In August, 2018 the husband and I decided that we should stop spending hours searching for the perfect gifts for birthdays and holidays, but instead the perfect experiences. We were wasting too much time spending money on each other instead of with each other. With the holiday season approaching us, we had a couple months to put our ideas where our mouths were. With a bit of short notice of having an adventure instead of a gift, we decided we would spend a magical three day holiday weekend visiting the city. Our Holiday Extravaganza of 2018.
As you will get to know, Esteban and I spend a lot of time in Chicago. We currently live in the suburbs where there are less exciting things to do. And even less exciting things to do with a dog, much less a 85 pounder.
At the time, I had never experienced Christmas in Chicago, which is one of the most romantic things we've ever done. I knew we wanted to see the Chriskindlmarket and the Macy's holiday display windows, but I wasn't quite sure where we would stay.
I searched and searched. There are a great amount of hotels that are pet friendly in our lovely Chicago.
However, once you get into the details, many of them do not allow large dogs and if they do, the pet fee is larger than Gypsy's weight.
I came across the Kimpton Hotels! In Chicago alone there are 4 options.
Hotel Gray, Hotel Monaco, Hotel Allegro and Hotel Palomar, where we stayed.
For a good month, I compared each of the locations based on price, neighborhood and amenities.The Kimpton Palomar is off of State Street in River North.
We ultimately chose Hotel Palomar because of the jacuzzi tub (which was the hardest part to leave) and the indoor swimming pool on the 17th floor.
As a new dog mom and a pretty new "adult" as well, I was a bit anxious bringing my real life stuffed animal with us to a hotel, but I didn't want to leave her with anyone else during the holiday season. Gypsy is a big part of my family now.
When we walked in for the first night (onto their heated patio), the doorman greeted us, while an attendant brought us a cart to throw our bags on. They all complimented Gypsy and inquired about her breed. After checking in we were brought to our suite and thanked for being guests.
**Tip for staying anywhere: ask for the highest available floor.
Our room had an abundance of space and was on the 10th floor. The Kimpton Palomar keeps everything above the 10th floor pet free for good reason. We stayed in the King Spa Premier Room which had plenty of room for Gypsy and us to be comfortable, the rates were under $200 a night without a pet fee! The location was great and the food was even better.
After we settled in it was time to take Gypsy to the bathroom and explore the exciting city night. This trip to the city really opened my eyes to how little grass their is in Chicago, which made us appreciate the grassed pet area the hotel had. The hotel has a pet waste station right around the corner on the way to the bridge over the river and the markets we looked at. Although we visit Chicago frequently, Gypsy isn't a city dog. She will walk (well pull us when she needs relief) for miles to find the right patch of grass before she pees on the concrete.
On the Thursday night we took our time walking around grabbing a couple bottles of wine, bath bombs for the jaccuzi tub and treats for the pooch. Once we came back to the room we ordered room service. On the first night we shared the Sable Burger and Winter Salmon Salad which comes from the Sable Kitchen and Bar Restaurant they have attached to the hotel. Unfortunately we were unable to sit in the restaurant due to the dog, but a kind man brought it up to our room. He knocked on the door and entered the room. After putting our meal down on the table, he descriptively explained what we ordered and all of the yummy sauces it came with. Esteban mentioned it was one of the best burgers he has tasted and it was cooked perfectly. The salmon was also delicate and tangy, a perfect combination for fish. The next night we ordered the burger again with a pull apart Christmas tree and truffle popcorn.
After eating we warmed up the tub, popped in the bath bombs and relaxed.
The next morning we threw on our swimsuits and headed to the 17th floor.
Now I am not exactly sure the pool is pet friendly, we never actually asked. We of course did not let Gypsy get into the water, but we tied her to a close chair so she could watch the fun. It was quite an experience being in a swimsuit next to the skyscrapers in the middle of December in Chicago. The room was perfectly heated and I was glad to enjoy a swimming session in the winter.
Overall, our 2018 Holiday Extravaganza was perfect thanks to the accommodations at the Kimpton Palomar Hotel in Chicago. They do have complimentary breakfast as well in the mornings, but we missed it everyday.... you're supposed to sleep in on vacation right?
I have linked the Kimpton Palomar website underneath this paragraph, but want you to know the Kimpton does not even know I wrote this review. All opinions are my own and my disclaimer is also linked on the bottom of this page. I just want to spread the word on a large dog friendly hotel. There are not many around with this good of service!
Write in the comments your experiences of bringing your pet on a holiday trip.
Comments