Scandic Hamburg Emporio

 

I recently attended the ReBoot22 Conference hosted by Traverse Events in Hamburg. The conference was all about creativity within your work, recharging ones energy to help you work better and being more productive. The conference spanned over four days Friday to Monday. On the Friday and Monday, we enjoyed days out to explore Hamburg which were arranged by Traverse. 

On the Saturday and Sunday, there were hands on lectures and practical sessions hosted by some amazing speakers on a variety of topics. The evenings were time to mingle and party at various different venues in and around Hamburg.

is the second largest city of Northern Germany and it is also one of Europe’s third largest ports. It is connected to the North Sea by the Elbe River and throughout Hamburg there are many rivers and canals and over 2500 bridges. It is a very green city with lots of parkland and open spaces.

Hamburg boasts a rich architectural heritage; the city is also home to iconic venues such as the Elbphilharmonie and Laeisszhalle concert halls. 

Their designs are simply stunning and the views from the roof top of the Elbphilharmonie  are spectacular.

Getting around Hamburg is easy; there is the Hamburg Metro which is an underground transport system known as U Bahn. It has 4 major lines that are colour coded and 91 stations.

There are plenty of hotels and hostels in Hamburg to suit all tastes and budgets. During my stay, I stayed at the Scandic Hamburg Emporio.

I found the Scandic Hamburg Emporio very centrally located and it is very close to the Gänsemarkt Station, this makes it the perfect place to stay if you want to explore Hamburg. The hotel has the option of bicycle rental in cooperation with Hamburg City Bicycles to allow you to get around Hamburg and explore by bike.

The hotel is very contemporary in design, but what I was totally impressed with was their commitment to sustainability. The Scandic Hamburg Emporio has taken various actions to make a difference. They have a water design theme around the hotel to show this and focus on taking measures to reduce water wastage. All the water is filtered, carbonated and chilled in the hotel to save 160 tons of CO² by eliminating transportation. Guests are encouraged to reuse towels where appropriate and additionally, in order to reduce unnecessary water waste and laundry costs, the restaurants do not use table cloths.

Scandic pays attention to the careful use of resources by using green energy from renewable sources. You will find that throughout the hotel, there is energy saving lighting and motion sensors which avoid unnecessary use of electricity.

The hotel decor is bright and airy; all the rooms are eco rooms which are very spacious and have real wood flooring, an ensuite shower and toilet. The rooms have a mini bar, kettle with tea and coffee making facilities and a fridge, therefore it is perfect to enjoy a drink whilst spending time in the room.  You will find everything you need in your room such as; a hair dryer, ironing board and iron and also shampoo and shower gel in refillable dispensers. All the rooms have bins with compartments for separating the waste for recycling.

At breakfast, there is a huge variety of food on offer.  The self-serve buffet has options of continental, cold and hot foods, together with cereals, breads, fruits and juices. The hotel sources seasonal and organic products and supports fair trade. 

I was really impressed that there was a gluten free section too and plant based milks and yoghurts for those guests with dietary needs. Sustainability does not stop there, I was amazed to learn that the oils as well as fats used in the hotel kitchens are converted to second-generation biodiesel via Refood and food waste is converted to biogas. 

 

During our stay we had the pleasure of having the free mini bar that was replenished daily and we also had the use of the living room on the seventh floor.The living room has a private work space and kitchen facilities with drinks and snacks available throughout the day. It was perfect for those guests that want peace and quiet to work or relax and get a bite to eat without having to go down to the main restaurant.

To continue their support in sustainability, in the ArtRooms on the 7th and 8th floors, guests use toilet paper from the non-profit company Goldeimer and support the sanitation projects and work of Viva con Agua with their purchase. Every Scandic hotel commits to supporting charitable projects each year.

The hotel has conference rooms with facilities for hosting meetings too. For those that enjoy their daily exercise, there is a well-equipped gym and sauna too.

The hotel is totally barrier free and braille is used in the lifts for those partially sighted guests. I am so glad I stayed at a hotel that is supporting sustainability in such a strong way and also ensuring that all the guests have a comfortable stay and are encouraged to support sustainability too.

 

Stockholm in three days Part 1

 

I love travelling and I always regret that I was not brave enough to go solo travelling in my student days. However its never too late to do the things you have always wanted, so when my daughter asked me to go to Stockholm for a long weekend  in March 2020, I jumped at the chance.

