Copenhagen: The Audo

So much has changed since our visit to Copenhagen back in January; it feels like we're half way through a year that we will never forget. There's been a few flickers of hope coming from Denmark recently, a the "new normal" life starting to move forward and people being able to return to work in some cases. When I see some of the people we met on the trip sharing Instagram Stories of meeting friends, working on photogaphy projects and cycling along the river, it gives us a sense of hope that we can overcome the evolving battle against covid-19.

The Audo Hotel - from the collective design community behind Menu - is officically back open for business. We didn't stay here on our trip, but we did spend a very leisurely morning in and around this meticulously designed gaff - taking our time to drink in the tactile surfaces, neatly curated selection of reading material, multi-functional lobby / work space / meeting and studio spaces, and cafe-restaurant. Oh, I can't forget the bathrooms too - linen clothes, locally sourced hand wash and delicate room scents are just what the doctor ordered.

Maybe when travel does resume to some level of normality, we'll take a plum to book a room with a view of the harbour.

Mat - Instagram.

Caminito Del Rey, Malaga | World's Most Dangerous Walkway?

"Risk taker" and "thrill seeker" aren't two words that would describe me. It's not that I haven't done some cool and slightly hairy things in the past, but on my recent trip to Malaga with AC Hotels I'd say I certainly ticked one of the boxes off properly - with a 8k walk along the "World's Most Dangerous Walkway". Well, that's what Google likes to label it anyway...

When Hollie saw that I might have the opportunity to explore one of Spain's more dangerous pursuits, it was a firm no...No way, no how. And I must admit, the articles and stories which I'd seen online didn't install me with the greatest of confidence either. But then, a little further digging suggested that the whole cliffside walkway - which cuts through one of Malaga's most beautiful regions, along with the early 1900s hillside railway - was actually fully renovated in 2015, taking on extensive repairs to tired parts of the hike, while also creating a whole new modern walkway which now sees thousands of visitor's feet each day. Sounded pretty resonable to me.

Sure, it could be very silly if you messed about or stay glued to your phone screen a little too long, but it would be wrong to label "The King's Little Path" as dangerous. It was definately high up, and and some points the pathway does become narrow, but to called it dangerous would be sensationalism.

That's not to say it wasn't a sensational experience. In fact, the hike through Caminito del Rey in 32 degrees heat was one of most amazing experiences of my life, and I'm so pleased I said yes to the opportunity. Scary at points, almost unbearable heat throughout, and some of the most stunning views I've ever seen in person. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

Mat.

Malaga Travel Diary

 A stay at AC Hotels Malaga, the ideal location

Trip part of a paid project w/ AC Hotels

On the odd occasion when an exciting opprotunity drops in my inbox I start to feel very anxious and overwhelmed by the end of the email. These feelings hit when AC Hotels approached me with a travel commission; to visit two of their newly renovated hotels in the South of Spain and explore both cities while documenting my time via Instagram. Sounds ideal! But in the back of my head I was thinking about the other incomplete projects I was juggling with at the same time.

This is by no means a problem, a busy schedule is what I'm after as a full time freelancer, but I don't love the anxious feeling that can appear when my battery on low-power mode.

Then usually it just takes Hollie to snap me out of it - telling me to grab those exciting opportunites and make the most out of them, because you really don't know if that opporunity when present itself again. And I'm so glad I did.

So I found myself walking head-on into a wall of heat as I puffed across the sun-bleached runway at Malaga airport. Prepped as much as I could be with only a few days notice.

Hey Malaga.

A welcomed break from the direct heat at Mia Coffee House 

I've decided to lay low on the words and leave it to the photos this time. Next up, a hike around Caminito del Rey and 24 hours in Seville.

Mat.

Ace Hotel, Shoreditch, London

January was a weird month. Chugging along at a snail's pace, paid opportunities were few and far between, and it felt like every day was an admin day. But saying that, I did manage to travel around to the usually cities a few times (London, Manchester and Liverpool) - seeing friends, meetings with potential clients and generally trying to make things happen for myself.

You know I'm not a negative person, far from it, I don't tend to dwell on the slower times. If anything I make good use of them. Two weeks in to 2019 and I managed to tick off one of the goals I set myself this year; to run 10k without stopping. Nailed it!

On a round trip to London last week I booked myself in for an overnight at Ace Hotel in Shoreditch, as I was visiting for an event just up the road. It was a decent experience, with everything I need from a couple of hours of laptop club, a short but solid kip and comfortable surroundings. Tbh a highlight for me was the patchwork denim APC blanket, which can be seen adorned across each low-set king size bed in the hotel. True, a blanket doesn't make the hotel, but it did stick in my mind as being one of the more memorable features (along with the army green storage cabinet at the side of the bed, I dig).

