I get emails almost every day from PR companies. Sometimes they are just telling me about a new product, a contest or offering to send me something for my readers. The other day I got an invite to the Four Seasons. To spend the night. By myself. AND get a spa treatment.
Me: {wildly dialing phone} Les? I just got invited to the Four Seasons. Can I go?
Les: Sure.
Me: It’s just for me. By myself. Not the whole family.
Les: I get it, Amanda.
Me: Just checking.
Ahem.
So, last Friday afternoon I packed a small bag and drove 30 minutes to downtown Atlanta and the Four Seasons Hotel. In my car. Alone.
When I got up to my room (which was lover-stinkin-ly), I realized I left my camera AT HOME. If had not taken me a good 20 minutes to get off of 14th Street, I would have gone back home! Anyway, the next 24 hours were filled with some gorgeous southern hospitality. (<—I feel like that phrase should be capitalized!)
We were greeted by Garth Mamicpic, Spa Director (how’s that for a great job?) and then led into the kitchen. You know, usually, I think of a hotel kitchen as an afterthought. A place for them to throw together some powdered eggs and frozen hamburgers for an overpriced room service.
But this kitchen? It was a bustling KITCHEN complete with Sous Chef Tommy Greer and Executive Chef Robert Gerstenecker. They served us so many delicious appetizers I am kicking myself for no camera (me! the one who chronicles vacations by meals!). We had shrimp cigars, veggie-sushi-wrap-thingies, mini-hamburgers, and who knows what other deliciousness. Then they swept us up to the 5th floor terrace where they have their own organic gardens! They grow basil, tomatoes, potatoes and all kinds of peppers. AND. They have their own beehives.
BEEHIVES! I have a thing for bees. My maiden name means “from the beekeeper’s cottage”. Beekeepers are my people!!
Apparently, the chef thought it would be a good idea to put this big empty terrace to use. They have now started a trend in the hotel business and beehives and gardens are popping up all over the country! How cool is that?!
Finally it was time to mosey down to the dining room of Park 75 and actually EAT some of the happy results of the garden and beehive. For dinner I had lobster ravioli, swordfish on veggies and a chocolate lava cake with homemade pistachio ice cream. Seriously. Amazing. (You can have this same menu all month long!)
After dinner I did something I never ever do: I took a bath. Why? Because they had a spa recipe for me to add to the bath: salts, oil and rose petals.
I mean how could you NOT take a bath? It was heavenly. I wrapped up in a huge robe, unfurled my squishy blankets and pillows, then went to sleep.
The next morning we woke up to yoga on the terrace (nothing like the sound of Atlanta traffic in your ears as you do downward facing dog!) an absolutely fantastic breakfast that included an omelet, smoothie and honeyed-granola.
And then, the moment you have all been waiting for: the spa! It was time for my MASSAGE. Oh, baby. I just think everyone needs a massage. Even once in your life. It is just so so nice. My massage therapist, Joy was fantastic and she was a wealth of information. Plus, she was so strong I was sore the next morning!
There was also a little time for the pool, the steam room and lunch by the pool (in our robes! seriously!). You do want to know what we had for lunch, don’t you? How ’bout veggie wrap with goat cheese, seared tuna, hummus and peach cobber. Oh my, oh my.
And I haven’t even mentioned the other bloggers! I had only met one of them before–how sad is that? We had such a good time pal-ing around and shooting the breeze. We talked about blogging–but we really talked about our kids, our husbands and the last time we got pedicures. It was one of the most low-key and laid-back blogging events I’ve been to. It felt like a real girls night out except we were all tweeting the whole time! {Please get to know the lovely Jennifer from Mami 2 Mommy , Lorraine from Ask Wifey, Desi at Wee Share, Piera, the Jolly Mom, Lisa from Life With Lisa, The Product Review Place and The Brand Ambassador, Stacie from The Divine Miss Mommy and Akilah from Execumama!}
The food, the atmosphere, the spa, the staff, the hospitality of the Four Seasons was absolutely top notch. It was really and truly an escape in the middle of busy downtown Atlanta. And for any of you ATL mamas, they are having a great deal right now:
Maybe you need to forward this post to your hubby? Or better yet, let’s plan a meet-up next week!
The Four Seasons provided me with accommodations, food and spa treatment. They did not ask me to blog about my experience. The opinions are mine.
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as a child—or maybe I started it and it wasn’t like Disney’s version, so I never finished it. A few months ago, Lydia and I listened to the audio book version and I loved it! Mary Poppins is a little crazier in the book (she felt a little Willy Wonka-ish).
