Hotel: Spa Corner Residence

As soon as I entered the hotel, I felt zen. And I'm usually full of energy, so that says a lot. Upon arrival, my friend and I were escorted to a relaxing room by the entrance, which had the most calming aroma. We were given cold flannels, sweet potato crisps, and fresh juice. I requested refills of the sweet potato crisps about three times. Sometimes pictures look good from afar but in reality are far from good; however, I definitely won when booking this boutique hotel.

I want to say it was the earthy colour tones in the bedrooms, and spa that created the zen environment, but it was more than that. It was a feeling, that I’d like to bottle up and spray around my house. The aroma and the music made me want to nap. And who doesn't love a good nap? The ambience was just perfect.

All the feels

The staff were really friendly and went out of their way to make our stay in Siem Reap unforgettable. They pointed us in the right direction for food places, dropped us off at venues in the area, and even doubled as tour operators, taking us to Angkor Wat.

My three favorite things about Spa Corner Residence were the rooftop space—it was perfect for practicing yoga at sunset and sunrise—the chill space in the bedrooms, filled with cushions, and the swimming pool swing (more for pictures than purpose!).

Spa

The long-term aim is for this hotel to turn into a day spa, which kills my dream of booking a one-way ticket to Cambodia and living in this hotel. But the energy was so relaxed and spa-esque that the idea didn't shock me. I sampled the spa treatments and received a complimentary 60-minute full-body Khmer massage. Never underestimate a petite masseuse—Thai massages no longer hold the title for firmness. The spa rooms were decorated with earthy, red, and gold tones. I couldn't walk through the hallway to the treatment rooms without taking pictures. I felt like I was in a Herbal Essence commercial.

Wrap up

One thing I didn't see coming and needs a warning, is the swimming pool's depth changing swiftly. I nearly drowned while attempting a photoshoot! But when I say this hotel is a vibe, I don't say it halfheartedly. If I could have extended my stay, I would have without hesitation. I loved my stay at the Spa Corner Residence and my whole time in Siem Reap. If Siem Reap is on your list of places to visit you need to read this post.

HOTEL: The Galata Istanbul MGallery by Sofitel

Picking a hotel always leaves me feeling extremely nervous. Even once I've booked one, I'm constantly second-guessing if I've picked the right one, if I'm in a good area, and if I could have found a better-suited hotel for me. This time, however, I felt really satisfied with my decision. When I arrived outside the hotel and saw the red carpet at the entrance, my face lit up. "They've brought the carpet out for my arrival, ah, I'm a superstar." It turns out the carpet is always there, but it was definitely a welcome touch!

Based in the Karaköy district, the MGallery is relatively new. Even though it is just over a year old, the venue has lived a full life. To open an MGallery, there must be a history behind the building. Back in the day, the venue was an Italian bank. If you look behind the reception desk, you can see deposit boxes, which really add flavour. If it's not seasoned, I'm not impressed. The lounge area also houses a bar serving everything from hot drinks to cocktails.

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“The first thing I noticed was the dark brown wooden shutters, and I developed an unhealthy infatuation with the bathroom.”

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The spa offers many treatments, with English prices, of course. However, you could be swayed by the Turkish hammam, which dates back more than 300 years, giving you an authentic experience. Certain packages also grant you access to the sauna and steam room. Plus, in the spa's chill-out area, you receive complimentary tea and snacks. I love complimentary stuff.

Rooms

This boutique hotel has 83 rooms spread out across 4 floors, and not once did I see anyone on my floor. I love feeling like I'm the only guest at the hotel, and I was very much made to feel that way throughout my stay. The staff were smiley and always happy to assist, and their energy felt genuine.

I originally stayed in the deluxe king room and I fell in love with the room's decor. It wasn't loud; the colours were neutral and had a real warming flair. The first thing I noticed was the dark brown wooden shutters, and I developed an unhealthy infatuation with the bathroom—especially the tiles! As soon as I was introduced to the bed, I was a goner. I was actually, knocked out clean for hours, to the point that I woke up frazzled and it was dark outside. I had to order room service, because I had no intention of getting out of my bathrobe and cute MGallery slippers! The only thing missing for me was a bathtub. That said, the shower was fantastic.

Speaking of water, bottled water was delivered to my room every morning without fail. And all rooms have a minibar, and the suites even have champagne stocked in them. Inserts Nigerian voice "Hayyyy" if you cannot afford it, don't touch it!

