This past summer I had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday at the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago for a girls weekend with a few of my friends. Whenever I stay at this hotel I feel like royalty. The rooms are so luscious and elegant and the lobby feels so "happening" (probably, in part, because of the chic lobby restaurant...more on that later). The staff seems to always go above and beyond for every guest. For example, I don't recall ordering a fabulous bottle of wine or goodies to greet us upon arrival, yet, there they were! I will admit that I DID order flowers to be in the room for enjoyment while we were there (a little gift to myself), so perhaps the concierge put two and two together and set up a little extra birthday surprise for me. I've had my share of Cabernet Sauvignon in my day, and I have to say, the flavor was fabulous. So rich and flavorful. After wonderful mani-pedi treatments from friendly manicurists at the spa, we took advantage of our room goodies. The spa was a bit small and they mis-scheduled our "4 at once" treatments, but the end result turned out pretty good. It was a bit pricey, too, but for a girls weekend, I'm guessing people would just pay up. But, for your planning purposes, it's good to know this going in if that's an issue for you. On our way out to dinner, we encountered this kind gentleman at the concierge desk. Regardless of his "blink" he was very helpful giving us directions to the restaurant. "At your service" seems to be the "way" all staff treat hotel guests at the Peninsula because they were literally at our beck and call at every turn. This quality service is what brings me back! To cap off my birthday celebration the four of us enjoyed the very popular,"Chocolate at the Pen", the chocolate buffet at the Peninsula lobby restaurant. The open air layout of the restaurant gives the diner a grand feeling of being a part of the heart of the hotel, where it's "happening" 24/7. The server was so kind to gift me with a Peninsula Chicago bear to take home (which sits proudly on my nightstand at home). Now on to the chocolate and sweets.. OMG! I didn't know which way to turn, the variety, color, and creativity of each morsel had me going back for more and more. Luckily, it was an all-you-can-eat style buffet. What was so impressive was the individualized service we received and how the various stations were replenished with new confections and sweets, on-going. Just small bites of so many different flavors... To cap things off, I indulged (again) on the custom hot chocolate station (offering over a dozen flavors), where the caramel hot chocolate caught my eye. The freshly made whipped cream on top put this concoction over the top. Isn't the little silver spoon darling? After a wonderful celebration, I stopped in the lobby, took a look around and in appreciation, absorbed the surroundings. If you are lucky enough to spend time at a Peninsula hotel, anywhere around the world, you can be certain that the service will be impeccable and the food fantastic. I especially enjoyed this gorgeous wall art and petite flower arrangement, as my last views upon my departure. The view from the fitness center.
Comments are closed.
|
Archives
November 2016
Categories |