Dear Santa...why a hotel staycation would be the best Christmas present ever!

Earlier this year for my birthday, I did something I've never done before. I booked us in for a night in a hotel in London. When I say us, I mean Just. The. Two. Of. Us.

Because when David asked me what I wanted for my birthday I realised that what I really wanted (apart from a pair of Chloe boots) was to have a day off. I wanted to wake up at a respectable hour (Nellie was going through a phase of being awake, and I mean awake, at 5am) I wanted to eat dinner without being interrupted by shouts for water/another book/ a banana etc etc. I love my children more than is probably healthy but sometimes parenting is relentless. And anyone who says it isn't is either a fibber, or has robots for children.

That one night at The Curtain in Shoreditch, which amounted to less than 24 hours away from the kids, was bloody brilliant. And we concluded that we would try to do it more often. Just check ourselves in and check out of the daily grind for one night only.

So, if you're still struggling for what to get your partner, or you think he or she is still struggling with what to get for you, despite all of your hinting...this is why you need to book yourself a staycation.

1) You need it..

See above. Life is wonderful, careers are brilliant, children are a gift etc etc. All of this is true. But there are no prizes for being the busiest person in busy town. That is a one way ticket to burnout. We all need to be kind and give ourselves a break every now and then. Even if it's just a mini one. A change from the norm will make the world of difference and help you stay focused in the long term.

2) You're doing it for the kids..

It may be that you never get frazzled and fraught with the kids. You deserve a medal if that's the case. The thing is that as much as we love them, spending 12 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year with anybody would be a challenge. Even if they are the centre of your world. After just 24 hours away from them*, you will come back feeling rested, happy and ready for ALL the snotty, dribbly cuddles.

*Do arrange appropriate childcare in the form of a grandparent or family member, please don't leave them to fend for themselves.

3) Interior Inspo for daysssss

Hotels are one of my favourite places to get interiors inspo. See previous favourite hotel stays here. First impressions count in hotel world and that means every area has been carefully curated to provoke maximum 'ooh' factor for their guests. The Curtain's distinctive style is a little bit rock 'n' roll and a whole lot luxe. There's a NY-LON vibe going on, a nod to it's well established New York sister hotel The Gansevoort. The building itself is lined with Crittal warehouse style windows and inside you can expect a mash-up of exposed brick walls, huge chandeliers, green leather Chesterfields and edgy street art. The standout area for me though is the monochrome chevron tiled floor in the lobby. Talk about making an entrance!

4) Breakfast in bed...

It's a nice idea when you're home but the reality is the the bed ends up getting full of crumbs and you're terrified of dripping coffee on your French linen sheets. You'll have no such worries if you're checking out later that day. Not to mention breakfast always tastes better when it's been made by a top chef, rather than a begrudging husband and an overenthusiastic five-year-old.

5) The actual bed

At almost no other time is it acceptable to slide back into bed in the middle of the afternoon. Unless you are ill. Even then, let's face it, the chances are unlikely. But perhaps the best thing, for me, about our little staycation, was that there was no pressure to get up, get out and go and see anything. I didn't need to be a tourist, I've already seen what Shoreditch has to offer. I could (and did) slip back into bed at 5pm after my mani and have a little snooze before dinner. There's something extra lovely and indulgent about being nestled away in a huge cloud of feathers in your own town. I also definitely woke up to a glass of bubbles in bed. Happy birthday to me!

Staycations, midday snoozes and bubbles in bed make me happy!

6) Pampering

Having said that, one very good reason to leave your room is the opportunity to get pampered in the hotel spa or beauty salon. Because when does that ever happen? When the team at The Curtain heard it was my birthday they very kindly booked us both in for a little pamper session. I went for a Shellac mani, while David had a mini-mud facial (below) from The Men's Society, which I was a bit jealous of if I'm honest. The nail bar is run by super cool Imarni Nails and it was hands down the best Shellac I've ever had.

Erm I think you'll find it's my birthday buddy1

And the pampering didn't end there. Back in the hotel room we discovered that the shower could also be transformed into a steam room at the click of a button, a function which was quite frankly epic and I might still be in there now if I hadn't had to get out and dressed for dinner.

7) You get to drink G&T's in peace and quiet in glamorous surroundings

It's the little things. At the Curtain, it's all about Lido, the members and guests only rooftop terrace and restaurant. There's a pool if you're feeling brave, but it was a chilly evening at the end of September and I'd just blow dried my hair. Instead we relaxed on the loungers, sipped G&T's and watched the sun go down over Shoreditch. Aaaaaand relax!

This staycation was super short, but super sweet. Not sure when or where we will go next but I'm already dreaming about it. And you never know...maybe Santa will come up trumps!

J x

You can stay at The Curtain from £245pn. This is not a sponsored post, we paid for our stay at the hotel.