EXCLUSIVE Gemma Collins reveals why 'you couldn't pay her' to go back to Spain and the surprising budget hotel chain she's a fan of

Daily Mail​

6 hours ago

Despite Gemma Collins famously spending many a holiday in 'Marbs' - aka glitzy Spanish resort Marbella, the reality TV star says she's now more than ready to bid 'adios' to Spain for good.
Why? The 44-year-old admits that after years of partying on the Costa del Sol with her The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) co-stars, the destination has lost its shine.
'You couldn't pay me to go to Spain,' she says. 'It's like popping to London, I do it so much. It's not a vibe for me, I wouldn't waste my time going there.'
She's done with tapas too, adding: 'I just couldn't eat another prawn pil pil if you paid me.'
And while she does maintain a soft spot for Benidorm, calling the Costa Blanca tourist resort 'fun', there's another country that she's fallen head over heels in love with.
Italy, she swoons to MailOnline Travel, is her all-time favourite destination, describing the hilltop town of Taormina in Sicily as the 'most stunning place on earth'.
Gemma visited long before series two of HBO's The White Lotus was filmed there - but has returned since the series shone a spotlight on it, checking in at the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace, where much of the action on the show takes place.
She explains: 'I went back [after the series aired] and it was full of lovely American people. But I was like, honey, I'm here for the pasta!'
Venice is another of Gemma's top destinations: 'For me, it's absolutely spectacular. You will just not get over the amazing architecture, you've never seen nothing like it!
'It's just so cultured, everything is so beautiful. The food, the people, the history. But take money for the water taxis, they're not cheap!'
And while she admits that she once spent £40,000 on a holiday to Greece for her family, where they ate 'lamb chops and halloumi like it was going out of fashion', the reality star claims she's equally happy on a £400 break.
'Sometimes I just want a beach, a little taverna to the left of my eye, a cold lager and a dip in the sea. You don't always need the frills and spills.
'It's like when people say to me "Do you want a lobster roll sandwich?" I'm like, "no, just give me some cheese, please". Sometimes you just want normal, nice and basic.'
She's a fan of Premier Inn too - 'you can pick a pillow!' - and says that she prides herself on being 'a diverse traveller'.
'I like so many different things depending on the trip. Travelling for me doesn't need to be super expensive.'
But when it comes to packing - and picking up a few souvenirs - Gemma doesn't tend to hold back.
She explains: 'I'm known to collect on my travels. My partner goes absolutely mad. I don't think women should carry their own cases. He gets fed up of carrying the bags.
Taormina's Four Seasons Hotel San Domenico Palace (pictured) provided the backdrop for The White Lotus, and Gemma says she loves checking in to the luxury property
'Once I went to Mykonos with two cases and then I ended up with 11. I just went crazy out there.'
The star was unable to take all 11 cases on the plane at the airport so treated a friend to a three-night stay on the Greek island and he arranged for the return of the rest of the bags.
Although holidays for Gemma are all about the people she's with, she says she's also had 'beautiful' experiences travelling solo.
'It's just so empowering to be a solo traveller. Obviously it's daunting at first and it can be scary. [But] there's so much liberation when you've done the trip.
'I often go to restaurants on my own. It's just nice to have some peace and quiet sometimes.'
Any wonder then, with her down-to-earth attitude and fun-loving nature, she's been crowned the celebrity that Gen Z would most like to go out on a night out with, in a new survey by Trainline.
The feeling's mutual; Gemma's also a fan of Gen Z, saying she'd have liked to have been one herself: 'Big up to all the Gen Zs. I think they're fun.
'I'm always down for new energy and new vibrancy and I think Gen Z just do it perfectly.'
Describing herself as a 'ball of energy', she says a night out on the town starts the 'minute she wakes up'.
'It's the group chats. The voice notes. I'm thinking about what I'm going to wear...'
Although the self-proclaimed diva is known for her glam looks, she's no stranger to getting ready in the back of the car or on the train.
'Because of the nature of what I do, I've got ready in toilets and in petrol stations,' says Gemma.
'On a train journey, you've got the whole of the journey to get ready. [I think] let's just do the glam on the train!'
Of course, being 'The GC' means that it can be a challenge for Gemma to fly under the radar.
She doesn't mind being recognised though and likes to make time to say hello to fans when she's spotted.
'I've been known to stand at the ice cream van and just get people a load of ice creams,' she says.
Any fans hungry for a 99 cone from Gemma might want to head to Devon where the star is travelling by train later this summer.
Where else is on her travel wish-list? India, where she says she'd love to spend 'three months exploring'.
And while Gemma would also be up for a U.S. road trip in the future, Gen Z's favourite diva definitely won't be getting behind the wheel on those ten-lane freeways.
'I would need a driver. I want to relax along the way, take in the sights, make a few calls, touch up my lip gloss...'
Gemma has teamed up with Trainline to launch Slaystation, a one-stop stop for pre-night out glam. Head to Trainline presents SlayStation to find out more and book your slot to glam up at SlayStation – totally free of charge! Get your 'Big Night Out' off to a great start. Plan and book your train travel on the Trainline app.