Bubble Baths & Bonus Points: Our Stay at Ascott Corniche Al Khobar

Here it is—the hotel stay I hinted at in my Grab Bag blog post! That little paragraph started growing so long, it demanded its own spotlight. Plus, I’ve also set a personal goal to exceed the number of blog posts I did last month (hehe), so here we go!

My husband had a two-day work commitment in Dammam and was entitled to a hotel stay. Naturally, I jumped in and began scouting! I compared the usual hotels his colleagues book with Ascott Corniche Al Khobar and Somerset Downtown Al Khobar. To my delight, Ascott Corniche was within the same price range—but way nicer. The best part? We got an excellent rate thanks to our Ascott Star Rewards membership. (Light plug: If you’re not yet a member, sign up now—it’s worth it!)

A little proud moment: Back when I worked for Ascott Philippines, I was sent to Singapore to work with HQ on Ascott Star Rewards (ASR). I led the staff training during our ASR launch in the Philippines - so ASR is kind of my baby! So yes, we got a discounted rate and earned points. What I love is that since rates in Saudi and other countries are generally higher than in the Philippines, our points add up quickly. Earlier this year, we used our ASR points for a free night at Citadines Millennium Ortigas during our BF-GF anniversary. Win!

My "home" in Citadines Mount Sophia Singapore when I was there for ASR

Anniversary surprise at Citadines Millennium Ortigas Manila

We booked a Studio Premier, which is the smallest room category but has a bath tub - priority for this bubble bath girlie! My husband dropped me off around 10:30 a.m. with our luggage and my grab bag, ready to wait in the lounge or restaurant. But surprise! The room was already available. Yayyyy!!

The Studio Premier was surprisingly spacious and included a kitchenette. Ours had a connecting door too, so it’s probably used as part of a two-bedroom setup. I won’t gush too much because I’ll let the photos do the talking, but let me say this: Manager-on-duty-me usually spots something wrong in hotel rooms—but this time, nothing. Nada!

   

I immediately set up my little crafting corner with everything from my grab bag. The only tiny hiccup? The bathroom lights were on a motion sensor, and they’d turn off mid-bath or while I was ahem otherwise occupied. But after calling the team, someone came up immediately and adjusted the timer to 15 minutes—the max. Problem solved, and service was quick! Working in hotels for 13 years, my patience is somewhat extended when it comes to hotel service and this team impressed me.

For my bubble bath, I finally got to use my new tray and bath pillow. I even watched Cold Case while soaking - haha! May seem like weird vibe but not really! I brought all the pampering essentials: face mask, eye mask, lip mask, hair mask, and a matching Bath & Body Works oil to go with the bubble bath. 

The next day, I even blogged in the tub! I’m now eyeing an acrylic wine glass and electric candles to complete the experience. Why not go all out?

On check-out day, my husband had work until 4 p.m., so I asked about late check-out. The front desk offered 2 p.m., which made me surprisingly (no, delightfully) happy! I thought I probably could’ve asked for later, but I ended up leaving the room early anyway and explored the lobby / ground floor area.

Here’s something that stood out: The staff were exceptionally warm and genuine. We’ve stayed at several Ascott properties in the Middle East—Ascott, Somerset, and Citadines in Riyadh, Bahrain, Dubai, and Qatar—and this was the friendliest and most efficient team we’ve encountered. I honestly didn’t expect it based on past experiences, but Ascott Corniche Al Khobar exceeded expectations and brought back that signature Ascott hospitality I know and love. They truly made us feel welcome.

Since my husband was out most of the day and we only went out for dinners, I didn’t get to explore the rest of the hotel. But I’d love to go back for a proper leisure stay next time - one where we both get to relax!

And of course, we didn’t forget to eat well—here are some of our foodie finds while we were in the area.

Unlimited soup, salad bar and drinks!

Short and sweet, just the way I like it—already looking forward to the next stay (and the next bubble bath)!

What’s in My Grab Bag? | Dammam Edition

Every now and then, when my husband has to report to work in Khobar or Dammam, I tag along for the ride. I usually ask him to drop me off at a mall or Starbucks where I can happily entertain myself for hours. But this time, he had a 2-day work assignment and was entitled to a hotel stay. And guess what—we picked Ascott! 

Why Ascott? Because it feels homey (I actually used to work for Ascott!), and also… drumroll… they have bathtubs! I recently bought tub essentials—a bath tray and a tub pillow—and the only thing I was missing was an actual tub. hahaha! So this was my chance to finally put those bath goodies to use!

Anyway, every time I go on these little ride-along trips, I pack a trusty grab bag—a curated collection of things to keep me entertained because I’m a firm believer that only boring people get bored. Hahaha. Sorry to anyone who’s bored. 

So for today’s post, I’m sharing what I packed in my grab bag for this Dammam trip. Middle of writing about our room, I realized I’ll save all the hotel room details for a separate blog post because… Ascott deserves its own moment.  For now, here’s a sneak peek of my crafting corner in our room:

---

The Bag of Choice

I usually bring my very loud, very colorful Jansport backpack (pink, yellow, blue, purple, green—you name it). It was a gift from my husband 14 years ago, back when we were still bf-gf. But on a recent Starbucks visit, I realized it might be a bit much. Picture this: me in a bright pink blouse, with a big neon backpack, walking into a sea of all-male customers. So this time, I toned it down and brought my black Pacsafe backpack—a 2022 purchase that we originally got for my work laptop. It’s antitheft, with the main zipper tucked securely at the back. Love it.

---

What’s in the Outer Pocket?

• Mi Portable Photo Printer (blogged about it here!)

• Ugreen 4-in-1 Adaptor – Bought during last Eid Sale for SAR 99 / PHP 1500 on Amazon. It has one USB port and 3 micro USC of which you may use one for laptops and tablets!