The rooms on the higher floors have the best views of the city, and many rooms come with balconies. However, if you forfeit a balcony, you do get to enjoy the breathtaking ceiling detail on the second floor. Plus, there's a hidden game-changer on that floor too—the cutest ever 2-level suite. On the lower floor, it has a living room with a toilet, and then on the upper floor, there's a king-sized bed and master bathroom. I spent my last night lying in bed with cake, planning on how I could get away with moving permanently into this suite.

I'm usually indifferent to the complimentary shower gel and toiletries in the bathroom because more time than not they feel basic. But don't sleep on MGallery's products. The body lotion made me feel like I was in a premium advert and shock horror, the hair conditioner actually hydrated my hair. I could write a blog post about hair products in hotels and still be rolling my eyes at the time it would take someone to travel around the world and back, but can we have a moment? These products hooked my afro up.

Side note: I was feeling extra sensitive, because my hair products did not make it out of the airport. So the realisation that these products worked on my hair, hit that little bit deeper!

Nightlife

From 5 pm, the hotel opens its rooftop bar on the second floor. The Anton Peran bar attracts the 18-30-year-old quirky Turkish crowd, allowing you to meet and vibe with locals. Initially, I thought the daily parties going on until 2/3 a.m. would mess up my sleep, but once your room door is shut, you can't hear a thing. The hotel takes soundproofing to a whole different level. Additionally, people attending the bar use a different entrance and exit.

The music genre changes each night. On Tuesdays, they play electronic music, which is not my style at all, but I loosened up because the vibe was so contagious. As someone who doesn't drink alcohol anymore, a good vibe is everything because I can't drown a dead vibe out with tequila shots! On Wednesdays, they play R&B and hip-hop. Don't get too excited though; I'm talking Destiny's Child and Sean Paul (with Kainrow) tunes! MGallery, book me to DJ and bring the good-good up-to-date tunes.

Food

The food hit the spot. All food matters go down in the Civarda Peran restaurant, open from 6:30 am to 11 pm, serving traditional Turkish and worldwide dishes. Breakfast was a banquet. Everything I wanted and didn't know I wanted was there. As someone who doesn't eat pork or cheese, I have always found securing a filling breakfast in Europe to be difficult.

But I felt like a kid in a candy store. Lentil soup, fresh waffles, omelettes with all the trimmings, turkey sausages without the plastic taste, fresh fruit galore... I could go on and on, but the big exclamation mark moment was... drum roll... the unlimited freshly squeezed orange juice.

Laziness is not going to cost you your taste buds, and it's also not going to create a hole in your pocket. Room service offers a variety of options. I ordered meatballs, rice, and chips. Turkish meatballs and English meatballs are two different sizes. I didn't get the round spaghetti meatballs; I was delivered mini-burgers without the bun—four of them! I couldn't finish all the "meat mega-balls," so I ended up eating the rest at 3 a.m. while half asleep. You can have 99 problems, but going hungry at MGallery is not going to be one! I knew that MGallery and I would have matched on Tinder when they brought me, as standard, three different types of seasoning next to my food!

Small small tips

Avoid the rooms that face the main road- I felt like I was in a horror film because of the abandoned building staring back at me through the window. If you don't want to be disturbed, make sure you put your "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door because the staff are really punctual and quick to enter your room to clean.

Wrap Up

I strongly suggest staying at this luxury hotel, and I would happily return to Istanbul and book this hotel again. It aligns with the respectable Sofitel brand, but it's very much its own hotel. You are so close to many staple places, but you're also not overwhelmed by being on their doorstep. The Galata Tower is a 7-minute walk away, and the old town is four tram stops away. I was in a lavish establishment and felt like I belonged there, which isn't always the case when I travel.

The nightlife in the hotel attracts a younger audience, but I really can't put an age range on who this hotel is for because there is enough to satisfy everyone who walks through their doors.

Doing Up Big Birthdays All-Inclusive Style in Cancun

I've been all-inclusive before but oh my, this holiday opened me up to a whole different level of all-inclusive. I wanted to enjoy the lavish lifestyle for a milestone birthday. Introducing the 5* Dreams Sands Cancun Resort and Spa. Where do I even start? This was a package holiday - flights, hotel and transfer. On arrival at the hotel, we were greeted with a glass of champagne each. I gave mine to my homegirl, as I don’t drink alcohol, as you can imagine she was well happy! I waited for the ugly all-inclusive band that always messes up my tan but it never came. 

Room

We booked a deluxe oceanfront room with a balcony, and that gave us our own King size beds which were really comfortable. Being someone with back problems comfort is a major deal-breaker for me. The way the suite was set up glass panels acted as dividers, so you can be in bed and see someone washing their hands. At first, I thought “hold up, what if I'm trying to do my business in the toilet and I'm being stared at?" Dramatic much... Turns out that part was opaque so all was good there.

