Tag: hotel

Categories
review

REVIEW: ALOFT EASTSIDE BIRMINGHAM

A new vibrant boutique hotel has opened up in Birmingham and it’s rather fabulous babs. Introducing Aloft Birmingham Eastside hotel brought to by the Marriott brand, located on the Eastside just by Millennium Point in the business district of Birmingham and offering the best of what Birmingham has to offer from just a short walk away. A modern and urban-inspired hotel where music is key and technology is seamless, keeping you connected and inspired throughout your stay. Aloft moves to its own beat and creates bold, open and vibrant spaces for guests to come together and relax. My partner and I was invited down to review my experience with Aloft and to say I was pleasantly surprised is rather an understatement on what’s to come in this review… 

Please note that this experience was gifted, and this is my honest opinion.

Located on Woodcock Street just next to Millennium Point, the hotel is not exactly City Central however soon as we arrived we realised how quiet and peaceful the area is, it was nice to be away from car horns, mouthy party-goers and Sweet Caroline that’s been on constant repeat throughout the City for the last two months. The hotel is only a short walk away from the iconic Bullring, the vibrant underground world we like to call Digbeth and let’s not forget the world’s largest Primark! Unfortunately, the hotel does not have a car park, however we were told to park in the Millennium Point car park (just over the road) it costs us £9.95 for 24 hours which was rather cheap as other times we have stayed over in Birmingham we have had to park at The Mailbox and that costs us over £20.

Walking through the front entrance of Aloft you are hit with an almost futuristic design throughout with loud colours, sleek designed furniture and mouth-watering textures, many Instagram addicts will be lunging into their pockets for their phones, I was one of them. Your eyes are constantly diverted from one area to another, The hotel is visually yummy and by the look at how many guests were there, very popular. One section that will stand out to you is the 24/7 Re-Fuel Snack bar which is great after a night out in Birmingham and you are feeling a bit peckish! The reception is open-planned and very spacious, plenty of seating if you just want to get out your room and relax. Upon checking in at reception we were greeted with smiles instantly, staff are lovely here and very down to earth. Once we checked in, we was then greeted by Catherine who agreed to take us on a tour of the hotel and the Eastside room’s.

The Eastside Rooms is located just next door to Aloft, its Birmingham’s newest conference venue that brings you amazing substantial blank canvases that are perfect for any kind of event. Eastside Rooms caters to big events such as weddings and award ceremonies to small events such as Business meetings or offer rooms that offer a quiet space for you to work, Eastside has you covered with a room fit for all kinds of occasions. There is also a light, airy gym which can be used by guests with great views of Birmingham. After our tour we finished in The WXYZ bar with a bespoke Bab about town cocktail made just for me! What do you like? Strawberries! POOF! It was done just like that…These guys are good. WXYZ offers a chilled space for you to relax in with a cocktail and you can also dine in the bar and play pool.

When we first entered the room, we only admired it for about a minute as we decided to do the tour first and didn’t want to keep Catherine waiting. Upon our second visit to the room we realised how lovely it really was and it deserved our immediate attention. Clean, spacious and cosy, a decent sized bathroom with a more then decent walk in shower that could fit the Kardashians family in there and a huge tv that kind of transported our room at night to our very own home cinema.  We were booked into The Urban king Room, it has everything you need from ironing boards to hairdryers to your very own coffee machine plus a great view of Birmingham, we weren’t short of anything. What I really loved about the room is that it featured local artists art work in there which was a lovely touch to the City and something I would like to see more hospitality businesses doing. What really lit our eyes up was the gorgeous “Naughty and Nice” platter made just for me and my partner by the Chefs at Aloft. A stand full of luxurious sweets and desserts from cupcakes to trifles, it was very impressive and a lovely touch to our room, we instantly felt very special. Aloft’s tech-forward approach to hospitality comes to life at the bedroom door as you can’t enter your room via your smartphone! – there’s no key card. There’s also fast, free WiFi throughout the hotel.

In the evening we were booked into Alofts restaurant Tempo! for a three-course meal. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, music-related art work hanging on the walls and a few splashes of neon that was very Bab about town! Looking at the menu, they have a great selection of burgers, pizzas and more, the only thing lacking is the vegan options however. Luckily my partner and I are meat-eaters and we really enjoyed our three-course meal. Ham hock and pea timbale to start followed by pan fried rump steak and classic lemon tart to finish, it was very tasty, and we left feeling very impressed with our Teletubbie bellies.

