Summer in Review

As we head into mid September I feel summer has officially ended although I definitely appreciated a last minute burst of summer sun. But what a summer we had! Between Ireland, Mallorca and New York, I was lucky enough to enjoy both countryside and city escapes and also found a couple of great hotels.

Ireland is always a good idea and while you might not be able to depend on good weather you can always depend on amazing scenery and good craic. We stayed with family in a house in Mulranny near Westport, a lovely part of the world. The beach in Mulranny is stunning with barely a soul on it and there are plenty of walks in the vicinity. You can’t visit Mulranny without visiting Nevins pub where you’re always guaranteed a warm welcome and wholesome grub.

It’s no secret that I love Mallorca and this time we found a really fabulous hotel. Beautiful views, great service and excellent value for money in contrast to other comparable hotels on the island. Read my review of Carrossa Hotel & Spa. While staying at the hotel we also visited the little seaside town of Colonia de Sant Pere for the first time. I immediately loved the feel of this little place and the Italian restaurant Es Vivers was recommended although we didn’t get chance to try it. I also wanted to check out the exciting new opening from Sir Richard Branson, Son Bunyola, so stopped by for lunch. Suffice to say it didn’t disappoint but more about that in another post. Another hotel on my radar this summer was Grand Hotel Son Net. This luxury hotel reopened earlier this year under the acclaimed management of the team behind Finca Cortesin. With the same peaceful atmosphere and gorgeous green cabanas, the property is looking divine. The interiors are stunning and I loved being greeted with a big smile and lovely welcome even though I only popped in for a drink. With just 31 suites, located just above the delightful village of Puigpunyent it really is a dreamy escape.

.Finally it was on to New York. A last minute escape, my husband and I had promised ourselves that we would see Billy Joel perform at Madison Square Garden before he finished his residency. So glad we did, he was incredible and absolutely worth the journey. It had been a while since we were in New York so it was lovely to do a few things we hadn’t done before. The High Line is an elevated linear park and much needed greenery in amongst the skyscrapers, definitely worth a stroll. A boat trip around Manhattan was another first time highlight. We were also lucky enough to watch the tennis at Flushing Meadows, a very different experience to Wimbledon I might add. Watching Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic on the first night was clearly a good luck charm as both went on to win the tournament!

We stayed at Arlo Nomad which I would definitely recommend. Described as a micro-hotel, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the room but I was pleasantly surprised, yes it was compact but had everything you need including a fantastic shower and comfortable bed. The public spaces were stylish and the roof terrace was the icing on the cake with incredible views of the Empire State building. Great value, the location was also a winner with easy access to both uptown and downtown. Can also recommend breakfast at The Greenwich Hotel, I think the granola and yoghurt was one of the best I’ve ever had.

All in all, a great summer. Hope you had a good one too. Currently feeling very thankful I was able to travel in light of the events in Morocco and Libya in the last few days, my heart goes out to all those affected.