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden, it is a very cosmopolitan city. The city stretches over 14 islands, it has many universities, shopping plazas and plenty of Scandinavian history with the Royal palace situated in the city center. There is lots to see and do and the plan was to discover all  these amazing  places during our three day city break.

The weather in Stockholm in March is between -1 to +5 degrees C, so it is good to go well prepared with warm clothes that you can layer, take a hat and scarf and gloves and good shoes if you planning on exploring the city on foot.

This was no luxury five star hotel break, it was going to be a city break on a budget. What I mean by that is that we had booked a hostel for our accommodation and lots of free walking tours to explore the city. It is possible to travel on a budget and still have a great experience.

Our city break was for three days, Fri- Sunday. We flew from London Heathrow to Stockholm Arlanda Airport, the flight is very short and convenient and as we had opted for only carry on luggage so it was a breeze to get in and out of the airport and we saved on paying for additional baggage.

Morning flights mean you get a chance to enjoy breakfast at the airport and get an early start to your vacation. To make the most of a short break it's a good idea to set off early and return late, that way you make the most of your time especially for short breaks.

Stockholm is a beautiful city and the airport is only 25 miles away. At the airport, it is really easy to buy tickets for the Flygbussarna airport coaches which run every 15 minutes to the Stockholm City Terminal, the journey takes only 45 minutes and costs approximately £10.00 one way.

We had booked our two night stay at City Hostel, it is in a central location in Stockholm and it is only 15 minutes walk from the city bus station and city center. To enter the hostel there is a flight of stairs, this may pose a problem for some one with a disability.

My student days experience of hostels was cold dormitories with shared bathrooms and toilets and freezing communal kitchens. However when we arrived at the hostel we were staying at I was pleasantly surprised.

The reception is manned between 9 am and 6 pm. It is not necessary to pre reserve the rooms however it is advisable to do so during peak season and if you want a private room.

Our flight was an early morning one as we wanted to make the most of our long weekend. City Hostels offer to store your luggage safely in a locked secure area on arrival if you arrive early and they also offer to store luggage on check out days if you want to go exploring before your return flights or on ward journey. 

We found this really useful and made use of this facility on arrival as well as on departure day as our return flights were in the evening.

Since we were able to to drop of our bags we went out exploring the town and to pick up some groceries for our breakfast for the next two days. 

The standard of living in Sweden is high. It certainly is not a cheap city as food and drinks are costly amongst other things.

After exploring the town and enjoying a late lunch we checked into the hostel. Checking in was an easy process and in no time we were in our room enjoying a coffee and the famous cinnamon bun planning for the next day. 

The hostel can accommodate up to 79 guests per night. There are options of 6,8,10 and 12 bed dormitories, and also private rooms that have a tv.

We had booked a private room which had bunk beds, the bottom being a double bed and top bunk being a single bed. The rooms are compact but very clean. There was a small hanging rail, a desk and a chair in the room and a TV . There were usb charging ports, plenty of sockets and bed linen was provided. As we were travelling light we rented the bath towels at a very reasonable rate of £ 1.50 each. 

The communal space and corridors were well lit and there were security cameras for safety. Modern wall art graced the corridor walls, the decor was clean and minimalist giving the hostel a very sleek feel.

The hostel had male and female showers and toilets which were immaculately clean and all had hair dryers.The sharing kitchen was well equipped and the lounge area had sofas with plenty of books and board games, free tea and coffee which was an added bonus.There was a laundry room and a quiet working station area equipped with computers and WiFi was readily available too. 

The charge for the private room was approximately £ 50.00 a night so £25.00 each which is pretty reasonable for the location. The location of City Hostel is convenient, immediately next door is a 7 Eleven mini market that was open till late selling all essentials, coffee, food and house hold items. A five minute walk around the block there is a larger supermarket and there were many coffee shops, bars and restaurants in the vicinity.

The kitchen was extremely well equipped with crockery, plenty of storage for food and also had an oven and microwave. Although we did not cook, we did have breakfast at the hostel and really enjoyed chatting to the other travellers staying at the hostel. I liked the idea where people could leave any unwanted non perishable surplus food in the pantry for others to use instead of wasting it by throwing it away. 

