One of my favourite stays that I’ve ever had was in the quirky, creative town of Todos Santos, Baja California Sur. There’s a magic to this town—and the Mexican government knows that! In 2006, Todos Santos was deemed a Pueblo Mágico—one of just 100 or so small towns honored for its natural beauty, cultural riches, or historical relevance.

While here, I stayed at Villa Santa Cruz, an absolutely stunning beachfront property run by Matt and Jessica, who fell in love with Baja on a trip in 2001. What was just a raw stretch of land is now slowly developing into a beautiful coastal paradise, created for travelers, surfers, and artists alike. They built Villa Santa Cruz on a 40+ acre piece of land, and it’s a hacienda-style villa that pays homage to Mexico’s rich architectural history.

The Room

I stayed in one of their Tented Ocean Suites, and my goodness…it was something else. These suites sit right along the coast, with a private little beach backyard with a firepit and public access to the beach. The space also has two outdoor seats and a lovely hammock for you to enjoy the sunset (or sunrise if you’re up early enough!)

The room itself was spacious, comfortable, cozy, and beautifully designed. The king size bed was extremely comfortable (might be one of the most comfortable hotel beds I’ve stayed in), and there are beanie seats as well as a desk space. The room is open concept, and you can walk to the back of the suite to your beautiful concrete bathtub, double sinks, and shower. There are windows all around with the largest windoed sliding door right at the front over looking the beach.

The Property

There is so much beautiful open space on the property for you to explore and wander. The hotel has two ATVs that you can rent to explore the coast. Or walk along the coast to the famous restaurant, The Green Room, a local favourite.

There’s a beautiful pool on the property that is surrounded by greenery but close enough to the ocean that you can see it in the backdrop. It is the definition of serene. It’s so easy to lose track of time when you’re in this peaceful, beautiful environment. I could’ve spent all my time in Todos Santos here to be quite honest!

Don’t walk, run

I am absolutely in LOVE with this place and I highly highly recommend you staying here when visiting Todos Santos. I was lucky enough to chat with Jessica during my stay, and she is an incredible human and host. You have to see this place for yourself!

Disclaimer: Some accommodations and food and beverage were set up for us free of charge! However, these blog posts are in no way paid and opinions will always be my own! 

Staying at Rowena’s Inn On The River

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The first leg of our trip was spent in Harrison Mills, located 20 minutes from Harrison Hot Springs, and is known as the world’s largest winter gathering place for eagles! We were actually quite excited to stay at Rowena’s Inn, partially because of the eagle event but also partially just because the photos looked absolutely beautiful. From Instagram, it seemed like this was quite a popular spot for weddings which to me says “photo spots galore”!

Rowena’s Inn is actually located on a larger property belong to the Sandpiper golf resort. On the property, you can choose to stay in the Colonial Inn itself, or in one of the luxury cabins. We stayed in the Heron Cabin, a one-bedroom cabin with a water view (and an amazing king-sized bed ?). If you need a larger space they have 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom cabins as well!

Check-in was super easy and each cabin has a door code that gets generated at check-in so you can come and go easily without having to go through any of the main buildings. This was a great experience for us especially during COVID as it meant we were able to keep our interactions at a minimum.

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Heron—the one-bedroom cabin

Our one-bedroom cabin was plenty of space for Joel and me to really stretch out and make ourselves at home. When you enter the cabin, you’re greeted with a spacious kitchen and living space, complete with a coffee machine, full-sized fridge, a gas fireplace, and a 50-inch smart TV with streaming services like Netflix and Prime. Past the living space, you had your bedroom and your spacious bathroom which had both a soaker tub as well as a stand-up shower. This space also had extra tall ceilings which made relaxing in the tub on a cold day that much more amazing.

