Where to stay when in Prague? Mama Shelter Prag!

Those of you who follow me on Instagram have seen that I’ve recently traveled to Prague. It was my first time in the city (in Czech Republic actually) and I’d only been hearing great echos about the Czech capital. Some people complain about the widely spread tourism but having lived in Paris, this shouldn’t be too much of a trouble on my side.

I’m soon going to publish a few tips for a nice and not overly touristy weekend in Prague. Before that, I absolutely have to tell you about the hotel we stayed in for the whole weekend and which has made our stay even more pleasant - Mama Shelter.

We’ve known Mama Shelter from Paris already. I used to live literally 5 min walk from it for a short while and loved going there for pizza or to meet my friends. I’ve always felt so comfy and was curious to see how they’d adapt the Czech Mama Shelter to the local culture.



If you don’t know it yet, Mama Shelter is a hotel that keeps entertaining you all the time during your stay, on every step. The concept is so playful. It starts with all the “Mama…” phrases, such as “Mama loves you” at the hotel entrance or “Mama wants to cream you up” on a body lotion. Instead of a mirror wall in the elevator, the mirror would be on the lift’s “celling” whereas the walls are covered in a graphic wallpaper. There are plenty of different messages all over the breakfast room as well as halls, in the dining room there is a large table with some board games for guests to sit down and have some great time. The bottom line - it’s really fun staying at Mama Shelter.



The hotel is not in the mere city centre of Prague but its location is quite convenient for a tourist visit. The tramway stops just in front of the hotel and brings you directly in the city centre in just about 10 min. We walked instead of taking the tram though and it took us less than 30 min walk to the city centre. Oh, and they have the hotel parking in case you’re arriving by car.

We had a room on the 9th floor and it had a beautiful view over a part of Prague. We were at first afraid we would hear the tram passing by during the night but we slept like babies. The bed is really comfortable, the sheets super soft, and nothing beats waking up in the morning with sun shining all over the room since ours was facing the East.









Oh, and the TV is great! I rarely watch TV when traveling but here we had a large choice among live TV and VOD. We watched Victoria & Abdul btw, a really nice movie with a bit disappointing ending but do give it a go if you haven’t seen it yet :)

The bathroom… I absolutely loved the rain shower, the toiletries and (you won’t see that coming) - the pleasant smell of the towels. Usually the hotels use a rather neutral washing products but Mama has this covered too :)



The food is great too. The first night we got there we enjoyed some humus with focaccia and had the most delicious creamy carrot soup. The breakfast choice was giving me a hard time - should I start with some fruits and yoghurt or go for scrambled eggs I love so much? But there were pancakes too and all the pastries… #hardlife







We absolutely loved coming home to Mama after our walks around the city and we’re sure we’ll come back - in Prague or anywhere else around the world. France, Brazil, USA, Serbia… See you soon Mama!

INFO
Mama Shelter Prag
Address: Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Praha 7-Holešovice, Czech Republic
Webpage: https://www.mamashelter.com/en/prague

A perfect weekend getaway at Oranda Village, Slovenia

Sometimes you just need to pack your bag, get your girls and go somewhere nice. Where to? Oranda Village is a perfect fit. It's not a hotel packed with all sorts of tourists. It’s more like a home away from home. A really nice one :)

The 10 apartments in Oranda village, Rogaska Slatina, Slovenia, are high scale apartments where luxury meets minimalism, wrapped in the context of nature. I absolutely love their architecture. Clean lines, wooden elements, lots of space, be it in the kitchen or bathroom or living room.







Cherry on the top? Your own sauna in one of the two bathrooms. Who’d like to share their sauna with a bunch of strangers when you can enjoy it with your friends only, talk endlessly or laugh loudly without anyone shhhh-ing at you?

Bubble bath, movie night and sauna sound like a perfect getaway from a daily routine or a great destination when traveling.





When tourists come to Slovenia, they rather travel to Bled and Ljubljana instead of discovering other beautiful places Slovenia has to offer. Which I understand of course. But honestly, stooping in Rogaska Slatina is worth the detour. The city itself is very charming and there are plenty of things to do. Spa, massage, sports, chilling… You can easily find your relaxing treat.



When we were talking about how great Oranda Village is, we could instantly think of other occasions to come back. Birthday celebration for instance. Or couples weekend off. The apartments have 2 separate double bed rooms, 2 bathrooms, plenty of cosy place to chill (armchair with the leg support, yes please!) which makes it perfect for two couples to treat themselves a bit to a fab weekend.







Even though Oranda Village apartments are not exactly like a hotel, they do come with an amazing service which doesn’t make you miss any of the hotel mini luxuries. Bathrobes, slippers, toiletries, even an umbrella (we luckily didn’t need to use them) - it’s all there. And guess what? Feel a bit lazy to make your own breakfast? They’ll send someone to your apartment to take care of it from a to z. Setting the table, making eggs for you, serving it all very nicely and making sure everything is tidied up just afterwards.



Do you want to surprise your dear one for the weekend? Or get away with your friends for a day or two? Put Oranda Village on your list, it’s worth it.

INFO
Oranda Village
Address: Cvetlicni hrib 3C, 3250 Rogaska Slatina, Slovenia
Webpage: http://oranda-village.com/

Top 5 things to do in Essaouira, Morocco

- CITY GUIDE -

A lot of people, even Moroccans themselves, will tell you that Essaouira is one of the most beautiful places in Morocco. Or in the world. I’ve had really high expectations before visiting it - and it was definitely worth it. I’m already thinking of how to make it a “layover” city of the next Moroccan trip.

This tiny city is an ancient port overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. This means a lot of wind. And seagulls. Their melody follows you days after your trip, reminding you of this great city.

