Reflexology ‘Zone Therapy’ at The Club Spa, Jersey //

I made a resolution to myself to take better care of my mind and body this year which includes eating better, getting more rest and making sure I take the time to unwind at the end of a long day. I was recently discussing my new resolutions for self-care to a friend, and she recommended that I look at having a few reflexology sessions. Whilst I had heard of it, I was amazed to hear how it does wonder for the mind, body AND soul #namaste.

Living in London and finding coping mechanisms of city-life is becoming ever more important. That’s why I will be booking a trip to The Club Hotel & Spa as word on the street is that they have a fabulous new reflexology treatment.

The Club Hotel & Spa Jersey's premium wellness destination, has launched an exclusive new Reflexology treatment, priced at £62 for 50 minutes. How dreamy!

Photo: The Club Hotel & Spa

The ancient therapy is also known as ‘Zone Therapy’, and involves applying pressure to the feet and hands with specific thumb, finger, and hand techniques. It is based on a ‘pseudoscientific’ system of zones and reflex areas that reflect an image of the body on the feet and hands.

Reflexology treatments can help to cure the stress of modern-day life, bringing balance to the body’s energies and assisting the body in its natural healing processes. Spa therapists locate reflex points on the feet which directly correspond to various areas of the body, allowing them to heal ailments both externally and internally. All treatments are uniquely tailored to each guest at The Club Spa, targeting only the areas desired or required by the individual.

The Spa at The Club Hotel & Spa is an intimate oasis in the heart of Jersey. The spa makes use of the island’s abundance of natural beautifying ingredients, using rich marine-based elements in the signature treatments.

Photo: The Club Hotel & Spa

The Club Spa is home to an Indoor Salt Water Pool with a Hydrotherapy Bench and Thermal Suite, comprised of a Salt Cabin, Herbal Steam Room, Sauna and Experience Shower. A soothing Relaxation Sanctuary offers four reclining beds with integrated headphones playing soothing music.

The pools and the Thermal Suite are complimentary for all hotel guests to use between 8am and 8pm. The Club Spa is part of FeelUnique.com, Europe’s leading health and beauty retailer, and uses luxury brands Darphin and Decleor.

The Club Spa, Green Street,

St. Helier,

Jersey,

Channel Islands

JE2 4UH

For reservations please call: 01534 876 500 

~ or ~

visit www.theclubjersey.com

Lunch at The Arch London //

Photo: The Arch London

The Arch London is a homely boutique hotel set in the heart of Marble Arch. With its luxurious London-pad feel and its meticulously styled interior design, the Grade II listed Georgian townhouse is an idyllic place to stay and dine. The hotel is tucked away on a quaint residential street in Marylebone, a stone’s throw from Bond Street, Hyde Park and the West End, and spans seven townhouses and two mews homes.

Black and white ‘Alphatecture’ series of prints span the length of the gallery-inspired hall leading towards the Martini Library and parallel to Hunter 486.

Hunter 486

Hunter 486, which was named after the 1950s dialling code for Marylebone, has been designed to carefully reflect contemporary London glamour. The restaurant also features cosy leather booths, blown glass chandeliers and statement artwork, plus an adjoining chic Salon de Champagne bar. The kitchen is also open plan, a design detail I love. It allows guests to watch the skilled chefs at work and become part of the dining experience.

Another inviting feature is the large windows that are adorned with white shutters that look out onto mews properties below. During the day, Hunter 486 is a quiet and relaxing place to dine for lunch. But in the evening, it becomes a place where hotel guests and diners come together to sample Hunter 486's menu and its cocktails.

The bar at Hunter 486                                                                                                                                                                                       Photo: The Arch London

The Arch London's restaurant boasts a ‘Best of British’ menu that incorporates classic British dishes with a twist. It is immediately clear that the best seasonal ingredients have been sourced. The new dishes are complemented by the restaurant’s extensive wine and Champagne list, which has now extended to 27 available by the glass, priced from £6.50.

The bar at Hunter 486                                                                                                                                                                                     Photo: The Arch London

With my friend Rosie in tow, we made an executive decision to share each of our courses in order to sample as much from the menu as possible. If you are a food-lover like myself, finding a friend who doesn't mind sharing half their dish with you will make dining out so much fun.

We made sure to order a variety of dishes from the menu, selecting a meat or fish dish and a vegetarian dish for each course.