My experience of a hostel stay was very pleasant and comfortable, If you are looking for clean basic accommodation with no frills I would highly recommend City Hostel. In my next post I shall feature Stockholm City and things to do on a budget and places where we ate.

You can watch the you tube videos of our Stockholm trip below:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Have you ever stayed in a hostel in recent times? Do share your experience in the comments below.

You can also read all about my Peak District Hostel stay at Castleton

Why Your Business Should Have a Digital Marketing Strategy

During lock down I started my online cooking classes. It took a lot of preparing, planning and executing to get every thing in order. From planning the classes, testing recipes and getting all the equipment was just the beginning. Next I had to create a the business plan, do market research  and plan a budget. These are not the only things that are required, to target the right niche and understand your business a digital marketing strategy is very important to make your business survive in these tough times.

Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash

A digital marketing strategy highlights the specific goals that you want to achieve from your digital channels and provides a sense of direction for those activities. Without a strategy, efforts are meaningless and there’s no real way to understand your performance. I have teamed up with an SEO agency in Hertfordshire to explain why your business needs one.

Understanding the Competition

Healthy competition is great for business as it creates opportunities to learn and grow. By carrying out research on your competitors you can look at what they are doing to take your own learnings, fill in the gaps and improve on your performance. That might be content ideas that drive traffic and those that don't perform so well. On the SERP in particular, you can use your competitors to see what content Google favours and that visitors want to see.

Improve Efficiency

Monitoring and investigating how your budget is spent can help you to increase your ROI and get more bang for your buck. It's simple enough, without monitoring you won’t have a clue as to how well you’re doing. There are many tools out there that can help you keep an eye on this such as Google Analytics that allows you to track your conversions and revenue. You can even drill down to find out which channels are performing the best and identify problem areas that need to be addressed.

Understand Your Customer Better

Reviewing analytics can also help you to better understand your customers, what they love and do more of it to bring in additional revenue. Again, this is all information that you can access through analytics tools that allow you to see where your customers are spending their time and where they are “bouncing” off. This can help to boost customer satisfaction and user experience which is more than likely to be rewarded by Google and other search engines.

Photo by Myriam Jessier on Unsplash

Starting up a business needs a lot of thought and planning and if executed properly and methodically it can pay off. Do lots of research and plan accordingly. Have you ever thought to start up your own business? Do share your any useful tips you may have  in the comments below.

**collaborative post.

Choosing a Bicycle.

As a child I never learnt to ride a bike and I never felt that I had missed out. It was only after I had kids and we taught them to ride bikes I started to feel left out, especially when we went on forest holidays and my partner and girls rode bikes and I had to walk everywhere. I decided to take adult bike classes and learnt to ride a bike.  am still a beginner when it comes to bike riding but I am certainly closer to my goal. The next stage is to purchase a bike, there are so many options to think of and consider.

What Are Your Needs For A New Bike?

Determining your needs for a new bike can be easier if you already ride on an occasional or regular basis. Think about the things that you like about your current bike and features that could improve your riding lifestyle. You may need to do more research if you haven't ridden in a while or want to learn to ride. Find out more about popular bike builds, including the vintage-inspired beach cruiser for women, and options for off-road riding.

Image from six three zero

Cruiser vs. Hybrid Bikes

A cruiser bike can be the perfect choice if you ride recreationally on paved or other smooth surfaces. Hybrid bikes are good for riding on trails. You can also ride a hybrid bike on the road, as these builds unite road and mountain bike features. You can cover more distance and ride at faster speeds on an electric hybrid bicycle.

Image from six three zero

Casual riders may prefer cruiser bikes. These bikes and comfort bikes are also good choices for commuters and others who ride bikes for transportation. Hybrid bikes are suitable for riding on and off of the road on trails and unpaved paths.

Getting a Special Gift for the New Year

If you want to commit to fitness or reducing your carbon footprint in the new year, the gift of a bike supports these goals. You can get as good of a workout on an e-bike as you can on a manual bike. E-bikes make it possible for you to push your limits.

Many people ask can ebikes go up hills, and the answer is yes. You can ride uphill with relative ease on a multi-speed bike. An electric motor and options for pedal assistance or full electric power only make elevation changes easier.

Plan Your Rides To Decide On a Bike

Planning the rides you plan to take can be a decisive factor with regard to the bike you need. If you want to ride at the beach or on level or paved surfaces anywhere, a cruiser bike or comfort bike can be the perfect option. These bikes prioritize a smooth ride over speed.