Sandpiper Resort Clubhouse Restaurant

We only stayed at Rowena’s for one night and so we opted to enjoy dinner and breakfast the next day at the Sandpiper Resort Clubhouse Restaurant. This was just a 2-minute walk from our cabin and served delicious west coast fare. This restaurant is shared among the Fraser Valley community, the golfers, and those staying on the property so it’s best to make a reservation in case they are having a busier night.

Since it’s the season for salmon, they had a separate feature menu for salmon which had a delicious Chowder, and other specialties like tacos, sesame-crusted salmon, and some seasonal desserts.

I ordered the beef stroganoff with the feature chowder to start and Joel got their ribs and we both really loved our meals!

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Bald Eagle Viewing Festival

One of the main attractions during the winter months has got to be the bald eagles gathering. They have guided tours as well but if you follow their trail map to the viewing deck, you’re bound to see tons of eagles when visiting between October – January. We saw probably upwards of 10+ eagles just hanging out in trees along the viewing deck which was insane! It’s definitely the first time I’ve ever seen so many eagles gathered in one place.

Would I visit again?

We thought Rowena’s Inn was amazing and we agreed that we’d love to come back and visit in the warmer months! Our stay was short and caught on a gloomier day so we vowed we’d come back in nicer, warmer weather and do a proper stay! I’d definitely recommend Rowena’s to both families and couples looking for a quiet getaway, I felt super at peace on their beautiful grounds and it was the ideal place to get some R&R that’s away from the city!

If you want to check out Rowena’s Inn On The River, check out their website here or their Instagram page here!

Want to see what we got up to? Check out my Harrison Valley + Abbotsford vlog!

On average, I’ve found it to be cheaper to stay in Airbnbs in super central locations than hotels. The average quality of stay is usually nicer for a better price in major cities as well. Other than my amazing stay at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London and the very gorgeous (but uber expensive) stay at Hotel Marincanto in Positano, I strictly stayed in Airbnbs throughout my entire Europe trip this October!

As I promised on my Instagram, I am sharing every Airbnb I stayed in across Europe and my review on each place! I stayed in 4 Airbnbs across London, Berlin, and some cities in Italy so this will be a comprehensive review of all 4. Read on if you want to see where I stayed!

London

Location

Before heading to my stay at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, I actually stayed one night in an Airbnb in London. The Airbnb I picked was in an area called Pimlico. It’s known to be an upscale residential area with quiet streets, just a little bit away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are quite a few hotels in the area and many little cute cafes, old school pubs, and hip restaurants.

It’s walking distance (about 25 minutes) to some of the famous landmarks and tourist attractions in London like Big Ben, the London Eye, and Buckingham Palace. It’s also 8 minutes away from Victoria Station where you have access to 3 different tube lines (Victoria, Circle, and District lines).

The Space

The Airbnb itself was small but livable. The layout was a little strange to me at first, with the bedroom being right upon entrance and the kitchen + patio being upstairs. But for the price, I think small flats like these are quite common in London.

I didn’t mind the overall size of the flat, but I did find the washroom to be a little too small even just for myself. The sink was very tiny, without much space for me to store any skincare, soaps, etc. And the shower was big enough for me to shower properly, but since it was a rainfall style shower, I had no choice but to get my hair wet. I would’ve preferred a little more space in the shower to move around.

Another slightly strange part of the space was the stairs that led to the second-floor kitchen + patio. The stairs were super narrow and very steep. If you are someone with mobility issues, this would definitely NOT be a good Airbnb option for you. I did know about it beforehand, as a lot of the past guests noted it in the reviews. That’s why it’s SO important to read reviews before you book Airbnbs!

The selling point for me was definitely the little patio upstairs. When I saw it in the listing, I thought it was the perfect location to snap some photos and to enjoy a morning coffee. Sadly, the day I was in London was quite dreary and rainy so I wasn’t able to make use of the patio. However, I think the summers in this flat would be super enjoyable for this reason.

