Basic with a twist: June 2014

Hey!

I am back in London - well I have been back since Tuesday, but my days

have been so busy, so no chance to do much else..

I spent Sunday, Monday & Tuesday in Dublin for a workshop - It was
my first time in Dublin, and I couldn't believe how lucky I was with
the weather! Sunshine for 3 days in a row, WOW, that must be a record
for Dublin ;) lol

It was great to finally visit this city, people are so friendly and
really outgoing. I was staying at The Marker Hotel, part of The Leading Hotels
of The World, the hotel is situated in the Docklands area of Dublin, a
newly developed area.

The hotel only opened about a year ago and it's not located in the middle
of the city centre, but it only takes about 15-20 min walk to reach the
most central parts. I would stay there again any day, because the hotel
was GREAT!

This hotel is actually not rated, but it's most certainly a luxury hotel
with 5-star standard. From the moment I entered the hotel until the
very moment I was leaving, all I could experience was high-standard
service, the kind you would expect from such a hotel and for once they
really delivered and all my expectations were exceeded!

The hotel also has it's own SPA & GYM, and not to forget the
Rooftop Bar & Terrace, which is very popular among the hotel
guests but also frequently visited by the locals!

From the moment I walked into my room, I was constantly reminded
of the high service level this hotel lived by. I mean hello, you had me at
the turn down service, but there were many other small touches that made
the experience so valueable. I hadn't been in my room more than 10 min

before someone knocked on the door - when I opened there was someone

from the hotel with a welcome cronut ;) my god I loved it, so unexpected!

The rooms are very spacious and have floor to ceiling windows not only
allowing alot of natural day light but also comes with great views over the
Grand Canal Square and the Cityscape, morover the king size bed was
soo comfy and not to forget the exclusive toiletries by Malin+Goetz,
I have come across and heard about this brand before, but never had
the chance to use it until now. The brand originates from New York's
trendy Chelsea neighhbourhood. Their products are free from all
unnecessary detergents, colourants and synthetic fragrances.

I arrived quite late - so had to get ready quickly for the welcome dinner,

which was held at the Guinness Storehouse - we had a standing buffet
dinner at the Gravity Bar, which is situated above the roof of the
storehouse, with 360 degree views across the city and as far as the
Dublin Mountains. We took the lift up to the top floor and when the doors
to the lift opened up - all I could see was VIEWS - it was more than
impressive - who knew such a magical venue could be found in Dublin!
We had a great time, there was live music, food and I even tried pouring a
pint of guinness :) After the welcome dinner we went back to the hotel and
went straight to the famous rooftop bar for a drink before bed time, such
a great and relaxed place!

The next day the workshop started off early and we had one to one
meetings with different suppliers (hotels, venues etc..)

After the meetings we had lunch and then it was time for a Scavanger
Hunt in the city centre, we were divided into teams, and had to

answer questions and clues along the way - great fun!

After the hunt we had a few hours of free time to relax before the

gala dinner. The gala dinner was held in The Banking Hall at the
beautiful 5 star hotel, Westin Dublin! This historic landmark with it's
ornate ceiling and chandeliers had so much character! The food was also
lovely, we had scallops for starter, lamb as main course and tart for
dessert, yum!

On Tuesday we had the last meetings in the morning and after lunch
I had some time to explore the city before heading to the airport!

I had a great stay in Dublin and at The Marker Hotel - A Big Thank
you to M&I Forum for arranging this workshop!