After our meal we decided to go up to our room and watch a couple of films in our very own movie theatre which features cable tv, three movies later and we were fast asleep with popcorn crawling out of our mouths. We both slept through the night, I woke up with no back pain and feeling very refreshed. The bed was very comfy, I didn’t wake up ONCE which was something, I thought I might struggle with as the hotel seemed to have guests more from the 20-30 age group, so I was quite surprised that we heard no party goers shenanigans throughout the night.

Aloft serve breakfast in the Tempo! Restaurant from 6am to 10am, They usually offer a buffet breakfast however due to CO-VID they put on a set menu for guests to choose from. They offered a variety from meat/vegan fry ups to lighter options such as cereal and yogurt. I went for the English breakfast tea then the vegan fry up which I was very impressed with. I have to say it’s not the most appealing breakfast (I have a thing with skin on sausages pealing) but I was pleasantly pleased with the taste and proves the point of don’t judge a book by its cover, it was delicious. My partner went for the buttermilk pancakes and said they were the tastiest pancakes he has ever had, another successful meal at Aloft and a great finish to our stay.

Aloft Eastside is a fantastic contender to Birmingham’s booming hospitality sector, a great night’s sleep that doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket and a more than satisfactory service is something that really stands out here, the room was priced at £85 for the Urban King Room and breakfast which I feel is fantastic value for money as I have paid £100 for other Birmingham hotels for just the room. Let’s not forget about the quirky perks now when you stay at this hotel such as having the luxury of renting polaroid cameras and making your stay as fun as possible especially with your furry friends as the hotel is proud of its pet friendly policy. Aloft Eastside has quickly become one of my top 5 hotels to stay in Birmingham, the staff here are fantastic and really went to great lengths to make sure our stay was positive and memorable. Aloft is bold, eccentric and dares to be different. We need more hotels like that in Birmingham.

To book your stay please click here and to see more of the hotel please check out my reel of the Hotel here

BAB x

Categories
Birmingham Hotel stay

REVIEW: AC HOTEL BIRMINGHAM

Located in the heart of Birmingham in The Mailbox where you have restaurants, bars, shops and the picturesque canals of Birmingham on your doorstep, you will find The AC Hotel which is part of the Marriott hotel group. Well designed throughout, with plenty to offer and drawing in guests that are looking for something a bit more than just staying in a “chained hotel”

I have stayed in many Marriott hotels, all have been very disappointing except for AC Hotel which doesn’t strike me as a typical “chained” old-fashioned Marriott hotel, it’s quite literally the opposite. As I step through the doors of the hotel I am greeted with Modernisation, sleek design throughout and CLASS. No victorian patterned chairs, no worn-out carpets and certainly no mahogany, It was almost like stepping into an upmarket business class lounge at the airport which, I really liked!

Checking into the hotel is very quick and easy, I found the staff very pleasant, informative and welcoming, I spoke to a young girl at the reception who was ever so lovely and accommodating. I was checking in for two nights (Thursday to Saturday) in a Canal view superior guest room with a queen bed for £126.48.

The hotel oozed sleek modern decor throughout the hotel and it didn’t stop when I got to the room. I noticed straight away that the room was big and had plenty of space, you could fit a party of twenty in there easily. Simple, modern and classy, straight away I felt relaxed and comfortable.
The room as well as the hotel was completely spotless, it was so clean I could see my reflection in the sink and there was not a coffee smear in sight!

The queen bed was huge and was big enough to fit my 6 ft 6 partner which was a huge success as sometimes he does struggle to fit in beds [Insert troll face] The room provided all the useful facilities that you would expect and more including a very fancy Nespresso machine, Sky TV, bathrobes and slippers. The room also provided a lovely view of the Canal that was stunning to see at night, lovely to watch Birmingham glistering at night. The room was right on the front just above the restaurants and bars in which I did wonder, would I be able to sleep at all as Birmingham nightlife is quite animated…however I didn’t hear one single Birmingham accent nor clinking of glasses/bottles BUT it might be a different story on a Saturday night…

The only thing that was missing from the room was wine glasses and of course, this is not essential but after a busy day at work It was time for wine so I contacted reception and within five minutes two wine glasses were delivered to the door.