Value

This Airbnb is listed at $154 cad/night which seems a decently average price for the area. The average rates in Pimlico, according to Airbnb.com, ranges from around $100 to $500 a night. There are a lot of slightly bigger and more luxurious options around the $200-300 mark. But at that price, you could opt for a stay at a hotel instead and get the extra service + amenities. When I stay at an Airbnb, I make sure the rate makes sense compared to the hotel rates nearby.

Overall, I’d probably give this place a 6/10. This is the only Airbnb I’ve stayed in in London so I can’t really say how it compares to other flats in the area. However, as a whole, the space was just slightly too small for me. I would’ve been happy to pay $50 extra to stay in a place that has a slightly more accessible layout. But, for a single traveler, this could be a good option as it’s on the lower side of the average rates in the area.

There are some really cool spaces in London but since I was only looking to stay one night I didn’t try that hard to find a place to stay. I mainly looked at places in the area since it was close to where I needed to go during the day. But I think it’s worth spending some extra time browsing for apartments as you mind find a gem or two for a good price.

Berlin

Location

We knew we wanted to look for a place in Mitte while staying in Berlin, as that’s where you can find a lot of the government buildings and monuments that we were looking to see. However, what we didn’t know is that Mitte is a HUGE area.

Being Berlin’s central borough, it’s known for being the home of the Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, and many other famous monuments and government structures. Mitte consists of six sub-entities: Mitte proper, Gesundbrunnen, Hansaviertel, Moabit, Tiergarten, and Wedding.

Our Airbnb is just right between Brunnenviertel and Wedding and was walking distance to two different transit stops, U Naturkundemuseum and Oranienburger Tor.

We chose this location because it is walkable to most major sites we were trying to see and it’s known to have a lot of cute restaurants and cafes.

However, do keep in mind that Mitte truly is huge. “Walking distance” from our Airbnb was sometimes 30-50 minutes (which we were okay with because that’s how we prefer to see the city).

The Space

I thought the space in this Airbnb was absolutely amazing. It was VERY spacious, especially compared to the first Airbnb in London. But just in general, for a one-bedroom in a major city, this was one of the most spacious that I’ve stayed in.

There are these giant balcony windows/doors that open up to a small garden, which we could also use. This lets in a lot of light during the day which made the living space super enjoyable. I LOVE bright rooms and the living room definitely lived up to that.

The washroom was SUPER light and clean, which I really appreciate. There was also a washer and dryer there which was great for us since we had a 2-week and tons of laundry. The bedroom was also quite spacious. It’s its own separate room with a door, and there was closet space and a full-length mirror (which you would think should be quite common but SO many Airbnbs I’ve stayed in DON’T have them).

There’s also a little kitchen + full-sized fridge which allows for some cooking if you had a longer stay (or just wanted to save money from eating out!).

Value

This place was SUCH good value. The average price range for Airbnbs in Berlin was around $50 – $300. So in general, seems like Mitte is a decently affordable place to get Airbnbs. Not sure about the average cost of hotels because we didn’t even consider hotels here but might actually be quite affordable too.

We paid about $115 per night for our space in Berlin, which was still very affordable especially considering the location of our Airbnb and the size.

The space was clean and very big. It actually had amenities that some other places I’ve stayed at don’t (like the washer) and the location was very central. So overall I would give this place a solid 8/10. However, they show a dryer in the photo, which for some reason wasn’t actually there in real life which we thought was a little bizarre. Also, they didn’t provide laundry detergent so we just went out and bought our own. Which is totally fine, but it would’ve been nice if that was provided.

Florence

Location

Our Airbnb location in Florence was amazing. We were 200 meters from the Dome and 100 meters from Museo dell’ Accademia where the statue of David is. The building itself was built in the 400 century and belonged to the Merciai family. The second floor where our flat was used to be the private family chapel. There are religious frescos on the ceiling of our bedroom so I think the host kept some of the original pieces of the building as inspiration.

The Space

The flat itself was absolutely stunning. Our host is an architect so she has the place beautifully designed. However, some corners of the flat still had the original rock wall peeking through which I thought was such a neat part of the place.

