Park Hyatt Chicago Staycation

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Who doesn’t love a staycation?  It’s actually one of the best ways to see the city in which you live.  While the whole point of a staycation is to stay local and take advantage of the city, I also think the other point of the staycation is to unplug from everything.  That means errands, house work and electronic devices.  It’s so refreshing to just be in the moment without all of the other little distractions in life, even if it’s just for a day or two.  Bring on the Chicago staycation Later Ever After style!

 

I know I’m lucky, I live in downtown Chicago in the thick of all of it.  So I often get to take advantage of the restaurants, museums and shopping.  So my idea of a Chicago staycation is a bit more literal….meaning I stay in the hotel the whole time.  I love hotels, hotel lobby bars and restaurants, and I would actually live in hotel if I could.  I take advantage of not being at home and using the time away as a mini getaway, even if it’s in my backyard.  You may recall my last staycation was across the street from my condo.  We went a little further for this one and went a few blocks away to the Park Hyatt Chicago.  

 

I’ve walked by the Park Hyatt at least a thousand times. The hotel situated in the heart of Michigan Avenue, right behind Water Tower which provides a picturesque background.  It’s surrounded by the best shopping, a cute park in front of Water Tower and award winning restaurants, one of which is inside the hotel.  We picked the perfect weekend to go, as it was 5 degrees out and staying inside for 24 hours was just what we needed.  Plus with the amazing amenities the hotel had to offer, we wouldn’t want to leave even if it was warm outside.  

 

Hotel

The hotel itself has so much to offer.  From a full spa, to a pool, gym and an award winning restaurant the hotel was stocked with everything we needed. And I can’t forget the house dog, Parker.  Parker is a rescue dog that permanently lives in the hotel. She is free to roam around the hotel, but spends most of her time at the front desk.  What a life!  If you’re lucky she will greet you when you arrive.

 

Get ready for luxury as the hotel rooms are pretty spacious.  There plenty of furniture besides the bed, which is perfect for simply lounging around in the room.  We were thrilled to have a lake view room and enjoyed watching the sun come up over the lake in the morning.  The room had a huge window that looked out to Michigan Avenue, Water Tower and the lake. It also had a perfect window seat to go with it.  We quickly curled up with a blanket and watched the hustle and bustle on Michigan Avenue.  It was a great setting to unplug from the electronic devices.  

 

The mini bar was stocked with some great goodies too!  The majority of the snacks were some of my favorite locally made Chicago snacks, like Veruca Chocolates.  We had Veruca Chocolates as our wedding favor, and they are delicious!  It also had premixed mini cocktails, it’s a brand called On The Rocks and it tasted just like the real thing.

 

NoMI Spa

NoMI is a premier spa in downtown Chicago, that offers a full menu of services.  From facials to massages, they have you covered.  The staff greets you with a glass of champagne or whatever you fancy while you wait for your service.  I had a 60 minute massage, which was fabulous!  My girl Misty took care of me.  Each service is tailored to your specifications, meaning if you need extra work on your neck and shoulders they will take care of it.  Like all spa services, I was sad when it was over 🙁

 

NoMI Kitchen and Lounge

I have to admit I’ve never eaten at NoMI Kitchen before our staycation.  Sure, I’ve been to the NoMI Garden in the summer for cocktails, but I’ve never had the opportunity to dine with them.  Before dinner, we stopped in the lounge to have classic cocktails; an Old Fashioned and a Sazerac.  I had the Sazerac (on the right in the below picture), as it’s my signature cocktail.  Every girl needs to have a signature cocktail – a drink you can depend on that can be you’re “go-to” cocktail of choice.  It’s also a drink that you know the ingredients to and you how to make it.  There is nothing more embarrassing than ordering a drink and not knowing anything about it!  The drinks at NoMI Lounge were on point!  Perfectly made and served in a classic heavy cocktail glass.  It was the type of quality glass that the Quartermaines (from General Hospital) would drink out of.

 

Dinner

We moved into the dining room of NoMI Kitchen for dinner, which has an amazing view of Water Tower and Michigan Avenue.  The wine list is extensive and they had a familiar white wine, Vouvray, which we fell in love with on our trip to the Loire Valley .  The food was amazing. We started with the Tiger Roll, which I highly recommend.  It was a little pricey, but completely worth it. With so many entree options we decided to get a few things and share them.  From what we ordered I recommend the gnocchi, scallops and the s’murtle dessert.  It was to die for good and the presentation was pretty spectacular.

 

Breakfast

Breakfast was nothing short of amazing as well.  While they offer a traditional breakfast menu, many of their options were seafood heavy.  I know you are thinking seafood and eggs, eww…I was too.  However the crab Benedict (NoMI Benedict) is an excellent breakfast choice.  It was the perfect balance of crab and eggs, and the flavors blended together beautifully.  The breakfast potatoes were also very delicious, and if  your breakfast entree doesn’t come with them, order a side of them. They are super tasty and everyone needs potatoes at breakfast.  

 

While we were just down the street from our condo it sure was nice to get away for the night.  The Park Hyatt had so much to offer under one roof. We will definitely be back to take advantage of the great amenities of the hotel, especially NoMI Spa and NoMI Kitchen, and of course the Garden in the summer.  We will also be back for another Chicago staycation, as it’s a gorgeous property right in our backyard.  

 

If you’re looking to get away to Chicago, I highly recommend the Park Hyatt. You will be very happy with this choice.  

 

This post was partially sponsored by the Park Hyatt Chicago, however all opinions are my own.