This weekend I headed downtown for a staycation hosted by Loews Chicago Hotel for their Wander Your Way campaign! Jim came along for this experience and we had a blast checking out all that Loews Chicago had to offer!
Wander Your Way highlights various attractions and experiences both within and surrounding Loews Hotels. Travelers get to explore these while making the choice to either embrace or escape the chill of winter. For our stay, we escaped the chill within the warmth of the Loews Chicago Hotel! We spent the night as well as checking out the Spa and on-site restaurant, ETA.
– Lobby–
Upon checking in to the hotel, I immediately loved the style of the lobby. It reminded me of a modern, luxurious library with the layout of the seating and style of the lamps on the longer tables. My favorite aspects by far were the floral-detailed ceiling and the gas-powered fireplace along the back wall. The lobby was on the larger side, with high ceilings, but it still felt so cozy and welcoming! There was also a Starbucks in the hotel, which was a major plus. (Can you say, convenient!?!)
– Suite –
We stayed in one of the Lake View Suites with a view of Navy Pier and Lake Michigan from our bedroom window! The suite included a sitting room with a TV, “office” area, mini bar and decor including a canvas reminiscent of the Chicago L tracks. From the front room, you walked down a hallway where the wall on one side was floor to ceiling windows that continued down the hall and into the bedroom.
As for the bathroom in our suite, I loved the massive mirror and the fact that it had a separate shower and bathtub. It was such a treat to take the time to slow down and really enjoy a bath while at the hotel, in comparison to my typical, everyday shower.
The bedroom in our suite was super cool because two of the four walls were floor to ceiling windows! I love having lots of natural light in my space, so this was a major plus for me. It was a bit rainy when we checked in on Saturday, but there was still so much light flowing into the room through the clouds.
– Spa –
After taking some photos around the hotel I got ready to escape to the spa. I had the chance to experience one of the Wander Your Way offerings specific to Chicago – Chicago’s Own Honey Scrub! My esthetician, Tina, was the sweetest! She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed throughout the entire experience and was happy to answer all the questions I had as we went throughout the process! The treatment was about fifty minutes long and consisted of a full body sugar scrub with natural honey from the Chicago Honey Co-op followed by a massage with a honey-mandarin lotion. My skin was so soft and glowing after we finished up! My shoulders were also significantly more relaxed, which was much needed.
– ETA –
After my visit to the spa, I popped back up to our suite to change and get ready for dinner downstairs at ETA. We walked through the lobby and over to ETA where the hostess took us inside and sat us at a candlelit table close to the wine fridge. The general vibe of the restaurant was very relaxed and warm, but also deliberate and polished. There was a pillar at the center of the space with one chalkboard side featuring sketches from some cocktails on the menu. The space felt warm and welcoming and the food was so good!
Whenever I’m checking out a new restaurant I like to ask for recommendations and/or look at Instagram ahead of time to see what looks good to me from photos that have been posted by previous patrons at the location or by the restaurant itself. My contact from Loews gave us some great suggestions for dishes to try at dinner!
– Drinks –
For our drinks, I ordered Wake Up Cup with Cruzan aged rum, Cynar, Intelligentsia cold brew, simple syrup, egg white and angostura bitters. This drink reminded of if an Espresso Martini and a White Russian (two of my favorite drinks) had a baby! It was very good and I’m especially a fan due to their use of Intelligentsia coffee. Jim ordered the Broadway Limited with Knob Creek rye whiskey, lemon, simple syrup and trivento malbec. This drink was especially interesting because I’ve never considered combining whiskey and red wine. We were both pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed this one!
– Starters –
For appetizers, we tried out the Black Garlic + Artichoke Dip with arugula, pickled onion and spiced pita and the Cured Meat & Cheese Board. The dip was perfect chilly weather comfort food! It was a bit heavier feeling, but in a good way! The meat and cheese board included more honey from the Chicago Honey Co-op along with various meats and Midwest cheeses. There was also a blueberry preserve spread that was simply fantastic and deserves a special shout out.
– Entrees –
For our main courses, I ordered the NY Strip and Jim got the Boneless Ribeye with whipped horseradish. We both ordered them cooked medium and they were the perfect temperature and coloring.
– Sides –
For sides, we stuck with our veggies and ordered the Crispy Brussels with a cider glaze and the Roasted Carrots with goat cheese and honey. I am a HUGE brussels sprouts fan, so I knew I had to try these when they were recommended! They weren’t as crispy as I usually like, but I still made a significant dent in them at dinner and demolished the leftovers later in our room.
– Dessert –
Dessert at ETA was SO good! We were absolutely stuffed after dinner but we still managed to make space for dessert! I ordered the Blood Orange Creme Brulee with vanilla cookie crumb, hibiscus sorbet and orange. Jim decided on the Triple Chocolate Mousse with devil’s food cake, crispy white chocolate pearls and bourbon ice cream.
– Concierge By Text –
On the note of leftovers – one of the most convenient aspects of our stay was how concierge was handled. You could call the front desk, like the norm, or you could text with any questions or requests! We texted to request turndown service during the time we were at dinner and later for a mini fridge for the room. Because of this, we were able keep our leftovers from ETA! They also helped me figure out the wifi when my laptop wouldn’t connect! (Like I said, SO helpful!) Responses were prompt and friendly and the service was all-around fantastic. It was so much easier to text vs. call. This took away any excess stress that could come from having to call the front desk every time you needed something.
Waking up the next morning and opening the curtains to our view was such a fun experience. Even with growing up in the Chicagoland area, I’m still a sucker for the beauty of this city. To have a Chicago landmark and the Lake as the first things I saw when waking up was very cool.
A huge thank you to Loews Chicago Hotel for having us! We had such a wonderful time Wandering Our Way and experiencing the hotel, spa and restaurant!
This blog post was in partnership with Loews Chicago Hotel, however all thoughts & opinions are entirely my own, as always. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Bowtiful Life possible!
Looking to escape or embrace that Midwest winter chill? You can also check out Wander Your Way at Loews Chicago O’Hare and Loews Minneapolis! At Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel – shop till you drop at the Fashion Outlets, enjoy comedic relief at Zanies Comedy Club, see a live music performance at Joe’s Live, or watch the planes take off from O’Hare. At Loews Minneapolis Hotel – relax with a couple’s massage at Embury Spa, head to a live performance at First Avenue, or use the Minneapolis Skyway System (connected to the hotel) to explore 11 miles of downtown in temperature-controlled pedestrian footbridges in Minneapolis.
Until next time!