• Apple Watch and iPhone charging cords

• Collapsible cup – for watercoloring on-the-go. Yes, I’m that extra.

  
  
  

  
  

---

What’s in the Main Compartment?

Opening the main compartment feels like opening my high school bag. Not college, oddly. High school. 😂

• My MacBook – My LIFE laptop. We got this before moving to Saudi. I barely used it then  because at work, I was still using my Windows laptop. After I officially resigned, I adjusted and struggled big time using this. Switching between Windows and Mac daily? Major respect to people who can do that. It's like when I had an android office given phone while I was using an iPhone for my LIFE phone. Hard.

  
  
  
  

• Watercolor Goodies (an international watercolor set up! hehe!)

  
  
  

  • Watercolor Paper – from Bahrain Touch of Art

  • Everyday Watercolor Book – I got this from KSA Jarir months ago. I planned to start it on April 1 (even posted an IG story!), but between the Bee Happy Anniversary Weeklies and Globe GCash testing, I didn’t get past the first page. Let’s try again this July.

  • Himi Paint Brushes – won from KM Calantas’ Bee Happy birthday raffle! I won this, a Himi Gouache Twin Cups Set, and a Himi Foldable Paint Palette all from Bee Happy Philippines!

    
    
    
    

  • Watercolor Set – also from Jarir. 

    
    
    
    

• My Planner and my PaperMate pencil case – already blogged about it here!

  
  
  

• iPad – Currently rewatching Cold Case on Prime Video. It’s my go-to background series while crafting or ironing.

  
  
  
  

---

So yes, I can totally kill time and not get bored. I think that’s one of the things I’ve been most proud of since moving to Saudi—finding joy in the little things, staying creative, and always having something to do. And to be honest, between all my hobbies and life life-ing, I feel like I do not have enough time! There are still so much I want to do! hihihi!

Stay tuned for my next blog post where I’ll gush all about our cozy Ascott suite (and yes, my bubble bath dreams finally coming true)!  

Ohh and maybe I'll make a regular bag what's in my handbag blog too!

Digi Choosday Project | Ocean-Inspired with a Twist: Shell Mini Album & Starfish Mixed Media with Polkadoodles

This week’s Polkadoodles theme was Ocean—but with a twist: the project had to be in an unusual shape and no mermaids allowed! I won’t lie, the word “unusual” immediately sent me into overthink mode, just like how "unique" does. I really wanted to make something different… but also, what even counts as “unusual”?! Pressure was high! and so was overthinking.

After a few rounds crafty brainstorming, I finally decided on two projects:

🐚 A shell-shaped mini album

⭐ And a starfish-shaped mixed media piece

Both projects feature the Coral Mermaid Printable Paper Set, which I absolutely love. Aside from the dreamy but colorful prints, and ocean vibe, some of the designs are fussy-cut-friendly—so you basically get coordinating die cuts built right into the paper. Just check out the starfish piece—those layered cut-outs add so much dimension and charm!

I especially loved making the mixed media piece. Once I let go of the overthinking, the process just flowed. With mixed media, I feel like I can just let my hands do the work—no plan, just layering and playing and watching it all come together. It’s messy in the best way. I don't always get into that zone of just free-crafting but when I do, I really really enjoy it. But then again, overthinking is always there, thus, rare times being on the free-crafting, letting go mood for mixed media. After finishing the starfish, I loved the outcome so much that I immediately made another one—this time, a shell-shaped piece (just like my mini album) for my Bee Happy Weeklies project!

Cute story: I was already pretty proud of the shell mini album when I first submitted it… but a few days later, I kept thinking of new ways I could’ve made it even prettier! That’s when I realized I should probably give my projects a little “sit and stare” time before officially sending them off. Now I leave them on my craft table for a day or two to see if any last-minute sparks of inspiration show up—and more often than not, they do!

If you’d like to recreate the shell album, you can check it out on my Design Space here! I’d love to see your take on it if you try it!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Let me know—are you team mini album or team mixed media this week? And don’t forget to check out Digi Choosday for more weekly prompts, challenges, and crafty fun!

Happy crafting (and overthinking),

Ana 🐚

Happy Cutie-versary, Kelly Bangs!

Can you believe it’s been five whole years of Cutie craftiness?! Kelly Bangs is celebrating her 5th Cutie-versary, and as the Design Squad is joining in on the fun!

 

To mark the occasion, I made a mini album using a mix of some of my favorite Cutie-versary elements — like the adorable Cutie Pie trophies, Florals Greatest Hits (for florals are forever a fave!), The Shape Parade (tags and squares), Mini Guest Checks, and those sweet Scout Friends. It’s a cheerful little project that made me smile from start to finish… even with a tiny hiccup.

Here’s the funny part: I finished decorating all the inside pages first — each one carefully layered with a piece from The Shape Parade (square) then I went ahead and glued the cover on upside down. 😅 So now all the pages (especially the ones with the letters and number print) are technically flipped. But honestly? That’s one of the things I love most about crafting — the little mistakes that turn into happy accidents. You either roll with it or get creative and find a way to make it work.

 

That’s exactly what I did. And I think the result is still full of very cutie cute cute cute cute cute! (5 cuteness for each year!) Watch a short flip through here.

 

If you haven’t yet, make sure to check out the Cutie-versary $5 Sale — it’s packed with fun printables and creative, pretty gems you’ll want to play with too!

I’ll be sharing more of my Cutie-versary projects over the next few days — stay tuned if you want to see more of how I played with this adorable $5 release!

Follow @kellybangscreative on Instagram for more inspiration—and while you’re there, come say hi to me too at @my.cat.and.crafts! 

Until then, happy crafting!

— Ana 💕