"I wish" {an English countryside dream}

My sister sends out a family newsletter every week. This last week she asked each of us to finish the statement, "I wish". Other than wishing I were in Oregon holding my new niece the first thing I thought about was, "I wish I were on a getaway with just my husband". Of course at the moment I already had a few ideas and one consisted of packing the above and going to the English countryside.

The above is Lime Wood, a boutique country house hotel in England. It is set in the heart of New Forest National Park, just an hour and half drive from London. I would actually welcome the chance of precipitation that is so common in those parts.

{all hotel images from Lime Wood}

{top images: cashmere scarf 1, suitcase 2, rain boot 3, travel journal 4, umbrella 5}

{Let's go to London}

One ought to stay @ the Connaught....more specifically in the rooms that David Collins designed.

Do you ever get the Top 20 sent to your inbox from TravelZoo? I think for 8 years now I have waited for that email to come every Wed. while dreaming where I wanted to go next. In fact as of late I am waiting for that perfect deal to London. While I wait I hope I don't continue to have dreams about going to New York and checking into a hotel with bedbugs. That's what I get for reading this before bed. I kept trying to find plastic air tight baggies to protect all of my clothes.

Anyway...

[Claridge Hotel's Rebranding}

I am totally taken with the rebranding for the Claridge Hotel in London. It was done by Construct, a London design studio. To read more about it go here.

The Claridge Hotel has most recently been a buzz because some of their recently renovated rooms were designed by Diane Von Furstenburg. For a quick refresher here is a peak at a couple of the rooms DVF designed:

A few more shots from the hotel's website...

My reservation @ Super 8 suddenly ain't lookin so great...

Cipriani Ocean Resort (Miami)

Apparently we extended our stay in Italy. Were you nervous that we didn't have anywhere to stay yesterday? It was just so nice there in Italia that we couldn't quite leave but don't worry we will probably want to go back very soon. Well today we have some business in Miami (don't tell Will Smith..something about all no work all play okay..I'm going to Miami, welcome to Miami) and we are checking into the Cipriani Ocean Resort. It is so nice and clean that I think I could stay here for a long time. Just look how beautiful the room is.

NOTE: Does anybody notice that all almost all of the hotels showcased this week have the very same cool chairs with the rings on the back? Hmmm I seem to remember now that my one of my favorite all time hotels have the same chairs...that may be a clue.

{all photos via Cipriani website}

Le 1 Place Vendome

You hungry, you say....well carrying on with the traveling and hotel theme this week our travels bring us inside of the Hotel De Vendome in Paris, where we will dine at the Le 1 Place Vendome.

{photos via telegraph.co.uk, vintage & chic blog}