Our waiter Giovanni was very friendly and made sure our glasses were always topped up and that our side plates had slices of fresh bread including soda bread, tomato loaf and a soft olive bread. 

Starters:

The starters we sampled were served quickly and included the Salad of confit Loch Duart salmon, Jersey Royals, gem lettuce, quail eggs with a lemon hollandaise sauce. This dish was light and so colourful on the plate.

We then tried the Pea, broad bean, burrata that was accompanied by baby vegetables and samphire that included a sweet saffron mayonaise. The green peas and broad beans were so refreshing and balanced the creamy burrata perfectly.

Rosie opted for Salad of confit Loch Duart salmon, Jersey Royals, gem lettuce, quail eggs, lemon hollandaise, £10

Pea, broad bean, burrata, baby vegetables, samphire, saffron mayonaise, £9.50

Ricotta and honey stuffed crispy courgette flowers, whipped peas, confit cherry tomatoes, mint (V), £18.50

Lobster, crab and king prawn risotto, creme fraiche, chives, £27

Our meal was excellently paired with a delicate Eleve Marssanne-Viognier, Pays d'Oc, 2015, £30. This white wine worked well with all our courses, complimenting and balancing our palette.

The lobster, crab and king prawn risotto was quickly devoured, a creamy risotto that was served with generous portions of crab and lobster. The ricotta and honey stuffed crispy courgette flowers were unbelievably moreish, we agreed that we could have easily eaten more than two! The whipped peas and confit cherry tomatoes added depth of flavour and also looked so pretty on the plate. The flavours of the ricotta and the crispy courgette flowers worked so well together and were made tastier by the truffle fries we ordered as a side accompaniment.

Sides were a desirable extra. We chose the rich Truffle Fries, £5.50 and colourful chopped salad, £4.50

Chocolate fondant, salted caramel ice cream, £8.50

Dessert is always the exciting point in the meal, when you've been greatly satisfied by the previous two courses, but you still feel like you have a sweet tooth to satisfy. Hunter 486 offer some great dessert choices from a traditional Summer pudding with Cornish clotted cream to Fig mille-feuille with rosemary ice cream. However, myself and Rosie chose the indulgent Chocolate fondant which was warm and rich, along with the cheese plate that had a selection of local British cheeses, oat cakes and a sweet and tangy chutney that was to die for!

British Farmhouse Cheeses, Celery, Apple & Raisin Chutney, Oat Cakes, £9.50

Despite being incredibly full from all our courses, plus the generous servings of bread, myself and Rosie managed to clear every plate. Lunch at The Arch London was a success!

The Arch London,

50 Great Cumberland Place,

Marble Arch,

London

W1H 7FD

For reservations, please call: 020 7724 4700

or visit www.thearchlondon.comhttps://www.thearchlondon.com/

Horsham's Best Kept Secret: Pretty Things //

Pretty Things is most definitely one of Horsham's best kept secret. With an aesthetic perfected to suit every girl's Instagram feed and an extensive menu of brunch items that delivers both the look and the taste, it surprises me that there aren't queues out of the doors at this place. But I have to say, that's what appeals to me so much about this place. It doesn't know how good it really is. You won't be treated like just another customer hoping to snap an Instagrammable food pic, instead you'll be welcomed by the lovely staff here, all of whom are extremely passionate about their rainbow café in the heart of Horsham.

Unicorn Hot Chocolate & Nutella Freakshake, both £6.95

If Pretty Things were located in London, you wouldn't even dream of being able to secure a table without a reservation or lengthy wait. Granted it isn't planted in an urban burrough. However it does stand out as offering the people of West Sussex both quality cake and aesthetic charm. Élan Cafe and Farm Girl...eat your heart out!

Mermaid Cake, £3.50 per slice

Myself and Hannah both ordered the prettiest drinks, I chose the Unicorn Hot Chocolate (see below), whilst Hannah opted for a super chocolatey Nutella Milkshake.

Annoyingly I didn't snap a cute pic of my hot chocolate quick enough and a lot of the cream melted, so here is a fabulous picture I found on Instagram of the hot chocolate in all its glory.

Photo: @sianellenjones

Cupcake, from £2.25

Whilst we waited for our order to arrive, myself and Hannah decided to have some fun and shoot some photos.