In regard’s to CO-VID restriction’s, there is a list of rule’s and information guides from the hotel which inform’s guest’s of all the health and safety procedure’s the hotel has taken to provide a safe stay to all guest’s. There are sign’s to tell guest’s to wear mask’s, hand sanitiser station’s and social distancing rule’s carried out throughout the hotel. There was not one time I felt uncomfortable or unsafe in this hotel.

At the Hotel, they have a hotel bar and the AC lounge area where they serve breakfast, an array of tapas, afternoon teas and signature cocktail’s. I didn’t get to explore the lounge due to CO-VID restriction’s however I have tried out the tapas and cocktail’s in the lounge on a previous Blogger’s event which was superb! If you like to read my review please check it out here. They do have an on-site Starbucks if you’re a busy bee in the morning’s and need a caffeine pick me up, however, if you’re not a fan of Starbucks there is plenty of Independent coffees shops within a five-minute walking distance from the AC Hotel such as Medicine Bakery and Cocoa by Ali. In regards to travelling to the Hotel, They do not have a hotel car park however The Mailbox doe’s have one and AC Hotel guests receive a 15% discount. Grand Central Station is about a 5-10 minute walk and there are also bus stops nearby.

View from our room

Overall I had a really lovely stay at The AC Hotel, I couldn’t fault it and although certain service’s were not available due to CO-VID I still managed to have an enjoyable stay as well as importantly, a safe stay. The staff are hard-working and strive to take care of their guest’s, I have to say this is some of the best customer service I have ever experienced at a hotel. A two-night stay for £126.48 in the heart of Birmingham surrounded by great hospitality and shopping facilities with excellent customer service and a spacious and functional room is certainly nothing to frown about, I was more than satisfied. I left feeling refreshed, full of energy and pretty darn happy with my stay with AC and I continue to look forward to my next visit with AC.

BAB

Categories
Birmingham Food review

AFTERNOON TEA AT HOTEL DU VIN BIRMINGHAM

For a while now I have wanted to visit Hotel du Vin & Bistro in Birmingham and see what all the fuss was about as it’s a hotel and bistro that is often praised by many in and out of Birmingham. As a lover of food and of course, afternoon tea, I thought now was the time to book myself in to experience and trial Hotel du Vin’s exceptional reputation in Birmingham.

The Hotel & Bistro is located on Church Street, a great location for travellers who are staying over at the hotel as you have Grand Central station that is just under a 10-minute walk away, you are surrounded by restaurants and bars, and if you had forgottten any essentials ( I always forget pants which is ridiculous but my brain chooses 2 x biscuits in case I feel sick in the night instead of pants, absolute LOLS) you are also surrounded by retail shops, so the location is perfect. Upon entering the Hotel, it does have a fabulous entry that leads to the courtyard where you can dine in, but our afternoon tea took place in the Bistro restaurant which is just darling! It’s elegant and it just oozes Le Paris!

We were shown to our table and then handed menus to choose which tea we would like to have, I opted for the English breakfast and my friend opted for Earl Grey. They had a pretty impressive variety of drinks on offer that you can have with your afternoon tea, from hot drinks to fancy champagne and Hendricks cocktails. I did nearly choose the “Dozy Girl” tea with lavender and rose petals but we were on a tight schedule as we chose to go in our lunch hour, so we wanted to avoid falling asleep on the keyboard and getting the sack! The tea was served first and it came within 5 minutes, sharp service, I like it!

One of the staff members asked us if we had any allergies and then confirmed we was having vegan (for my friend) and non vegan (for me) afternoon tea. Shortly after, the afternoon tea followed glistering with a range of savouries and sweets and wait, do I spy POPCORN? (I shall not quote Stephen Kings IT…POP POP POP…damn it) Vegan afternoon tea on the top and the non-vegan on the bottom. My eyes lit up and I couldn’t help but sigh with relief when I spotted the sweets because bread is Jesus and the number of afternoon teas I have had and they just plonk a load of cakes on it and have 3 tiny sandwiches?! This certainly wasn’t the case with Hotel du Vin, let’s start with mine first.

With the non-vegan afternoon tea you get a pretty good selection of finger sandwiches with a variety of fillings.

