Adventures in London…
*This is a paid collaboration with hub by Premier Inn.
This week we ended up on a whirlwind trip in London, we always like to spend a few days here in the summer – usually at a festival, but sometimes just for a chilled weekend away.
For this trip, we teamed up with hub by Premier Inn to do a bit of a city swap challenge. My lovely friend Liv headed to Edinburgh, armed with a list of my favourite places, and I was sent to London to experience an itinerary curated by her. If you follow us both, you’ll know we’re almost kindred spirits so I knew we had a wonderful trip ahead of us…
Where we stayed
As much as I love coming to London, the booking stage is never much fun. Not only is it pretty pricey for even a couple of days away, it’s almost impossible to find a decent hotel in a central location. I begrudge paying a lot for a room when we’re hardly going to be there (as is always the case with a city break!), I only need the simple things – fast wifi, a comfy bed, soft towels, a quiet room and blackout curtains. Easy peasy!
When hub by Premier Inn booked us in to their Kings Cross hotel, I knew we’d uncovered a rare find! We don’t usually stay so central, and I was about to make the most of it.
The room itself…
The compact rooms are pretty effortless, but offer a comfy bed and a good amount of storage space.
I also couldn’t believe how dark and quiet it was at night, I slept for 11 hours that first night (unheard of for me!) so I really made the most of the hotel bed!
I loved the minimal layout and fuss-free interiors, the hotel was only a base while we toured the city so it gave us everything we needed.
hub by Premier Inn have central locations in London and Edinburgh, so one to consider if you’re planning a visit.
This is definitely a very 2018 hotel; you book yourself in, there’s no unwanted extras or fussy receptionists. We arrived and were headed to our room in minutes, just the way I like it.
The room is all controlled by buttons next to the bed, and there’s also a ‘hub hotels’ app which offers more room controls, as well as maps and transport information for the area you’re staying in.
Where We Ate
What’s a city break without a bit of brunch? We headed straight to nearby Granger & Co. that first morning (because I’d slept in and it was basically lunchtime), I’d heard so many good things about this place and it did not disappoint.
I ordered sweetcorn fritters, a New Zealand staple (although the Aussie’s do ’em well…) and two cold brews to wake me up after that crazy sleep! It was deeeelish.
That was enough to fill us up ’til dinner, but we did stop at Farm Girl in Portobello for another coffee. Jordan always uses these trips as time to find inspiration, so I thought I’d sample the lavender latte to see if it could be a contender for the shop menu. It was… interesting. Like spritzing pillow spray and then taking a sip of coffee.
But the main event? Dinner at Lina Stores. Another Liv recommendation (this gal knows her pasta), this is a tiny Italian on Greek Street with a small menu made up of hand-made pasta dishes and little plates of antipasti. The mint green and white interiors were made for the gram, but the food is divine.
I had the ravioli and I will probably never stop thinking about it. Unreal!
What We Did
I’ve always wanted to see a bit more of the area around Kings Cross, so we spent a couple of hours after brunch heading up to Granary Square and along the canal, before walking back down to Covent Garden.
Liv had suggested we check out the new The Shop at Bluebird on Floral Street, so we headed there – I’d seen snippets on Instagram but I was overwhelmed at how pretty this place was!
Rails of beautiful pieces from Ganni and Acne, as well as bits from Oskia, Simon Miller and Tom Dixon. Basically, I was in heaven!
Floral Street was a lovely area to wander too, we popped in to Diptyque and Arket and then took in the sights of Covent Garden, which was beautiful and bustling as always.
After a tiiiiny bit of shopping, I suggested we head up to Notting Hill because I’d never really been up that way. A quick trip on the tube and we were there, taking in those incredible big houses and the busy streets nearby.
We mostly just wandered through the little bookstores and took in the sights, stared up at the big houses and talked about moving there. It’s such a pretty little area!
What I Wore
This outfit has become a staple for me, I’ve worn it a lot lately – as I always do with outfits that I love.
I found this Urban Outfitters yellow floral skirt and checked out almost instantly, I’ve always loved this shade in my wardrobe and the floaty style means it’s pretty easy to dress up or down.
For me, it’s usually dressed down. A white tee tied at the waist, my much loved but very old Zara leather jacket and a pair of white Converse too.
The perfect put together look for some city exploring! I had my favourite Rock n Rose basket bag on me too, which I love for days out because it holds all the essentials and gives every outfit a summery vibe.
Another wonderful trip to London! I always say I couldn’t live here, but it’s just so fun to visit – a home away from home.
Thank you for hub by Premier Inn for putting us up for the night, we’ll definitely be back!
Don’t forget to check out Liv’s post on her Edinburgh trip – it’s a goodie.
Will you be heading to London this summer?