Can you tell I'm excited to eat cake 🍰🦄🌸 📷: @hannaahforan

A post shared by A L I C E B R A D L E Y (@alicelucybradley) on Aug 13, 2018 at 4:11am PDT

Never a dull moment with @alicelucybradley around 🍰

A post shared by Han (@hannaahforan) on Aug 13, 2018 at 4:13am PDT

It was also great to follow myself and Hannah's long standing tradition of meeting at Pretty Things for a catch up. There is nothing that goes better together than gossip and a cute cafe to gossip in!

Recipe: Dulcey de Leche Chocolate Cupcakes National Cupcake Week 2018 //

With The Great British Bake Off around the corner, it comes as no surprise that some Star Baker worthy recipes are being served by top chefs in the UK. To celebrate the occasion and the fact that National Cupcake Week returns to the UK from 18-24 September 2018, Royal Lancaster London will be serving up an exclusive cupcake-creation from Head Pastry Chef Steve Penny: Dark Chocolate and Dulcey de Leche Cupcakes.

This indulgent chocolately treat will be served in the hotel’s Hyde Lobby Bar throughout the week and is priced at £3 per cupcake. Steve Penny shares his recipe for a twist on a classic that’s sure to be the icing on top of a sweet week.

Dark Chocolate and Dulcey de Leche Cupcake by Steve Penny

Ingredients (10-12 cupcakes):

250g   Softened butter

150g   Caster sugar

100g   Light brown sugar

250g   Eggs

20ml   Milk

250g   Self-raising flour

30g     Cocoa powder

20g     Cocoa nibs

2 cans Condensed milk

100g   Dulcey de leche

Valrhona Dulcey pearls

Chocolate Butter Cream:

50g Dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)

100g Unsalted butter, softened

200g Icing sugar

1 tsp Vanilla extract

Splash of Milk (to loosen)

Method

To make the Dulcey de Leche:

Step 1: Take two cans of condensed milk and place them unopened in a bain-marie in the oven. Set the oven temperature to 120 degrees for around 2-3 hours. Be careful when opening the cans as they will remain hot for a long time!

To make Chocolate Butter Cream:

Step 1: Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Allow to cool until the chocolate no longer feels hot to the touch.

Step 2: Beat the butter in a second bowl until soft then gradually add the icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract and beat again.

Step 3: Add the melted chocolate to the butter mixture until completely mixed, you can add a few drops of milk if the mixture is a little stiff.

To make the Cupcakes:

Step 1: In a bowl mix together the flour, cocoa and cocoa nibs.

Step 2: Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.

Step 3: Slowly add the milk, eggs and lastly the dried ingredients (flour, cocoa and cocoa nibs). Fold in the Dulcey de Leche into the mix.

Step 4: Fill 10-12 muffin tins. Don’t fill to the top, only ¾ of the cases should be full!

Step 5: Bake at 180 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes (or until a knife inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean) and allow to cool.

Step 6: Once cool, carefully make a hole in the top of the cakes using a teaspoon and pipe in the dulcey de leche. Top with a spread of the milk chocolate butter cream to give a smooth velvety finish.

Step 7: Sprinkle Valrhona Dulcey pearls and drizzle more chocolate on top just for luck!

Royal Lancaster London,

Lancaster Terrace, London

W2 2TY

Reservations - 020 7551 6000

~ or visit ~

wwww.royallancaster.com

Fairmont Monte-Carlo: Iconic luxury in the heart of Monte-Carlo //

Synonymous with luxury, Monaco is a central meeting point for the international elite. Whether you own a £4m yacht or you just want a taste of opulence, the Fairmont Monte-Carlo is the hotel to stay at during your time in the principality.

The Fairmont Monte-Carlo stands out against the French coastline. Boasting 602 guest rooms, residences and suites, the Fairmont is a large scale hotel that feels similar to a mini city. With four world-renowned restaurants and bars, shopping complex and in-house casino, no person is left uncatered for. For those wanting somewhere to conduct formal business conferences can make use of the 18 different meeting rooms, ideal for every CEO.

Dreaming about where I want to travel to next

Bedrooms:
Fairmont Monte-Carlo offers spacious bedrooms are with generously beds that are plush and extremely comfortable. The luxurious details include hypoallergenic pillows, a TV that has hundreds of channels for its international occupants, a Nespresso machine, while the spacious marble bathrooms are bright and any bloggers dream, all whilst offering soft bathrobes and slippers.