Cheese and pickle

Coronation chicken

Cucumber and mint

Smoked salmon and cream cheese

Egg and cress

A selection that I was pretty satisfied with. The bread was fresh, the fillings were full of flavour and I enjoyed the variety. Next up was the deserts which to me, are perfectly sized and again, great variety.

Carrot Cake

Paris-Brest

Tutti Frutti macaroon

Black Forest gateau

Rum Baba

Now, the rum baba I never tried because my mother is the Queen of rum baba’s. She is completely obsessed with them, so obsessed that she would try and blackmail my dad in going down to Waitrose and buying her 10 packets of the stuff, “well, I am not making you dinner” whipped by a rum baba, the shame. She did comment on it saying it was delicious but of course, she would have liked a larger portion. Now, the other desserts were absolutely delicious, the Paris-Brest was my favourite and it just complimented my cup of tea so nicely. The black forest was just pleasurable that’s all I am going to say, and the carrot cake took me by surprise but they all did, because there not the sort of desserts I would go for but it sure did tickle my sweet tooth and left me pretty satisfied.

Vegan afternoon tea was quite impressive, again, a very generous and good variety of vegan treats for my friend to tuck into…

Cheese & onion tart

Tempura cauliflower

Vegan scone with peppers

Salted popcorn

and more vegan savoury tarts 

The deserts

Pistachio cake

Chocolate truffle cake

Victoria sponge

Danish pastry

As a vegan, my friend noted that it is often quite difficult to find a vegan afternoon tea and she was pretty impressed with the selection and variety on offer at Hotel du Vin. Thumb ups on the vegan front. I am a non-vegan and I have to say it did look very appetising and I liked the quirky touch of popcorn…Nope, I am not quoting “IT” again. We also received scones which had me pondering for 5 minutes if they even were scones, they had a glaze on top almost like a donut would have and the texture was also different to a regular scone “I’m not like a regular scone, I am a cool scone” Yes I just quoted Meal Girls but anyway, I’m a fan of the scones! Different but delicious.

The Bistro is absolutely stunning, decorated with wall art and empty wine bottles empowering that rustic feel with a touch of quirk. I would like to mention that the staff at Hotel du Vin are professional and very informative, they check in with you now and again to make sure you are enjoying your experience to the fullest.

When it comes to Afternoon Tea, Hotel du Vin have got it spot on. The décor, the ambience and the food is stunning here and its priced at £22.50?! in which, I believe is an absolute steal for sensational service and food. In a way, it doesn’t feel like you are dining out in Birmingham more like a French Bistro in an upper-class town in France back in the 1940s. The Afternoon Tea has fought its way into my top 5 Afternoon Teas in Birmingham, for sure! Hotel du Vin is a delightful treat for anyone, If you are a lover of Afternoon Tea then you must, I repeat MUST take a trip to Hotel du Vin & Bistro in Birmingham where you will receive luscious food served to the highest standard surrounded by French charm, it’s a stunning experience for all to enjoy.

Fancy it? you can book your Afternoon tea here

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Hotel stay review

BLOC HOTEL REVIEW-THE JEWELLERY QUARTER

Located in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter is a sleek modern hotel with a pinch of neon that oozes Vice City Vibes. Bloc Hotel offers travellers a comfortable nights sleep in Japanese pod inspired rooms that to some might feel it’s a tight squeeze but to others may feel its compact, affordable and convenient. Surrounded by the historical yet animated atmosphere of the Jewellery Quarter, this hotel offers “affordable luxury stays” to the traveller who doesn’t have to go far for necessities.

Arriving at Bloc hotel that is slapped right in the middle of Snow Hill and the Jewellery Quarter train station offering a perfect location for transport links,restaurants, attractions and bars. Once we checked in and showed photo I.D we proceeded to our vista room on the third floor. Upon entering the room the first thing that jumps out at you is the size, it’s a bit on the small side. The second thing that stands out is how spotless the room is, nice clean sheets, fresh towels and not one little squirrel hair in sight. The bathroom (wet room) is also very small equipped with a monsoon shower and the essence of sandlewood.The room offers king-sized beds that are the same width of the room , ambient mood lighting (GTA Vice City vibes), toiletries such as soap, body wash and shampoo, HD TV, climate control system and WIFI. I also had a nice view from the window of the BT tower and some of the offices in Snow Hill. There is not a wardrobe in the room but there is a couple of coat hangers and hooks plus room under the bed to store away your travel bags/suitcases.

