The KN Tranquility Suite at the Hotel Monaco

Baby showers tend to be very baby-centric, but why is that? The baby isn’t even here yet! We should change the tradition and make it all about pampering the Mom-to-be.

That’s what Chicago’s Hotel Monaco wants to do. Now through October 31st they are offering a Baby Shower Bliss package at the KN Karen Neuberger® Tranquility Suite.  The room has amazing views of Chicago and a fountain. It’s soothing and relaxing and the sheets sound nice enough to steal.

The package includes:

• A three hour party
• Up to 10 guests
• hors d’oeuvres and “mocktails” or a $100 room service credit
• Mom-to-gets to stay overnight
• KN Karen Neuberger® Maternity Pajamas and Infant Socks

Interested? You have to book at least 14 days in advance through the Hotel Monaco catering office at 312-960-8533. In August they offered  a Girl’s Night In Package for four with mani-pedis. This hotel seems to get what appeals to women!

A room in the St Regis in San Francisco

San Francisco is a great place to visit in December–the weather can be fairly mild, SPCA kittens grace the windows of Macy’s, and hotels offer fantastic deals for visitors from near and far.

At the high end, check out the ultra-posh St Regis Hotel, where the “Holidays at the St Regis” package includes gingerbread cookies and egg nog, a delivery of hot chocolate for two, and a Vie Luxe candle. Especially during the holidays I love to meet friends for a drink in the slick, gorgeous bar, and I’ve heard Remede Spa is not-to-be-missed.

Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants created memorable packages at many of its San Francisco properties, from “The Art of Shopping” getaway at the Hotel Palomar near shopping mecca Union Square to the “Naughty or Nice?” package at the Argonaut Hotel, which includes either a trip to Alcatraz or a visit to the Exploratorium science museum.

Parents might especially love the “Holiday Memory Maker” package at Hotel Monaco. Your kids write letters to Santa on personalized stationery, then receive a surprise visit from elves who come bearing milk, cookies and a bedtime story.

My boyfriend and I are planning a little romantic getaway to Chicago, Illinois in the near future, and we’re looking for some really nice, romantic hotels. We’re prepared to splurge a bit, which is a good thing since Chicago’s nicer hotels will cost you. What are we looking for? We’d love a hotel that’s very close to downtown, that has a spa and maybe an indoor pool, spacious rooms and big bathrooms with jet tubs (ok this isn’t a total necessity) — and great room service so we can just chill out and relax in the room.

Champagne for two

After poking around on the Internet for a bit, one of my top romantic hotel pick is the Park Hyatt Chicago. This place even has butler service! Huge bathtubs, flat screen TV’s in the rooms and the bathrooms, a pool and a luxurious spa is starting to sound really good. And, we’d be able to walk to the Magnificent Mile Shops, which is a plus. This one might be a little out of our price range (standard rooms start at over $400 a night), but it’d be awesome for even one night. Soaking in a bubble bath in a huge tub while drinking a glass of champagne…I’m fighting to keep this one on the list.

I’m also looking into the Palmer House Hilton. We could even bring our dog on the trip if we wanted to (dogs under 85 pounds are fine), though frankly she’s like a kid and I don’t want a kid on a romantic getaway – sorry, Penny! I really like the look of this hotel, very elegant and historic, without seeming stuffy. This hotel’s been around for more than 100 years, and it’d be neat to stay in a place that’s got a little history to it. There’s a sauna, nice! And the price is a little better, too – all the rooms are under $300, and some are under $200. The Palmer House Hilton may not be as fabulously luxurious as the Park Hyatt, but we could use the extra change to treat ourselves to a very fancy, romantic candlelit dinner. It’s a thought.

The Hotel Monaco looks really wonderful too, and at about $300/night, it would definitely be a luxurious romantic weekend. This looks like a really cute French botique hotel and it’s very close to the theater district, which would be fun. And get this — they provide you with a complimentary goldfish for the room to keep your company if you are staying alone. Hah! My 6’4″ boyfriend was excited about the “tall” rooms you can reserve which have nine foot king sized beds and tall shower heads. Talk about attention to detail. I’m tickled about the possiblity of in-room spa services!

Thank you to Deeg, jazzman24 and dotw for their photo contributions.