Maybe I've been spoilt by the quality of design (especially for the price) at Whitworth Locke in Manchester, because for me, the rooms at Ace were lacking something. It has got some major ups though; the Shoreditch Highstreet location is pretty spot on for local restaurants, cafes etc, it's two mins walk from Redchurch St, and Ace's own restaurant Hoi Polloi is stone cold stunner.

So to sum up, would I recommend Ace Hotel? Yes, but only if you can get a decent deal.

Ace Hotel, 100 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JQ

Whitworth Locke Hotel, Manchester

I'm honestly not too sure why I'm writing this on Christmas Eve but it's been in my head since the other day, and the only way to get rid of that before the big guy arrives is to jot some short thoughts down.

The new Whitworth Locke Hotel recently swung open its doors in Manchester. The city feels like it's having a proper extended moment - I can't really think of another place in the UK right now that's covering so many areas to such a high + creative standard. The Whitworth Locke - located just on the edge of Chinatown + Oxford Road - is the latest gaff to grab some sleep in. You'd be excused if you spend equal amounts of time in their bar (thankfully a decent amount of non-generic beer + cocktails), lobby, cafe resturant and co-working space as you do in the rooms. 

We have come to expect quite a bit from a hotel visit these days; we want a unique experience, that comes with a memorable interior, personalised service and a high level of finer detail, all for a price we deem as decent. Whitworth Locke breezes through all of the above, including the price. I'll come to the rooms in another blog post, so if these interior snapshots are ringing your buzzer then be sure to check back soon.

Whitworth Locke, 74 Princess St, Manchester M1 6JD.

Photos by Jake Millers.

A Short Stay at Boro Hotel, New York

It may have only been for one night but I recently enjoyed a memorable stay at the Boro Hotel in Long Island, New York. This overnight marked the end of our working trip to Easton, PA, and the start of myself and Jordan's three days of free time in NYC (lots more to share on both of those trips soon).

After checking in we parked up in the aesthetically pleasing lobby for an hour of caffeine fixes + beers, just before we headed off to see the NY Yankies play Washington Nationals as the ionic Yankies stadium in the Bronx. But let's not glace over that lobby too quickly, as this perfectly sized space was actually the highlight for me. Horizontal airbricks backed the length of the reception, giving your eyes plenty to look at while the check-in process went down. Be forgiven if your gazed wanders elsewhere in the room, as the late evening light danced across the soft green painted walls, untreated concrete pillars as if planned perfectly. The mixture of mid-century and powder-coated contemporary furniture worked a treat.

As for the rooms, well I definitely lucked out being on a high floor; the windows faced out towards Manhattan, making my early morning rise that little bit more special. My room was spacious with a huge window letting in loads of natural light. A wooden study desk and comfy chairs were all there but I inevitably didn't get chance to use. The bathroom was neat and well designed, all I really need.

Would I stay at Boro Hotel again? For sure! Being on Long Island it's a little further out the way than you'd usually think of staying, but I think it's worth the extra few miles for such a memorable experience - even if it's just for the rooftop view, which overlooks the whole of the New York skyline.

My stay was covered as part of a wider project with Majestic Athletic, which I'll be sharing soon! 

Additional photography by Jordan Bunker.

More Buckets - Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin' | Instagram | Pinterest | Newsletter

The Pilgrm Hotel, London

The Pilgrm Hotel, Paddington, London

The first time I was made aware of The Pilgrm hotel at Paddington was when Richard Massey + co's Unseen 24/7 newsletter (which covers everything new in the London food, drink + culture scene) popped into my inbox a few months back. Instantly bookmarked for later.

I was chatting to my friends India + Magnus (of Haarkon) a few weeks ago + they informed me that The Pilgrm had actually been renovated by Sheffield locals, hotel design + development specialists 93ft. Just a week later I found myself stepping foot through the distinct facade of bright blue hand-glazed tiles + original vertical brass door handles, opening up straight into the smell of freshly ground coffee. Sold!

The design of the hotel is a clever solution to an all too common project: a lack of space. The Pilgrm manages to combine the feeling of an old American New York-style hotel, mixed with the grandeur of a traditional Victorian-era estate. I have no idea how these guys have manage to renovate a space which holds not only a coffee shop / lobby, shared workspace, restaurant, unashamedly grand staircases, well considered corridors + communal pantries, but also 73 hotel rooms!