Although this space was not as big as our place in Berlin, the double volume space in the main living room where the dining table is made it feel very spacious. For the two of us, it was ample space.

There is a bedroom, two washrooms, and two living spaces. She built a little loft situation in the flat so that there actually can be another small open concept bedroom upstairs. While we stayed there she had a pull-out couch there so it just stayed as a second living space for us.

The flat was also beautifully decorated with matching blue accent pieces all throughout. We thought the shower was a stand out feature of the flat—it was a tiled, cave-style shower with a rainfall showerhead. It also had the ability to transform into a tub, however, it requires a LOT of water to do so which makes it slightly less appealing to take a bath.

Value

Another place with AMAZING value. We paid around $117 cad/night and stayed here for 4 nights. We used Florence as a home base and traveled to Venice and Bologna on day trips because we heard that staying in Venice was a lot more expensive. And I’m super glad we did! This place was a great price and Florence itself was a lot quieter and less hectic than Bologna and Venice.

The location was super central (although Florence is quite small so anywhere in the center of the city is going to be a great location) and space beautiful. I would be happy to stay here again if we ever came back to Florence. Our host was also incredible and made sure we had everything we needed for our trip.

Rome

Location

Our Airbnb in Rome was in Monti, an area right smack in the middle of the city. Located right by the Colosseum and the Fori Imperiali, it was the perfect area to stay where it was super easy to get to and from most of the attractions we were looking to see in Rome.

The street that we were located on, Via Urbana, hosts a lot of wonderful little cafes, restaurants, and vintage stores. Although it seemed like most of the restaurants we were looking at specifically were located in a neighbouring area, we were still super glad we chose this location for our trip.

The Space

Our flat was around 70 square meters big was which plenty of space for the two of us. The flat is located in an 18th-century building, but it was recently renovated and felt really new and modern. I loved the concrete floors and the exposed wood ceilings, I thought the aesthetics of the place was absolutely amazing.

Although there were a few notable spots around the apartment (such as the STUNNING kitchen space), my favourite part of the space was definitely the hammock. Our host hung a hammock diagonally in a corner of the main living space, right by the window. With the windows open, this was the most perfect spot to kick up your feet and relax after exploring all day.

Although it was nearly 26/27 degrees Celcius while we were there, the space still felt really cool. We went in October, so the nights cooled down quite a bit. But even during the heat of the day, we never felt like it was too hot in the apartment.

Value

We paid about $140 dollars per night for our stay in Rome. We stayed in Rome for 3 nights, and so split between the two of us, we thought the price was very reasonable. Keep in mind, I had Joel to split the costs 50/50 with me for all of these stays, so it ended up being rather affordable for us and we were able to be more selective of where we wanted to stay. If you’re traveling on your own, there are honestly tons of more affordable options in Rome. The price range in Airbnb was between $50 – $300, quite similar to the costs in Berlin. You’ll probably spend the majority of your money on food and tours so do keep that in mind.

Overall, I really loved our place in Rome because of its aesthetic and location. I was super comfortable during our entire stay, and we would definitely stay here again if we visit in the future.

Staying in Airbnbs

Airbnbs are still my accommodation of choice when I travel. I find that typically, you’re able to get a wider range of prices and spaces than traditional hotels. In most cities that I’ve been to, Airbnbs are typically cheaper than hotel options. I personally really enjoy staying in flats while I’m traveling because it provides a more authentic local experience. I also really enjoy being able to see what different apartments and buildings in different cities look like, which gives me a better understanding of how living in that city would be like.

If you haven’t tried using Airbnb before, I would highly recommend it. My affiliate link is here if you would like to up and give both of us some credits to spend on traveling! Otherwise, visit Airbnb’s home page to sign up and check out their services.

