Kids Suite Staycation at Swissotel Chicago
Mason’s birthday was in July, and to be honest I was getting a little emotional thinking that it would be our last birthday celebration as a family of three. We are very excited for baby #2 but Mason was our one and only for four years! I know I’m totally being biased but Mason is such a good kid. He didn’t really go through the terrible 2s or 3s (hopefully his 4s are a breeze too), taking him to restaurants is quite easy, he spoils me with hugs and kisses, is polite, eats anything… I can go on and on.
The two weeks leading up to Mason’s birthday our family was extremely busy. Along with early AM clients, I was spending 4 hours in the afternoon teaching fitness classes at a high school. Each class had about 30+ students in it. I was also planning Mason’s pizza making birthday party for him and his 15 friends. I even customized chef aprons for each kid. Oh, and I’m 5 months pregnant with a husband that was out of town for work. Needless to say I was starting to feel burnt out. A bunch of family came into town that week too, and I had little energy to host them at our house.
Knowing the weekend of Mason’s party was going to be lots of running around the city and family hang outs, I connected with Swissotel for a 2 night staycation, and they came to our rescue by generously gifting our family the Kids Suite for the weekend! I always tell my husband that if he ever wants to show me love, do something for me or arrange a way for it to get done so I don’t have to do it. So right now my primary love language would definitely have to be acts of service. When your day is filled with serving others, a staycation is a must! Give me all the room service, valet service, cleaning service, and all the hotel amenities Swissôtel offers. All acts of service that I love and make my life easier. Side-note: Google “Love Language Quiz” to find what yours is.
Throwing a children’s birthday party uses up a lot of energy. In the past hosting Mason’s birthday parties exhausted me and you might hear the same from other parents. This year it was the opposite. Because we had our Swissotel stay during what would have been a crazy weekend, I actually felt restored and reenergized. The most important thing was that I felt completely present for Mason and my family. I celebrated WITH Mason, not just for him. It was important to us that we celebrate his 4th birthday in a big way and it would not have been possible without the Swissotel’s Kids Suite Staycation. Here’s why:
Kid Friendly Suite
Right when Mason walked in the suite he rushed in to see a bowling ball game set up for him to play. Watch his reaction here, it’s the cutest. The rest of the suite had board games, stacking blocks, puzzles, dolls, cars, books, a play tent, coloring books, markers, colored pencils, crayons, bath toys, and so much more. Swissotel covered every kid activity. It was absolute perfection.
Family Gatherings
The Kids Suite was large enough for us to host family playdates. There were 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a large living area space. We had 6 adults and 4 kids over for the little ones to play and an in-suite dinner. It was extremely hot that weekend so thank goodness for all the indoor toys and activities that kept Mason and his cousins entertained. Even though there were three televisions in the suite Mason and his cousins didn’t really need the screen time with all the fun they were having. Our suite had the best view of Navy Pier so we were able to see the fireworks which we totally told Mason it was part of his birthday surprise ha!
Location
Swissotel is in the heart of downtown which makes getting to popular downtown spots like Magnificent Mile, restaurants, shopping, and museums really easy. Everything was walking distance or quick uber rides.
Hotel Services
The customer service at Swissotel was wonderful. Like I said, acts of service is my love language and they definitely know how to speak it. I didn’t really have to lift a finger during our stay.
Dining
As a mom I’m always cooking and prepping meals. It was nice to take a break from the those responsibilities for the weekend by eating at The Palm and Amuse. Two days without having to clean dishes was such a luxury.
Wellness + Fitness
A restorative weekend is not complete without a quality workout. Swissotel’s new Penthouse Fitness Centre is insane. It’s not your basic hotel gym. There’s over 3,000 square feet of wellness and fitness space. They had a Vitality Lounge with smoothies, fruit infused water, and a beautiful kitchen lounge space with large TVs. The strengthening equipment and cardio machines were new, and they had every workout accessory you can ever want. Their studio was beautiful and equipped with Peloton bikes. My husband was pleased to see that they had a punching bag and he said it was the nicest hotel gym he’s ever used.
Our entire family had the best time, and Mason even asked me if we can move in! See the suite for yourself on my Instagram story highlights under “SWISSOTEL” in my bio. If you’re thinking of a family friendly staycation at Swissotel Chicago you can book your Kids Suite stay here. I HIGHLY recommend going for a 2-night stay to get the full affect. Have fun, relax, and enjoy!
An enormous amount of gratitude to Swissotel for gifting us this stay. THANK YOU!
Photographer: Hannah Schweiss
