My first blog post! This blog has been about five years in the making ... this is mostly because I am the worst procrastinator that you will ever come across...! My New Year's resolution was to stop stalling and just get it done. The up side of half a decade's worth of ruminating is that I have a keen idea of what exactly I want this blog to be (hint: the name is probably a giveaway!). My fiance and I love the finer things in life and the hope is that we can present our take on the products and places we have tried and loved. The blog will mostly be my take on our travels - the spots we've visited, the things we've done, the sights we've seen - and I hope it will inspire your travels too!
With that in mind, we recently stayed at The Pig On the Beach in Dorset, England. My fiance is a talented photographer (any landscape shots featured on this blog will be his work) and the Durdle Door on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset was on his list of must see spots in the UK that he wanted to capture. This worked out very nicely for me as the Pig Hotels have been on my list of must visit hotels for quite some time. I love cosy country hotels with open fires and amazing food and The Pig on the Beach did not disappoint.
First of all, let me say that we were very lucky to get a booking at short notice. The Pig Hotels are very popular and rooms usually have to be booked months in advance. Pro tip - keep an eye on the offers section of their website - they post last minute availability for the week ahead and if you are lucky you can get a room last minute at a very good rate. I had hoped to book a comfy luxe or generous room (all of which have free standing bathtubs) but was delighted to get a comfy room for the very weekend that we had planned to make the trip to Dorset.
It was a cold and blustery February weekend and the crackling fire in the cosy reception area was a very welcoming sight. This hotel is the epitome of cosy chic and our room was indeed the definition of "comfy" complete with snuggly dressing gowns and soft mood lighting. The vintage radio was playing smooth FM and immediately the city stresses started melting away.
As the weather was so grim on the day that we arrived and not ideal for sightseeing, I booked us both in for de-stress massages. I must admit that I was a bit skeptical when I spotted the two Shepherd's Huts used as treatment rooms and located a short walk from the hotel. This is not your typical spa experience at all but when I stepped inside I was delighted to find a small but beautifully decorated treatment room. It was toasty warm and I have to say that listening to the wind whipping up against the hut whilst I was wrapped up inside only added to the experience for me. Our therapists Mandi and Georgie were both excellent and so lovely. We were really touched to find two glasses of champagne waiting for us in the bar when we arrived for a pre-dinner drink and a sweet note from Georgie and Mandi congratulating us on our recent engagement.
The restaurant is top notch and everything we ordered was delicious. The pork belly and crackling starters were a stand out and they have an impressive wine list to boot. Everything served is either grown in the kitchen garden or locally sourced - they pride themselves on a sourcing all ingredients within a 25 mile radius. Cocktails in the bar afterwards are a must!
Fantastic food is not reserved for dinner, the breakfast was just as amazing. There is a breakfast table laden with granola, cereals, fruit and yoghurt that you can help yourself to (gluten and nut free options are carefully marked). You can also order cooked options from their breakfast menu. The dining room itself is a beautiful conservatory-style room with beautiful stained glass and wonderful views of the coast and you can even see Old Harry Rocks in the distance.
We had such a wonderful stay and we are very keen to see if the rest of the piggy litter match up to the Pig on the Beach.
The weather cleared up nicely on the second day and a very happy man got his shot of the Durdle Door - check it out below :)
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