If you follow my Instagram (I’m assuming that’s how you found me), you’ll know that I am currently traveling across Europe! My first stop was London, UK as that’s where my direct flight from Vancouver took me. Although I was only in London for a day and a half, I was super glad I got to experience London and explore the city a little bit.

If you don’t already, make sure you follow my YouTube as well so you don’t miss my London vlog!

The Royal Lancaster Hotel

While I was in London, I stayed at the Royal Lancaster Hotel on top of Hyde Park. It was the perfect location for me as I needed to be near Mayfair where Joel’s family was hosting most of their events.

The hotel is also incredibly close to Lancaster Gate subway station which means it’s super easy for you to access any part of the city. I absolutely loved my stay at the Royal Lancaster so I wanted to share my experience with you!

The Room

We stayed in one of their Executive Rooms which overlooks the city and Hyde Park. Our room had a king-sized bed, a seating area, a workspace, and a beautiful marble bathroom. It was definitely a large room for just the two of us but it made our stay exceptionally serene and amazing.

Check-In/Check Out

The lobby of The Royal Lancaster was absolutely beautiful. This hotel is definitely my aesthetic through and through. Beautiful wood finishes, gold touches, and hints of blue in the fabrics and furniture—it was truly super well designed and beautiful to look at.

When you walk into the lobby, there is a small reception desk where the staff is super friendly and happy to help. Their concierge was also amazing as well. They were able to provide us all the information we needed, book us taxis at a moment’s notice, and even offered to take our photo while were wandering around the hotel.

Both our check-in and check out process was super smooth and I was impressed with the service and how streamlined everything was.

Dining / Drinks

The Royal Lancaster has a pretty great selection of lounges, restaurants, and cafes on their roster. We only had time to try out a few of their establishments but everything we tried was great.

Whether you’re looking for Asian or western, they have a great selection of restaurants to serve all your cravings.

• Island Grill
• Nipa Thai
• Afternoon Tea
• Park Restaurant
• Hyde Cafe
• Park Lounge Bar

Hyde Cafe

We definitely made use of their lobby cafe, the Hyde Cafe. They serve delicious pastries (croissants all day, every day) as well as amazing coffee and other beverages. Loved stopping here for a coffee before we left the hotel for our day.

Island Grill

The Island Grill is the Royal Lancaster Hotel’s casual fine-dining bar and grill. The interior was actually quite warm and lovely, and it felt like it would be a great place for a gathering with friends, a casual business dinner, or even dinner with your family. 

Photo from Hungry City Hippy

We went at night so the vibe was quite different from the photo above, and overall we really enjoyed our meal and experience. 

We each ordered an appetizer and an entree. Joel got a salad to start and the steak for his main course, and I got the scallops and short rib. We both really enjoyed our meals, and would totally recommend eating here if you’re staying at the hotel and want a fuss-free meal. 

Park Restaurant

On our last morning, we had breakfast at the Park Restaurant. There’s a morning buffet offered every morning but we skipped on the buffet and decided to order a la carte. Joel got the waffles, which he absolutely loved (said they were perfectly fluffy and very well done) and I got the eggs benedict. 

I like to tell people I always order eggs benedicts for breakfast no matter where I go, so I can accurately compare restaurants to each other… but I actually just really like to eat them. The eggs benedict was quite well done here though! They used shaved ham, which sometimes can be a little salty for my taste, but was quite perfect for this meal. Their hollandaise sauce was very tasty as well and the texture was perfect!

Amenities

The hotel has many amenities that, unfortunately, we didn’t have time to enjoy on this trip. 

These include 

• Gym 
• In-Room Spa Treatments
• Blow-Drying Services

You also have discounted access to the facilities of their sister properties, the Landmark London and K West. 

Hotels or Airbnbs? 

As someone who doesn’t often stay in hotels, I actually really enjoyed my time at the Royal Lancaster! I usually choose Airbnbs over hotels as the prices are usually much lower. However, staying at the Royal Lancaster definitely reminded me why sometimes hotels are the better choice.

