Eating and drinking at the Malmaison: YUM!

At the Malmaison in Oxford we slept like babies and ate like kings. What can I say, we were utterly and definitely spoiled. The brasserie has incredible yummy food that still has me salivating. How cosy is the below dinning room? Perfect for a small dinner party!

I love  mussels but I'm always a bit skeptical but at the Malmaison they were gorgeously tasty. N had english asparagus with poached eggs and said they were cooked to perfection.

Steak and fries? uuum yes please! and delicious panacotta for desert, oh how I love panacotta!

After dinner, we had fantastic cocktails at the visitors bar and I was seriously impressed. Again very masculine but warm at the same time. There's tufted sofas!

And of course breakfast, hot, cold, anything your heart (or stomach!) wishes the Malmaison can offer. 

N and I were guests of the Malmaison Oxford

Sleeping in a Prison: Malmaison Oxford

This past weekend we took the train from London and went up to Oxford, where btw randomly met Lauren from Aspiring Kennedy and her lovely husband in the train station, such a fun surprise!

We headed towards the Oxford Castle and particularly to the old prison, the Malmaison Oxford (which actually IS the old Oxford prison). The prison closed in 1996 due to overcrowd and in 2006 the Malmaison group refurbished it all to create this stunning hotel. Each room has been created from what used to be 3 cells. N and I stayed in a cell room in the A wing, the original prison cell block. Our room overlooked what was the exercise ward, which now is a beautiful patio.
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Large, very spacious room, with a very masculine luxurious feel. A super comfy bed, with beautiful linens and glossy magazines. 

The bathroom is my dream, a large roll top bath plus walk in shower and beautiful beautiful Mal toiletries. Just perfect! Plush towels and bathrobes made us feel like never leaving.



The building is graded, so the original fixtures had to stay. This is exactly how it looked back when it was a prison. Well, plush carpet was added, and glossy white paint!

The exterior spaces are as well cared as the interior. And guests can enjoy drinks under the sun, when weather permits that is :)

And how stunning is this corner in the entrance lounge. A mix of library, and reading corners, or just a perfect spot to enjoy a calm drink.



All in all, a fantastic stay, I will post separately about the yummy food and the awesome bar. One post can't cover the incredible service and the fun time we had at this fantastic hotel!

N and I were guests of the Malmaison Oxford

The New Sheridan Hotel branding

This isn't strictly speaking new but I really like it. I think it's a great branding exercise and one done very well. There is no doubt, that in the world we live, branding, and getting it right, is incredibly important. I think the New Sheridan Hotel in Colorado with Urban Influence's hep got in incredibly right. The logo is sophisticated yet edgy and the details are second to none. Who wouldn't fall head over heels with these super cute coffee cups and the intricate detail of the menu?

Azuuuuucar!

One of my weekly links over the weekend was the rather amazing Boca Chica Hotel that I saw at Ruby Press. So click I went and I found it's part of a Mexican chain of hip hotels. And let me tell you these are what anyone could wish on a Mexican holiday. Funky, hip, luxurious, indulgent, pretty! Azucar at Veracruz has me dreaming.

Palace of Versailles Annex...Hotel accommodations! Travel & Leisure!

Regular visitors to the Tattler site are keen to the fact that the Palace of Versailles has been a noteworthy link on the web site for the past year or so!

One of my favorite haunts.

Now, jet setters - and those who savor the good life - will be able to book a room at the Versailles on the historic property in France next year!

The Hotel du Grand Controle - an Annex building at the edge of the Versailles estate - will be transformed into a 23-room Hotel (it has just been announced by public administrators).

The restoration and modernization of the 17th Century Palace will be overseen by a Belgian Company known as Ivy International, which has taken a 30-year lease on the estate.

To facilitate the transformation, the property is going through a rare property transfer - from that of a French Public Heritage site - to one under the auspices of Ivy in the private sector.

According to the master-planners of the illustrious project, the Hotel plans amount to a pioneer initiative.

"The building was given to us in a dilapidated state, so my concern was to save it," enthused Jean Jacques Aillagon (Chairman of the Versailles Palace).

The Versailles "Hotel" will be inaugurated at the end of 2011, and is expected to wow guests with awesome views of the Orangerie (the Greenhouse) and the Swiss Ornamental Lake.

The Palace was built by Louis XIV and was designed by his favorite architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart.

The Hotel du Controle served as the Official treasury for awhile - and then later - as part of the Officer's mess until 2006.

The exquisite building became part of the Versailles Estate in 2008.

The visionary plans have been orchestrated in recent days to boost the French economy.

http://www.thetattler.biz

Babington House

Remember last week I talked about the Soho House chain and I told you how their interior are beyond incredible. I was planning to do a generic post but I couldn't just pick one (or some) so I might split this. The Babington House, a members club in Somerset is probably what everyones dreams when thinking (dreaming?) of England. Warm colors, leather, big plush beds, luxurious library, acres and acres of greens. 

 And some of the bedrooms

Pure indulgence?

Soho House(s)

The people at Soho House must be doing something very well, if not their "world domination" wouldn't be so impressive and exclusive. I'm absolutely in awe with their interiors (planning a separate post) but their exteriors and roofs are no less impressive. Pools and roof terraces are popping all over the world in these exclusive members only clubs. I want to lounge in one of these pools!

West Hoolywood, London Soho, Miami, New York, London Shoreditch