshly prepared for us and waiting for us on our arrival.

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The cottage was perfect to celebrate my birthday and relaxing in after our adventures with its separate, large lounging area.

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Our en-suite bathroom had a classic décor. A selection of The White Company bath toiletries was also provided. In addition, some soft towels, slippers and soft bath gowns were available – perfect for lounging in before and after our sightseeing.

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Facilities:

In addition to some charming rooms, hotel features the drawing room, The Tavistock bar, The Repton Room and 2 AA Rosette restaurant – Olivier’s.

The restaurant offers its dinners some of the best Bedfordshire cuisine. A Polish waiter, which assisted us – Mateusz made our stay extremely memorable by always being chatty and professional.

The hotel also has a lovely patio where its visitors can enjoy a drink or a snack.
Breakfast is offered in the main restaurant and provides a selection of made to order dishes.

Overall experience:

The Woburn hotel is perfectly located just steps away from Woburn Safari Park, Woburn Golf Club and estates. If you have a special occasion coming up, then the hotel offers a range of escapes to choose from. We loved the hotel’s charming accommodation, which being part of the Woburn Estate helped us to create lots of unforgettable moments in the English countryside. In addition, the service was faultless so I would recommend this hotel to anyone who plans to travel to travel to Woburn or surrounding areas.
I would love to stay in this hotel again one day!

Website:

For more information and to book visit:
https://www.thewoburnhotel.co.uk/

Address:
1 George Street,
Woburn,
Bedfordshire,
MK17 9PX

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline