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Heroine In Heels is a top 10 London lifestyle blog aimed at the modern day woman. Covering things to do in London, restaurant reviews, hotels as well as where to go in the world when you want to escape London

Heroine In Heels is a top 10 London lifestyle blog aimed at the modern day woman. Covering things to do in London, restaurant reviews, hotels as well as where to go in the world when you want to escape London

Shangri-La Doha Hotel Lobby

When it comes to choosing a destination to visit, the hotel is quite important to me. Not the be all and end all, as I’m definitely not someone who stays in the hotel all trip and never leaves, but I do want somewhere where I can relax, have some peace and yes, sometimes where I can have a good drink at the end of the day. When in Doha, the Shangri-La ticked those boxes for me.

The Shangri-La brand is synonymous with luxury, although you’d be hard pressed to find a hotel in Doha that wasn’t luxury, seeing as it’s one of the richest nations in the world. 

If you are one of the many people not convinced by this oil rich nation as a travel destination, you can read all about my week trip to doha here. But if you are already intrigued, here's an idea of where to stay...

Qatar Travel Video: A Weekend In Doha

Qatar is very much an up and coming travel destination. Still mostly known for being a stop over airport, it is however on the rise. Being one of the richest nations in the world, it's a place quite like no other, and deserves to be seen in all the glory of color, sound and movement. That's why I've put together a video of my weekend in Doha so you can see exactly what it is like. 
Breakfast On The Helipad Of The Shangri-La Doha

Qatar. Is it the first place you think of to take a holiday? It’s probably more likely the place you think of as your stop over on the way to your holiday. However in recent years, Qatar, and especially in the capital Doha, has spent billions on infrastructure to turn it into a tourist destination. 

I’ll be completely honest from the start. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. When you think of Doha, comparisons are always going to be made to Dubai, and Dubai is somewhere I’ve always avoided. I mean I like luxury, this blog is filled with top restaurants, beautiful spa’s and a fair few pricey cocktails, but Dubai’s “luxury” is on another level. It’s excessive to point it’s sickening and the city seems so void of any culture that isn’t about shopping, that I just get turned off. So worried I was that Doha would be this.

Spoiler alert. It’s not. But it is a luxury country, so first, on my weekend in Doha, I will take you to somewhere rather fabulous, as well, when in Rome....

The Butcher, Sir Adam Hotel, Amsterdam

Getting the other half to come away with me is something of a mission. However I have recently discovered the one way he will come- if it’s for work. There was a cyber security conference on in Amsterdam, so with a bit of poking, I got him to extend his stay to cover the weekend too. We were having our long over due mini break together. Hurrah. Only problem was I had just over a week to book a hotel, and well, turns out September in Amsterdam is rather busy.
When it comes to eating out in Amsterdam, can often feel like a bit of a challenge. There are rows upon rows of restaurants, but with a mass of tourists coming each and everyday. How do you find something really special hidden amongst all those traps? 

I recently went and found 5 totally cool and quirky places to eat that you have to add on your Amsterdam Bucket List. Forget the normal, these will make your social media friends go wow.

Quirky Places to eat in Amsterdam

I Scream Waffle

I think the photo for starters says more than words could, but I'll waffle on anyways. Pun always intended. 

I Scream Waffle is a food stand inside FoodHallen, a hawker centre style food hall. The totally Instagram worthy treat is made from an egg waffle that the Chinese call bubble waffles, which is then filled with cream and toppings. I went for the Unicorn, because if I was going to go to, I might as well go all out. 

Quirky Places to eat in Amsterdam

FoodHallen

Speaking of FoodHallen, the marker is inside the De Hallen Amsterdam- a newly renovated tram depot which plays host to independent boutiques and traders. Inspired by the Hawker Centres, and our very own Borough Market, FoodHallen is buzzing with every type of cuisine you can think of. Theres sushi, Mexican, Moroccan and even a gin bar. I went for the mezze platter to share which was fanatic, but it's as much about the atmosphere as it is the food.

Quirky Places to eat in AmsterdamQuirky Places to eat in AmsterdamQuirky Places to eat in Amsterdam

Corner Bakery

This little cafe has got something of an Instagram reputation, as they serve the craziest freakshakes. Yes that is a milkshake with a donut on top. You'll be glad to know though that the menu is actually evenly split between indulgent such as pancakes and French toast, and then healthy grain salads and avocado on toast. 

The interior is also really cute too, making it a great place to grab a coffee, although at a weekend during peak times, be prepared to queue. 

Quirky Places to eat in AmsterdamQuirky Places to eat in Amsterdam

Aardbei Amsterdam - All Strawberry Everything

Such a cute little cafe, that is about as quirky as it gets. Aardbei or All Strawberry Everything as it's also known, is a cafe that only sells strawberry related products. Be that ice cream, cake, drinks. Everything is strawberry flavoured. I found it by complete accident as I was walking back to my hotel and had to pop in. Ok, tell a lie, they do (non flavoured) coffee. So pull up a chair, grab a slice of their really good bake cheesecake and people watch the world away. 

Quirky Places to eat in AmsterdamQuirky Places to eat in Amsterdam

The Butcher

The Butcher is actually across the canal behind Amsterdam Centraal station, however there is a free ferry every 5 minutes that takes all of 2 minutes to cross. It's actually a quite fun way to travel. Located in the Amsterdam Tower or Adam Toren as it's known, The Butcher occupies the ground floor with a very social vibe. The food is BBQ and Burgers and the drinks are strong which are very good but it's the vibe that makes it. There are sofas,  pinball machines and other retro arcade games, and on a Friday and Saturday there is live music. When I went it was more swing based music, which got people up and dancing around the bar. 

Quirky Places to eat in Amsterdam

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Arriving in Amsterdam it was already dark. The weather had started to turn and we fancied something warm and inviting for dinner on a Friday night. 

When I was searching for hotels, I came across The Dylan, and whilst I didn't book it, I did book dinner in their Brasserie OCCO.  

September was something of an anomaly for me. I took 9 plane journeys and visited 5 countries, and no I’m not a full time travel blogger. So can I get a #GirlBoss ? I’ve loved every moment of zipping around from country to country, exploring new places and soaking up the culture (and a fair few cocktails along the way), so keen to keep up the travel, I headed to the Four Seasons Ten Trinity as Palm Springs were hosting a spa evening to learn more about the gloriously sunny Florida destination.

I’ve been to the Four Seasons Ten Trinity before and raved about it. Everything from the décor, to the music, right down to the food and drink is exceptional. However I hadn’t managed to see the spa until now.


Whilst it may be located in the basement, don’t expect it to be dark and forgotten. Oh no. In fact they’ve pulled out the stops even more. From the reception area, bathed in gold, right through to the hugely spacious changing rooms.


It is however the pool area that draws a few gasps. It has to be one of the most stunning spa pools I’ve ever come across. Sadly as I was coming after work, I didn’t have time before my treatment to use it… excuse to come back right?


There’s eight treatment rooms at the Four Seasons spa, the pool, a sauna, a steam room and a couples treatment room. I’d opted for a salt scrub and massage that lasted 60 minutes. I’ve said it a dozen times ow on this blog, that I adore scrubs. This one contained Apricot Seed Kernels, Spearmint and Aloe Vera, and let me tell you, my skin was so soft afterwards, and even for about a week later, I could noticeably feel my skin was smoother. Even my boyfriend commented, which is a huge rarity, so take that as a sign it must be extra good.


I’ve never been to Florida so I was really keen to find out more information about this exclusive destination.  Palm Springs is famed for its shopping, amazing restaurants and of course spa’s. It’s the place to be seen, and spend a little cash on yourself. October is the month of wellness in Palm Springs, and so there will be some amazing offers available for you to book for spa and R&R holidays.


Settling down to dinner in the Rotunda Lounge to talk more about our favorite treatments and travels, the sound of an amazing live band started to play. They were fantastic and took any requests you through at them. 


Of course I had to start the evening with an Espresso Martini. I sometimes think I should branch out once in a while, it's getting a little out of hand now.


But not too worry, as food appeared. I went for the Burrata with tomato salad. Ohhh boy was it good. There is something so special about burrata, and the sweetness of the tomatos was an excellent accompaniment, 


There were many light dishes on the menu, but I was feeling the need for something just that little heavier. Yes a steak. Cooked in it's own skillet, it was charred but still pink in the middle just how I like it. 



However the main was slightly over shadowed by my discovery of an ice cream cart. Like a small child I lept up and asked for the biggest sundae they did. I asked our waiter if it was popular "Yes. With children..."



Let me hear a hell yeah for the best looking dessert of the evening. It was all my sugary dreams come true. Even if I did slip into some kind of food coma in the taxi home. I think I'm going to have to book a wellness break just to get over all this food!