Once settled in I decided to look for food and referred to my Around the Bloc guide that’s in the room packed full of information on all the restaurants and bars in the area plus you can get discounts when you stay with Bloc! You dont have to go far to find a place that offers good grub round here, just opposite the Bloc hotel is Otto Wood Fired Pizza and located down the road in Saint Pauls Square is several eaterys and bars that are worth a pop in such as Saint Kitchen, Saint Pauls House and a golden oldie of mine: Actress & Bishop.

After a couple of red wines I headed back to the hotel just in time for bed at 10pm like the right old fart that I am. I had the neon purple “mood” lighting on with the blind open revealing a pretty cosmopolitan view of the thriving Colmore Row business district. The bed was very comfortable, duvet not too heavy and the tempature was just right. My retirement plans to bed soon changed as Ryan Gosling came on my TV screen in Nicholas Winding Refn’s “Drive” so I decided to stay up and dribble. Heading towards midnight there was a couple of “rumpy pumpy” noises in the night from next door but what do you expect the hotel is cheaper than a travelodge and well, we are all human hey? This wouldnt be the first hotel to of seen a bit of action and it certainly wont be the last. After I stopped giggling, I managed to fall asleep and my goodness, what a sleep I had, I woke up like bloody Sleeping Beauty. I suffer with a bit of back pain now and then but I felt like the mattress actually did me some good, for the past 3 years I have woken up with shooting pains in my back so it was amazing to wake up with no pain for once.

Bottled water is included in the rooms however there is no tea and coffee facilities, there is a coffee machine downstairs in the reception area however the downside to this is that you have to pay with cash. As we are leaning more towards going cashless nowadays, this may cause a right itch in the hoohar however there are many local coffee shops by the hotel that can ease the coffee morning jitters but it would of been nice to wake up to coffee in my room.

Checking out was very easy, hand in the hotel key and leave, simples. The staff were very polite and straight away they asked If I enjoyed my stay. A pleasant stay at a hotel I wouldn’t have thought to stay in but I would recommend Bloc as it offers luxurious yet affordable rooms, a great location bursting with lively nightlife, swanky restaurants and buzzing bars plus positive customer service. This hotel may be best suited for people who commute or fancy a budget stay in Brum for the night with prices ranging from £40-£80, you really can’t argue with the price even over a cup of coffee. They also have a range of bigger rooms on availability that I can confirm, do have tea and coffee facilities so its just the vista rooms that don’t provide this.

A comfortable night’s stay in a lovely modern hotel in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter where a room for the night didn’t have to burn a hole in my purse, would I book again? Of course I would, Bloc is an absolute treat for the price.

Please note this was a gifted experience by Bloc Hotel Birmingham, if you wish to use any of my photography please get in touch.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
lifestyle london Personal

MY 28TH BIRTHDAY SHENANIGANS

So last week I celebrated my 28th birthday with a very uncomfortable hour-long wax and a cossie wedgie…the joys of growing older hey? This year I wanted to do something different and I wanted to pamper myself with a spa day. I have NEVER had a spa day before and I am not too sure as to why maybe it’s my fear of peoples toes in those horrid flip flops or those swimming costumes that are in fashion now, you know, the ones where you have most of your crotch hanging out? Whatever it was I decided to take the plunge and book my first Spa day at The Belfry Hotel in Sutton Coldfield.

So, what did I learn from my spa Day?

  • Don’t leave it to last minute to buy a swimming costume as your butt may not be able to fit in it. That is exactly what happened, I couldn’t get my sodding butt in the cossie.
  • Children are everywhere, there is no escape even at a “relaxing spa day” there are 11am children swimming lessons going on, whatever happened to taking your kids to school and leaving them there for the day?
  • I was right, the white flip flop slippers are minging.
  • Everywhere is slippy, even the sodding swimming pool is slippy.
  • Spa days are not that relaxing

Whilst there were a few negatives, I did overall enjoy my experience of my very first spa day at The Belfry, the back massage gave me a bit of relief, the afternoon tea was filling and delicious and overall the Belfry is a very impressive spa hotel.