The Facilities:

The Fairmont Monte-Carlo unique wellness facilities: a stunning Fairmont Spa, that lets you rediscover all your energy and its fitness centre & rooftop pool, which offer all guests the opportunity to enjoy a world-class workout while enjoying views of the Riviera. Fairmont Monte Carlo, an island unto itself situated in the most exclusive part of the world.

Photo: Nikki Beach Monaco

Nikki Beach:

Nikki Beach is one of the coolest places to party in Monte Carlo. With a 360° views of the city and coastline, amazing poolside food and an extensive drinks menu, Nikki Beach is both a relaxing space to unwind during the week and party at on the weekend.

I happened to be celebrating my 21st the same weekend as the World Cup Final. The atmosphere was electric, with the main screen airing the France V Croatia game. Set music was then played in between ad breaks and half time hyping up the energy of the rooftop party. Nikki Beach went absolutely wild with the result of the game; Champagne was sprayed, people dived into the pool fully clothed and the entire city seemed to cheer in unison.

Nikki Beach
Outfit: Paris Hilton Leopard Print Bodysuit, £30 | Boohoo

Dining:

The Horizon Restaurant is one of my favourite places to dine. It sits on the 7^th floor and has the same 360° view as Nikki Beach. The over the Principality's legendary Opera House, Prince's Palace, and Casino. Guests can dine here for breakfast, lunch and dinner against the backdrop of the Riviera.

Breakfast was one of my favourite times to dine, with amazing continental options, full-English breakfast, freshly prepared omelettes made to your order right in front of you on a hot plate, thick buttermilk pancakes, a doughnut wall and a colourful selection of fresh fruits and pressed juices. Staff ensure that you wake up feeling well fed and relaxed for your next day in Monte Carlo.

Discover the stunning view of the Mediterranean Sea and the comfortable dining environment, moving seamlessly between a bistro, at the Saphir24, bistro lounge & bar open all day and night. From October to April, it also proposes the unique Sunday Jazz Brunch with unlimited buffet, kids club and live music.

For those looking to enjoy exceptional Asian cuisine that is aesthetically pleasing as it is palatable, experience the NOBU restaurant in a stylish, intimate dining space as well as a lounge and bar. The bar was ideal for our 21st birthday pre-drinks and nibbles. We enjoyed lychee martini's and roasted bell peppers in a sticky mustard seed glaze.

Pink Sunday:
Each Sunday throughout the summer Fairmont Monte-Carlo offer both guests at the hotel and the general public a spectacular 'Pink Sunday' brunch. Inspired by the pink Taittenger Champagne, Pink Sunday is the perfect way to spend your Sunday. Relax and take your time dining between 12pm until 4pm, all whilst wearing a little pink of course. The brunch itself is vast, which is why it's reassuring to know that you will not be judged for going up multiple servings of each course. It is completely unlimited, including the pink wine and pink Taittenger.

A delicious and colourful array of fresh salads, canapes, soups, cheeses and grilled meats and fish are just the start of what the brunch offers its guests. The waiters and waitresses are attentive and never overbearing in their service, instantly topping up your glass when it is nearing emptiness. All of this to the chilled beats of live music.

Celebrating Our 21st:
On the morning of our 21st Birthday Fairmont Monte-Carlo pulled out all the stops to make our day special. Birthday balloons were placed at our table along with presents. The entire dining team came to our table to sing Happy Birthday and present us with a selection of special cakes and doughnuts.

The surprises didn't stop there as a birthday card and chocolate mousse cake was presented in our room when we got back from a day at Nikki Beach. It was a truly special day and I can't thank the Fairmont Monte-Carlo enough for their kindness and attention to detail on our special day.

What's Near:
Monte-Carlo is famous for its steep hilly inclines, architectural skyline and Monte Carlo's famous Circuit de Monaco, on which the Formula One Grand Prix takes place.

It is also worth visiting the Royal Palace, a grand space best visited at 11.55am when you will be able to witness the changing of the guard.

Café de Paris is a minutes walk from the hotel, an iconic place to dine and people watch. It is also a great place to spot luxury and classic cars. Café de Paris is a place to not only see, but be seen.

To book your Monte Carlo adventure, click here.

Photo: Fairmont Monte Carlo

12 Avenue des Spélugues,
98000 Monaco
+377 93 30 07 00