Deluxe Room with Partial Sea view and balcony

Things to do

This holiday was not my usual style because for pretty much 7 days and nights I did nothing other than eat, read, sleep and tan. I'm talking about 24-hour room service... Yes, sometimes I ordered food at 4.30 am... no shame! My homegirl said she woke up and saw me chewing in bed at some mad time in the morning, and all now I cannot remember.

The resort offered a large choice of activities. When I looked at the choices I told myself I’d try the Spanish lessons, then I'd join the Caribbean dance classes and then I'd top it off it with yoga aerobics, but I’d be lying to you if I told you I actually did anything. *You know when you go on holiday and sell yourself a bag full of dreams* Regardless, the options were there. However what I did do was, spend my birthday jet skiing in the sea, and I found myself attempting to retrieve my homegirl’s, wig, well it turned out to be her cap, from the sea. (Let’s leave that story for another day.) Oouuu and I also attended a foam pool party and the music was vibezy throughout my whole stay. Proper up to date music, not that awkward stuff.

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“I went for 7 nights and I’m telling you it is not enough. Considering the flight time was 10 hours from London to Cancun, I’d recommend at least 10 nights. I cried internal tears when checking out of the hotel.”

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Food

Even just typing this and reflecting on my holiday has my mouth watering. Dreams Sands Cancun really impressed me. I can be 50/50 about all-inclusive places because a lot of hotels have left me feeling that I'm on a strict eating regime, especially if they recycle the same typical buffet food for the whole week. But Dreams Sands is all about gourmet dining.

It felt so refreshing not having to set an alarm to make sure I made it to breakfast in the morning. If I missed breakfast for whatever reason, I mean breakfast was from 7 am -11 am, I could just order room service. And the room service didn't compromise the good good food. I'm fussy/particular yeah, I like squeezed juice, not from concentrate, not some 20% fruit plus 20 spoons of sugar. So you can imagine my face when fresh orange juice was delivered like clockwork to my room each morning. Lunch was a treat too. I spied my greedy little eyes on some big ass lobster (The only thing that wasn't included in my all-inclusive package cha!) I couldn't complain though because I fell in love with some staple Mexican meals in the buffet and refused to eat anything else after.

Dinner wowed me massively, giving me a choice of 7 different restaurants to pick from. And yes I tried all of them. El Patio and Wave and Sands were my favourites. In the evening dinner falls between 6-11 pm. Let that sink in, it's a whole 5 hours, and you can turn up to the restaurant of your choice without a reservation. I might have on numerous occasions ate at the buffet at about 6.30 pm and then went to eat my gourmet dinner later in the evening. 

Nightlife

Every night there was a different live musical performance. From the Pan-Asian restaurant, I had a banging view of performances. It felt like a mini carnival so I was super involved, whining my waist as I ate my dinner* If after the performances you have the "turn down for what" attitude, the hotel has a sports bar that plays everything from reggaeton to traditional Mexican tunes to pop music so the party can continue.

Also, if you want to venture out there is a lively nightlife in the strip down in main Cancun. I went to Coco Bongo and from picking up the vibe I could tell lots of the clubs down there were not disappointing. Most of my nights ended with me tucked in bed watching a DVD that I'd rented for free from the concierge. Don't expect some new school 2019 or even 2018 film, but you're never too nice to re-watch 'Lilo & Stitch' or 'Dirty Dancing' are you!

Small small tips

I went for 7 nights and I’m telling you it is not enough. Considering the flight time was 10 hours from London to Cancun, I’d recommend at least 10 nights. I cried internal tears when checking out of the hotel, I was not ready to come home and live off of my basic noodles. Also, I was so tired after travelling to Cancun that I fell asleep in the restaurant whilst waiting for my main dish to arrive after eating my starter. Don’t judge me.

When travelling in Cancun book your taxi from the hotel, and always inquire what the price is for that journey, because I kid you not drivers start doing 2+2 and getting 25!

Pay for activities/excursions in US dollars. I found the best rates were offered that way.

Dip your plantain in peanut butter, I’m telling you now it’s a game changer! You’ll thank me later!

I can honestly say I lived good, recharged my soul, had my belly filled up, and my food was well seasoned! Dreams Sands was so good. Until we meet again Mexico, sometime very soon I hope. Watch my vlog to see how I lived a Vida Loca in Cancun.

Frizzy