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Given its size, a few days in Essaouira seem just perfect. Here are my top 5 things to do when you’re visiting.

1/ Head to the Fishing port



This is my absolute number one. Port of Essaouira has such an important role for the city and gives it a special character. It’s so picturesque and the seafood market is a spectacle in itself. Going there early enough makes you see the fishermen bringing in the catch of the day - and then selling it on spot. It can be noisy and messy and smelly and dirty - but this altogether gives it so much charm. My favorite thing to do is heading there in the lunch time, picking the fish of your choice from the little stallholders, and then bringing it around the corner to the open grill place - where you can have your own fish grilled on spot for a really mini price, served then with some yummy bread, mini salad and of course mint tea. The seats are often a bit improvised and it’s not as luxurious as some riad’s restaurants, but it’s just so authentic that it shouldn’t be missed!

2/ Feel some magic at Skala du port



Fortress walls around the city still enclose part of Essaouira. This makes for a stunning view from the airplane when landing or taking off! On the way back from the port, make sure to stop at the harbour scala. For a really small fee you can enter and enjoy the picturesque views over the fishing port and the Île de Mogador. I got carried away following all the seagulls with my eyes and could spend hours there!



3/ Get lost in the narrow streets of Medina

If you’re heading to Marrakesh, make the most of the Medina of Essaouira. You can take time and enjoy it calmly whereas the one in Marrakesh can be sometimes almost too busy and stressful. Get lost in the little streets negotiate with the local vendors and enjoy the colours and odours. A tip for a good buy - organ oil originates from the region of Essaouira. You can buy it in the Medina for a good price and be sure it is of good quality.

4/ Take a long walk to Bordj El Berod along the golden beach



Essaouira beach is timeless and seems to have no ending. The waves come on the shore so smoothly and peacefully! Take your shoes off and head to a ruined watchtower Bordj El Berod, an hour long walk from the Medina of Essaouira (one way!). On the way get amazed by all the kitesurfers, meet numerous camels and just enjoy the wind in your hair. A tip - head there an hour and a half before the sunset and have stunning view on the way back, seeing the sky turn orange with the seagulls cries along the way. Want to speed it up or make it more dynamic? Have a chat with one of the quad guys on the beach. We negotiated a half an hour tour - just enough to have a bit of fun before heading back to the city.



5/ Enjoy your mint tea on the Moulay Hassan square
We often call it the “Casa Vera” square thanks to the iconic Casa Vera building overlooking the port of Essaouira. Sit in one of the cafés on this main square and order mint tea. Enjoy it while street watching people passing by. Tourists, the locals, children. So much life!

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KEY PRACTICAL INFO

Where to stay
Madada Mogador is an amazing place to stay when in Essaouira. Waking up in the morning to the sound of seagulls, enjoying breakfast with the view over the Ocean but above all feeling like a friend and not simply a guest - this makes you never want to leave this place.

MADADA MOGADOR (read an article here)
7, Rue Youssef El Fassi, Essaouira
http://www.madada.com/
+212 5244-72106


Getting There
Essaouira has it’s own small airport with lots of international flights, including lowcost companies. Alternatively, fly to Marrakech and get a bus or taxi to Essaouira. The drive takes around 2 hrs 45 minutes.

Oh, and if you're wondering how to pronounce the name of this magical place like the locals do, just say ‘Swera'.

citizenM Schiphol Airport, an amazing airport hotel!

It was our first time in Amsterdam. We decided to arrive rather late in the afternoon and wanted to spend the night close to the airport before heading to the city the next morning. What a great decision. I’ve never stayed at an airport hotel before and to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect but then the citizenM hotel just looked so great that it won our hearts over the Internet, and then for real the minute we set out foot in their lobby.

We didn’t know the citizenM hotels around the world but quickly realised that we were about to stay in a luxury hotel with a contemporary edge and an eye on value. It was a great mix between futuristic and contemporary, sophisticated and witty.



When we arrived, we were offered to do a self check-in service, using touch screen terminals. We weren’t overly excited to do so because we were tired after the day but then the check-in was so easy and quick that we almost haven’t seen this one minute of our time going by when doing it.

We headed directly to the room before thinking about our dinner. The room had so called 'mood pads' to control TV, lights and temperature from an iPad. We could choose from a total of 6 pre-programmed moods (such as “romance”, “business” or “surprise me”) and 6 pre-programmed functional light-settings (“work”, “shower” or “read”). The mood pad also controls the blinds and the black-out curtain. Mr Handsome had some great fun playing with it as we arrived in the room. And OMG, that shower! I could call it space-age rain shower, especially when adding the violet or green light touch to the room.



The room was very comfortable and high-techy but not necessarily the most beautiful one I’ve ever stayed in. I’ve realised that the idea behind the hotel is to focus on what well travelled people look for in a hotel. Instead of making the room the best place in the hotel, the living room and the restaurant are rather the places you’d like to hang out in - and never leave again.



We very much liked our dinner in the evening. The bakery-style kitchen is open around the clock and serves sandwiches, salads, sushi, warm dishes and beverages. The tiramisu we had as a desert was really yummy and we even got to chat with the chef a bit. A cool guy indeed :)

The living room is another place you'd like to stay a while. It's made up from different bigger rooms that all blend together and are filled with interesting books and objects from all around the world.



An important touch to the citizenM is its focus on contemporary art. Inside the hotel, in front of it - it surprises you on every step. We're curious to check the other citizenM hotels out. Maybe soon in Paris?

INFO
More info: citizenM Schiphol Airport
Address: Jan Plezierweg 2, 1118 BB Schiphol, Netherlands
Webpage: http://citizenm.com/