The Westin Chicago River North

I'm not a hostel type of girl and I've never rented an Airbnb (don't worry, that'll be changing next month). I guess you could call me old fashioned when it comes to booking accommodation. Some travelers will budget every cent. For me however, I've always found with enough research you can find the perfect hotel at a reasonable price. 

My friends and I decided to split the cost of a hotel during our trip to Chicago a few weeks back. Since there were three of us, we decided to go for something central. We settled on the Westin Chicago River North. As soon as we stepped inside the lobby of this modern hotel we were in love. We lucked out in getting a room with a view. Chicago is beautiful from above!

So let me tell you a little story about our stay at the Westin Chicago River North. We didn't get into our room until 9pm on a Friday evening. Between work and school, all of us were exhausted. We decided instead of going out on our first night, why not grab a snack in the hotel lobby?

Somehow, within seconds of leaving our room, one of us got stuck. Stuck how, you may ask? Well, my dear friend Maison accidentally locked herself in the adjoining room hallway. We tried our room key once. We tried it twice. After SEVERAL attempts, we decided it was time to call down to the front desk for assistance. George, the front desk guy, found the whole situation hilarious. 

Eventually, the hotel 'engineers' were called up. They examined the situation and decided it was time to break it down. Yes, you read that correctly. The engineers BROKE THE DOOR DOWN. In the end, Maison was saved, George was very much amused, and we were all offered free snacks in the lobby. Best Friday night staff ever? I say YES! 

We all really enjoyed our stay at the Westin Chicago River North. Between the friendly staff, our little misadventure, and the modern room, we found everything to be perfect! If you find yourself in Chicago with a friend or two, the Westin is the perfect place to stay while exploring the Windy City. 

xoxo

Thanksgiving at Barton Creek Resort & Spa | Austin, TX

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with food, family, and more food! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love any holiday that brings family together. Last year, although there was no family, I enjoyed spending Thanksgiving with some of my friends and loved ones. 

This year however, since it was my first Thanksgiving back stateside in three years, we decided to make the Texas rounds. We drove from Houston to Waco, then finally to Austin to visit both sides of the family. The result? Lots of driving and four separate Thanksgiving meals. I'm stuffed. We don't normally do Thanksgiving in Austin, but a little change up in the usual holiday routine was just what we needed. So we booked a couple of rooms in one of Austin's most beautiful neighborhoods, Barton Creek. 

As always, the Texas weather was highly unpredictable. We were rained in the majority of the holiday, however Barton Creek Resort & Spa had enough to keep the whole family entertained indoors. 

Barton Creek Resort & Spa not only has super fast wifi, but is pet friendly! My sister brought her puppy for the weekend, and keeping him in the room was no problem! After a little R&R in the room, we headed to the spa for champagne and massages. Needless to stay it was a very relaxing stay. 

How did you celebrate your Thanksgiving?

xoxo

The Z Hotel Shoreditch | London

Picking a hotel for my stay in London this summer was difficult to say the least. When I lived in England I would either stay with friends or stay somewhere touristy on the request of the guest who was visiting me at the time. However, this particular visit was different.  I wanted to avoid the tourist traps while simultaneously staying somewhere central and easy. Shoreditch quickly came to mind.

I had never been to London's hip neighborhood of Shoreditch and I was worried about getting ripped off on prices and/or quality. There were quite a few Shoreditch hotels that had been reviewed in the blogging world, but reviews varied drastically and I wasn't willing to pay that much.  Instead, I picked a reasonably priced hotel near Old Street Tube Station. 

The Z Hotel Shoredicth stood out to me for many reasons, but what set it apart from every other hotel in London was the affordable price and location. I had no difficultly finding it, and before we knew it we were opening the doors to a gorgeous modern room.

The Z Hotel Shoredicth had a lot to offer. The room was spacious yet presented creative ways to store our luggage. There was plenty of room under the bed for my bags and the walls had hooks and hangers for anything that needed hanging. The bathroom had shelves and hooks, and the shower was the perfect water pressure. The only thing I didn't like? At night the room could get a bit warm but we were in London during the summer, I'm just grateful there was air conditioning! Outside the room the halls were quiet and clean. In fact, the entire hotel was beyond tidy! But the best part about the stay? Each night the cafe downstairs offered complimentary wine and cheese. It was a brilliant concept that I can't rave about enough! 

The Z Hotel has locations in Victoria and Soho if you are looking for something more central, however our stay in Shoreditch proved to be both convenient and relaxing. 

The Best Things About Our Stay:

+ Free wine and cheese every evening in the cafe!

+ Clean, clean, clean!

+ Modern and open design. 

+ Easy access to the tube.

+ Some of the friendliest staff in a London hotel.

+ And of course, free WiFi!

Price

For three nights in June the cost of my stay was 370 pounds, a bargain in my opinion for summer in London. 

Do I recommend this hotel?
Yes! If you are looking for something easy to get to and reasonably priced, the Z Hotel is perfect. In total I've stayed in seven London hotels. Although some are more luxurious I found the Z Hotel Shoredicth to be the most bang for your buck. It is luxury meets comfort. 

FIND THE Z HOTEL 
Website | Twitter | Tripadvisor 

*The Z Hotel offered me an upgraded room upon hearing of my review. However, all opinions are my own and I highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a reasonably priced hotel in an easy-access part of London.