The excellent service, help with our bags, and even directions around the city and cab-calling were all super useful in a foreign city. Not to mention having the option of on-property dining as well as the use of the gym… These are all things I wouldn’t have access to if I had stayed at an Airbnb. 

What do you think? Do you prefer the do-it-yourself way and staying in an Airbnb at a lower cost? Or are you someone who thinks that the additional services and amenities at a hotel are worth it? 

I’m definitely leaning towards doing more travel content on the blog and I thought Tofino would be a great place to start. I have quite a few trips planned for 2019, and so I thought it was about time I got behind the camera more and started documenting my travels a little more religiously. Seems like most of my readers and Instagram family are pretty receptive towards travel content, which is perfect because I always have a great time creating it.

The Details

The A-frame house at The Shoreline, looks over a cute little dock in the Tofino harbour. In the back of the house, there are two private decks with one containing a stunning outdoor, ocean-view hot tub and the other a barbecue. There’s even a outdoor shower for you to rinse off in before you head back indoors.

The house itself has 2 queen bedrooms, 1 en-suite bathroom in the master bedroom downstairs, and a full bathroom for sharing on the main floor. It’s also got an adorable loft on top of the main living space which features 2 single beds.

In the middle of the living space, there is a cozy fireplace with spare firewood on the side. They’ve got the house set up to feel like a home, so it’s definitely perfect for families or other groups of 4-6.

The Photos

I went a little crazy photographing the place because it seemed like every corner of the house was photogenic as heck. I’m sharing a bunch of the photos below so you can get a good idea of what the house offers if you’re planning a trip to Tofino.

We got to stay in the beautiful cabin suite 4 at The Shoreline for the 2 nights we were in Tofino and It was everything. The cozy wood interior mixed with the hip beachy west coast decor gives it the perfect après surf feel. But even though we didn’t surf while we were there, it was still a beautiful place to stay.

This cabin is perfect for groups of 2-4 as the sofa actually pulls out to be a double bed as well. It’s on the lower level of the second A-frame cabin and offers a private deck area, waterfront views, full kitchen, full bath, and a single bed nook if you decide to have a 5th person. The living room opens up to a stunning view of a little dock at the end of the street and the surrounding waters and mountains. Even on a misty rain day, it was the most relaxing view to wake up to and see in the morning. There’s even a bit of cover right outside your door so you can enjoy your coffee outdoors without getting rained on.

We spent a lot of our time going between restaurants and then back home for naps, boardgames, and Netflix binging. Despite the 180 in our plans (we were planning on hiking, kayaking, and going on bear watching tours), it turned out to be the perfect 3 days and was exactly what I needed.

The check-in desk is usually open until around 4pm—so if you’re checking in past 4pm, they just leave your cabin’s door unlocked with the key on the kitchen counter. Everyone was extremely accommodating and made sure we had everything we need for our trip. They prepared beach towels, coffee, and even had umbrellas ready for us when we asked. You can tell that the keepers of this boutique hotel really love this place and they work hard to take good care of it.

They cabins themselves were originally under a different branding and owner, but they made the switch over to being The Shoreline in 2015. Although you can tell the cabins were older themselves, they did an amazing job keeping it in great condition and decorating it in a modern way.

There’s a total of 5 different suites that you can stay in, with their biggest one being the A-Frame House. That one sleeps 4-6 comfortably, and even has it’s own outdoor, ocean-view hot tub on the patio. There was no one staying in the house on our second night so we asked if we could take a peek inside and snap some photos. Of course they were amazing and let us do so. Check out that stunning house here. If we had more people I definitely would’ve opted to stay here because it was BEAUTIFUL. There’s even a little fireplace in the middle of the living space with firewood provided. Overall, it’s just got the perfect summer cabin (or storm-chasing cabin) vibes and I can’t wait to go back.

Have you been to Tofino before? Where did you stay?