The next birthday treat was a meal at Tattu in Birmingham in which I am sure many of you have heard of but if not, just follow the blossom trail. A Modern Chinese restaurant next to Snowhill station on Barwick street kitted out in beautiful blossom and oozes sleek design. Now, this is my second time to Tattu as I loved it so much the first time. As a group we ordered a couple of plates to share from Monkfish to Dim sum, the food is colourful, vibrant and god damn bloody tasty. By far the best Chinese food I have ever had. One thing that stands out with Tattu is the service, the service is first class PERIOD. I know it’s my birthday but even when it wasn’t my birthday last time, the service and the positive energy our group received from the employees was great and it really does make the experience second best to none.

My final treat was a trip down to London to stay in the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch. My cousin Jess and I caught the 6 am coach to Victoria from Birmingham and I spent most of it sleeping and hissing at the little kid in front of me. Soon as we arrived it was time for coffee and where’s best to head for coffee in Victoria, why, Peggy Porschen of course! Well known for its beautiful floral decorated shop front and pastel pink sleek design, it really is a stunner, but did you know they do great coffee and cake too? You see, unfortunately, many people see Peggy’s as a photo opportunity. I am sitting outside sipping on my cappuccino and I see people stopping to take photos outside and then running off, why don’t you taste the product before abusing it? Peggy Porschens is a lovely not so hidden gem in London with lovely staff and mouth-watering cakes, An absolute delight.

Another favourite is Dominque Ansel Bakery, I have wanted to try the brunch there for so long. We luckily got a table in the morning, we sat in the autumn decked out conservatory and we felt like we were in Autumns aura. After a morning of non-stop walking around Oxford street shopping for our Friday night outfits and death-trap tubes, it was time to meet my friend Laura and head to the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch. I was looking for arty-farty, more art, less of the fart and that that’s exactly what I got. The room was for four ladies, but you could fit 2 hen party’s in that joint. Little touches such as vinyl players, vinyl records, lifestyle magazines made it so unique and I was even surprised with a bottle of bubbly from the staff to celebrate my birthday and yes, of course, we googled the cost £15!

The Ace Hotel even has a rooftop bar that showcases a pretty view of Shoreditch with some classic cocktails. We headed out for pizza and met my other friend Heather to head on over to Tonight Josephine. Now you may recognise this place on a lot of bloggers social media pages or if you are an Apprentice fan, it was on The Apprentice 2 weeks ago where the lads made a right cock up on the ice lolly’s, quite literally they looked like Willys! Another place where people go to take “selfies” for the gram and it was quite incredible how so many girls were taking it quite seriously, not one to fuss over an Instagram photo however all of us found ourselves fighting over photos and shooting down our blurry photos. We just wanted to feel like the spice girls for one night okay! Tonight Josephine is good but only when you are a bit drunk, its full of repetitive pop songs and cocktails full of sugar. If you need a photo for the gram, I guess, you could go here.

The last day we went exploring Brick Lane. full of amazing art, quirky markets and exotic people, it is defiantly my kind of place! The markets are incredible here not like your fruit and veg market back in Brum, but they have all sorts of offerings furniture, cronuts, pretty dresses and sexy paintings. The Vintage Market on Brick lane is one of my favourites, why did I not go there to find my Friday night outfit?! I am a big lover of sunglasses and found myself trying on an impressive selection of Elton John’s glasses. After our afternoon of exploring it was time to head back home to Brum.

It was pretty great to return back to work to some of my colleague’s shell shocked that I turned 28 ” You don’t look like a day over 18″ which is simply quite flattering but then still annoying as I still get I’D!I am growing up and I am having to make important decisions to better myself in this life, I decided soon as I turned 28 to make a checklist for the year and to stick to it, this is something I have not done before. I know what I want to achieve by the time I have turned 29 and I do feel that it’s achievable.Turning 28 I have found myself to be a lot wiser and a lot more confident in myself. I have mentioned before in another blog post I have had a terrible 2 years and although the start of the year was bad and there have been moments where it’s been very difficult but I am still here, I am not a quitter and as my family would say, I’m a Langston, we laugh our way through life. The fire is burning in my belly and confidence is growing so I’m ready too take you on 28!

AMY ELIZA