A hybrid bike is the best option for riding on trails and other off road terrain. You can get a manual hybrid bike or a 250W or 500W hybrid e-bike. A 250W e-bike has a top speed of 24 miles per hour with pedal assistance or 15 mph full electric. These models have a 30-mile pedal assist

range and a 15-mile full electric range. A 500W e-bike can reach 28 mph with pedal assist or 20 mph full electric and has a 40-mile pedal assist and 20-mile full electric range.

A new bike can significantly improve your riding lifestyle and encourage you to go for rides more often. With all of the options available for manual bikes and e-bikes, it is easy to find the right bike for your riding lifestyle. E-bikes make it easier to rely on cycling as a mode of transportation, while all manual and electric bikes can make exercising more convenient.

Whichever bike you opt for make sure that it suits all your needs as it’s something that will last you. Do you have a bike? Which type would you recommend for a beginner like me? Do share your suggestions in the comments section.

*Collaborative Post

 

UK Bloggers August 2021 Giveaway 

The last few months have been a tough time for one and all. We have all struggled in our own ways , some with job losses, some with stress, isolation and loss of loved ones. I have found my blog has been a saviour for me during these tough times. Its been a space where my readers have continued to support and motivate me by visiting and commenting and keeping the blog live.

In view of this continued support from my readers, I have teamed up with UK Bloggers to host a giveaway for £120 M&S E-Gift Card. Please do enter the giveaway below:

Meet the Bloggers

The following UK bloggers have all come together to contribute towards this giveaway, offering you a chance to win an M&S e-Gift Card worth £120. Kindly support us by visiting some of the websites below or following us on social media pages. 

 CatsKidsChaos | Spillinglifetea | Real Girls Wobble | Missljbeauty | Monethalia | Koody | Felifamily | Hannah and the Twiglets | A Life Of Lovely | At Home With Alice | Make Money Without A Job | Earn Money Do Good | So Nostalgic | Craft Multimedia | The Grumpy Olive | Cantwells Cabin | StressedMum | Alice in Sheffield | Dull to Desirable | It's Me Chrissy J | Best Things to do in Cambridge | Two Plus Dogs | Thrifty Chap | Jupiter & Dann | Miss Tilly And Me | Being Tilly’s Mummy | Internet Wages | Life With Ktkinnes | Christmas With Katie | Life in a Break Down | Simply Saving | A Suffolk Mum | A Life Less Plastic | Fresh Design Blog | Wotawoman Diary | StaceyLBlogs | Socially Rach | Best Things to do in York | Brunch or Breakfast? | Lodges with Hot Tubs | Fruit Picking Farms | Citrus Spice and Travels | A Life With Frills | Life Changing Side Hustle | Honest Mummy Reviews | Wander & Luxe | My Tunbridge Wells | Travel Bugs | Mind over Money Matters | Discover Kent

The Giveaway Prize

One lucky winner will win a £120 M&S e-Gift Card! An M&S eGift Card can be can be used online at marksandspencer.com or in over 700 M&S stores across the UK.

Terms and Conditions

1. There is only one prize of a £120 M&S e-Gift Card. 

2. There are no runner up prizes. 

3. This giveaway is open to UK residents aged 18 and over, excluding all bloggers involved with running the giveaway. 

4. The closing date for entries is midnight on 08.08.21. 

5. The same Rafflecopter widget appears on all the websites involved, but you only need to enter on one website. 

6. Entrants must log in to the Rafflecopter widget below and complete one or more of the tasks - each completed task earns one entry in the prize draw. 

7. Tweeting about the giveaway via the Rafflecopter widget will earn five bonus entries into the prize draw, increasing your chances of winning. 

8. One winner will be chosen at random. 

9. The winner will be informed by email within 7 days of the closing date and will need to respond within 28 days with their email address, or a replacement winner will be chosen. 

10. The winners' names will be published in the Rafflecopter widget (unless the winner objects to this). 11. The prizes will be dispatched within 14 days of the winner confirming their address. 

12. By participating in this prize draw, entrants confirm they have read, understood and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. 

How to Enter:

To enter the giveaway, simply complete any or all of the Rafflecopter entries below:

 a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Good luck!