There's a clear focus on the materials, colours and furniture design throughout – from the North Atlantic granite surfaces used in the coffee shop, original Victorian oak staircase, mid-century rattan chairs found in the hotel rooms, and bespoke lighting catching you on every turn. Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention, they have an original marble specimen cabinet (now used as a refreshments table) which once call the National History Museum its home.

The rooms themselves are quite snug (I was in a "large"), but it's what you'd expect from a period property of this size. Great for two neat people, or one messy one like me. Nothing over-designed, or added for the sake of it. Consideration to tactile materials is clearly a passion of the design team; narrowed reed glass on the bathroom door, dark wooden floorboards mixed with heavy navy carpets + mini valet-style wardrobe were all things that floated my boat. The only downside of the rooms is the original single glazed Victorian windows - bring some earplugs if you're a light sleeper!

 The Pilgrm, 25 London St, Paddington, London W2 1HH.

I was kindly offered a room for the night by The Pilgrm, but I wasn't asked to review or feature the hotel. I've done this post because I thought it was a genuinely interesting + unique experience.

More Buckets - Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin' | Instagram | Pinterest | Newsletter

Spontaneous Motivation | Visiting Aberdeen + Edinburgh

Welcome to Granite City. Home of Marischal College, the second largest granite building in the world 

 David Welch Botanical Gardens, recommended by Haarkon

During the darker months it seems that motivation can be a little bit harder to muster. The dark, heavy skies of the UK manage to break up at around 10am, only for the light to disappear totally by mid-afternoon. It can be a bit of a mood killer, so there's no wonder why they call in the winter blues. With the aim to keep our creativity levels topped up over winter, myself + Jordan Bunker embraced an opportunity that popped up with Late Rooms' Imprompu Nights campaign. 

The idea of having a spontaneous streak - not usually my strong suit - isn't something I'd associate with my current situation, but having been working from home for a solid three weeks I knew Late Rooms' offer of a few days away exploring a new city could be just the ticket. The catch was we wouldn't find out the end destination until we were heading to the train station. Searching out those little pockets of brilliance in cities and small towns across the UK is what we do best, so when we found out we were on our way to Aberdeen, Scotland, we turned to our communities on Instagram and Twitter for help and recommendations.

Late Rooms recently complied a list of the Top 10 UK's best places to visit for a spontaneous gateaway; taking into consideration the quality of hotels, food scene, retail environment, local sights, nightlife and travel connections. We really are spoilt for choice on these islands.

Before we arrived at the affectionately named "Granite City", we knew very little about Aberdeen, but we left feeling uplifted and inspired by the warm of its people, striking architecture and thriving independent scene.

 One of the UK's most respected menswear retailers, Kafka

Overshirt by Whistles | Vest by Lavenham | Sweatshirt by Asket | Trouses by Folk | Sneakers by Vans

 Find yourself spoilt for choice, but our favourite coffee hideout in Aberdeen was Cult of Coffee

It wasn't the easiest of destinations to get to (although I have been further north), but the city impressed us both immensely. Aberdeen's beautiful architectural design is down to the use of locally quarried granite, which casts a pale grey-ish silver hue across the city. It's a quality which is very unique to the city, something which its locals are very proud of. In fact, because of the granite, I don't think I've seen a more striking sunset in the UK. 

Hotel Details

We stayed at the 4* Mercure Aberdeen Caledonian Hotel, with rooms starting from £63 per night. The location was perfect, being five minute's walk from Aberdeen central train station, and within 15 minute's walk from pretty much everything we'd planned to do.

------

We caught our train home from Aberdeen before sunrise. But all in the name of spontaneity (and mainly due to some terrible weather conditions in the North East of Scotland), we decided to say on an extra night in Edinburgh...there's worst city's to get stranded in!

 Zero degrees means several layers of wool for Jordan Bunker

 One of the nicest looking drinking posts you'll come across in the UK, Hyde & Son

Our old faithful, The Milkman. You'll be pushed to find a smaller coffee shop in the city, but what they lack in size they more than make up for in personality, quality and great chat

I prefixed this blog post with the notion of keeping motivated in the colder months, and as myself and JB parted ways on the platform of Edinburgh station I instantly started to inspired and compelled to act on more of my impulses. On the three hour journey back down to Lancashire I scrolled through the photos and videos on my phone (including our first Instagram Live), and looked back fondly on the past four days we'd spend in Scotland. 

These moments were already turning into memories, but it was enough to keep my motivation levels high and my new-found spontaneous side well and truly satisfied for the time being.

Additional photography by Jordan Bunker.

We were offered 2-nights accommodation + travel costs to Aberdeen by LateRooms. Your support of the brands + businesses we work with helps make this blog happen.

More Buckets - Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin' | Instagram | Pinterest | Newsletter