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

The Vitality Suite at Swissotel Chicago

Staycation’s are our go-to for something a little more then our typical date night dinner. Matt and I were due for a staycation but needed something more relaxing, and intimate. So when Swissotel Chicago invited us to stay at their newly designed suite, called The Vitality Suite, it was a big fat YES!

According to Swissotel, The Vitality Suite was designed to help travelers revitalize body, mind and soul. Spanning over 1,700-square-feet and five rooms, the suite rethinks the conventional hotel room layout to optimize views and improve functionality. It includes the Wellbeing Wall which features simple, self-explanatory gym equipment, a Peloton bike, and a water rower to offer guests a productive, personalized workout within the privacy of their own room. There really isn’t an excuse to miss a workout while traveling when everything you would need is right in your suite. TV screens lead guests through an exclusive exercise program developed specially for in-room workouts. The suite also offers an exclusive refreshment center in addition to a special vitality menu developed by Executive Chef Dan McGee. Check out more details and photos here.

The Vitality Suite was created for guests (like us) that want yoga and fitness at their fingertips, and even better, just steps from their bed, and that’s just the beginning. Swissotel also curated an in-suite dinner menu with all of our dietary preferences and requests in mind. We were really looking forward to enjoying a dinner in our lush robes and happy to avoid the hustle and bustle of dining out downtown.

When we arrived at Swissotel we were greeted with a personalized letter from the Swissotel team and a sweet snack to hold us off before our dinner. You can see the videos of us exploring the massive 5 room and 2.5 bathroom suite on my Instagram stories under the “Swissotel” highlight. Even the in-suite snacks and refreshments were healthy! They had coconut water, protein drinks, all natural snacks that were organic/non-GMO, and homemade granola. It was amazing.

Our dinner was delicious, and was served in the suite’s dining room. And like I mentioned, we got dressed up in our fancy Swissotel robes ha! Check out this menu…

Vitality Dinner:

Smoked Salmon Tartare

Roasted Radishes, Turmeric Chick Pea Purée, Mint, Pistachio

Thai Basil Chicken Timbale

Avocado, Chiles, Mache, Lime Vinaigrette

White Balsamic Marinated Filet of Beef

Caramelized Onions, Roasted Carrot Hash, Caraway Seed Aioli

Coconut Banana Chia Seed Pudding

Passion Fruit Tapioca, Candied Hibiscus, Black Sesame Meringue

*We requested paleo friendly ingredients*

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After our dinner, we cozied up with wine and watched some television, then we indulged ourselves in a relaxing activity, a bath. The tub was big enough for 2! My acupuncturist gave me a CBD bath bomb to try, and it was the best evening for it. The shower was also quite luxurious, and if I can insert the entire bathroom in my home I would. It felt very spa-like. So our evening could pretty much be summed up like this… quiet healthy dinner + wine + bath bomb = THE BEST SLEEP EVER!

The next morning we took full advantage of the in-suite workout facilities. The on-demand yoga classes, the water rower, and the Wellbeing Wall were our favorite. This really should be in all hotel suites, and would love it in my own home! If there was a hotel suite designed with my wellness lifestyle in mind, Swissotel’s Vitality Suite would be it. This suite has everything you could ever want when you want to stay healthy during a staycation or traveling. There’s nothing like this suite, and I highly recommend you book this experience. That’s right, it’s an experience. Make it a couples or friends getaway! If you’re looking to amp up your staycation, this is it and it’s perfect.

Bedroom

WellBeing Wall + In-Suite Gym

Office

Dining Room

An enormous THANK YOU to Swissotel. We are so grateful to be a guest at your new Vitality Suite. Just ask, and we will make ourselves at home here anytime!

Family Staycation at Conrad Chicago

Just like couples, families can get in a funk.  Lately, Matt has been extremely busy with work.  Mason was stuck at home sick and has been throwing more tantrums than normal.  I've been feeling a little disconnected from family with my busy schedule around the city teaching classes, private clients, and events.  A vacation would have to be planned way in advance and we needed something right now.  Matt and I have done staycations in the past to reconnect, so why not make it a family thing!  So for this past Father's Day weekend, I decided to surprise my guys with a staycation at Conrad Chicago for some much needed family time.  

Conrad Chicago was perfect for our little family getaway that gave us meaningful memories and, most importantly, the space to reconnect to each other.  We wanted a weekend of just doing NOTHING, and to get away from the stress of our house renovations.  With the hotel location right off of Michigan Avenue, it was convenient to take a quick walk to all the shopping when we (of course) noticed we forgot a few things.  It's not a complete family getaway unless you forget something, am I right?!

For a couple of days we did not worry about schedules, work, or time.  Here are some of my favorite highlight of our stay:

A break from electronics.

Like most people, Matt and I spend hours working on our phones and laptops throughout the day...and sometimes even evening.  During our stay, we wanted to disconnect from our electronics.  No emails or scrolling through social media during meal times.  That's typically a rule for us, but we did our best to break away from the phones even when we were just walking around the hotel or lounging in our room.

A Father's Day gift to Matt was a book, Daily Stoic.  It's a great read that gives you daily mindful intentions.  He took advantage of the break we took off of our devices to immediately dive in.  We both love it so far.  I've linked it at the bottom of this post for you!

Family Friendly Dining.

NOYANE for dinner was a no brainer.  Matt and I attended their opening in May to preview the new menu.  The food is so damn good!  We also can never get enough Japanese food haha!  It's so conveniently located at the rooftop of Conrad, and when you're toting a toddler around you keep it simple.  With plenty of gorgeous city views, food to die for, and a perfect summer night breeze we couldn't ask for a better spot.  We also figured that being on a rooftop would muffle the moments when Mason got a little loud, which inevitably is going to happen when you have an almost-three year old with you.  He did end up throwing a tiny tantrum when Matt ate the last chip from the California Roll Nachos, his favorite thing on the menu besides the shaved ice dessert.  You have to order the sticky ribs too.  It's a must!

***Bonus tips to get your toddler to sit through a meal at a restaurant (or anywhere): make sure they are ready to eat.  We eliminate snacking when possible or at least several hours before our reservation.  Order food immediately.  Mason is hungry (not starving or hangry) so by the time the food comes, he wants to eat instead of mess around.    

No plan, plan. 

Like I mentioned earlier, we dropped our schedules for the weekend.  I noticed that frustration can happen when we set these perfect expectations for family activities leaving us disappointed when they don't workout.  So, zero plans were made.    

Family Photoshoot.

Okay, I lied.  We had ONE thing planned.  It was a 30 minute family photoshoot with Hannah Schweiss.  I had to take advantage of the beautiful interior of Conrad Chicago.  I made it super low maintenance with the first part of the shoot taken in bed with robes.  You can find Mason's robe HERE!  The other half of the shoot was just exploring the hotel lobby.  Doesn't it always feel like it's the mom that's behind the phone or camera taking pictures?  Hiring a photographer to do it for you gives you the freedom to be in the moment and not have to worry about capturing the memories yourself.

Our time at Conrad Chicago was short and sweet.  Sometimes just bringing it back to basics of quality time, good food, and having no agenda can go a long way.  What simple things bring your family closer together?