The Grand Hyatt Vail

It’s no secret that Vail has always been one of my happy places. I am up there as often as I can be, so when the Grand Hyatt Vail invited me to stay for the night to check out the newly renovated resort, you know I jumped on that! I had heard amazing things since they opened and was so excited to check it out for myself! Plus being able to go up during peak leaf peeping season… you could say that really piqued my interest. Pun intended.

The Grand Hyatt Vail is located on a third of a mile acre, has incredible mountain views, oh and has its own ski lift right outside the doors! Does it get any better than that? Nothing worse than walking long distances in ski boots to get to a lift! The resort backs up to the Gore Creek, which makes for a beautiful stroll into Lionsheads and Vail Village and gorgeous views. I brought my mom up for the weekend and we enjoyed a sunset walk (with wine in hand) along the creek, taking in all the beautiful colors of the changing aspens leaves.

The resort feels so new and the rooms are meant to impress! We had a mountain view room with double queen beds and the attention to detail in the room design was seriously impressive! All the finishes were high-end, and it felt so luxurious! The resort itself is perfect for those seeking both adventure and luxury. Designed to create memorable moments, the resort hosts weekly rituals for guests including S’mores Roasts, weekend Après Champagne Sabering, weekend live entertainment, complimentary Cookies and Specialty Beverage of the Day and Snow Cones at the Pool. How fun is that?! Combine all of that with the incredible spa that offers alpine-inspired signature massages and nail services offered and the adventures just waiting feet from your room! Or, if adventure is more your thing, guests can participate in thoughtfully planned weekly outdoor experiences. Choose from Yoga on the Gore morning sessions, guided Nature Walks and weekend Axe-Throwing activities. For private experiences, they offer fly fishing on neighboring Gore Creek as well as bike rentals or guided bike tours through Venture Sports.

My mom and I opted to hang by the pool, which is also right on Gore Creek, and enjoy some relaxation time followed by drinks and dinner at The Fireside Lounge, which is on property. Everyone there was so friendly, and we felt right at home! Nothing better than a cocktail with an epic view!

Right now, The Grand Hyatt Vail is offering some great promotions, as if you needed an excuse to escape the city and go treat yo self in the mountains.

Check them out below:

Work from Grand Hyatt Vail: (offer housed online here)

Work and school have a new look this year. Transform your work from home routine into a memorable working vacation with our new Work from Hyatt getaway packages. Abundant outdoor spaces and spacious guestrooms and suites let the family spread out. Private work areas and high-speed internet make remote work and school a breeze. Hotel amenities--from room service to refreshing pools--make your stay a true escape from the everyday.

Book between now and December 31, 2020 for 7+ night stays through March 31, 2021.

Ski Concierge Club (view details here – first item listed)

Membership has its benefits at Grand Hyatt Vail as the first Grand Hyatt hotel in a U.S. mountain resort destination recently relaunched its Ski Concierge Club which includes exclusive on-site offerings. From parking to ski storage and special hotel benefits, the Ski Concierge Club provides a great value to locals, second homeowners and regional day skiers. 

The Grand Hyatt Vail Ski Concierge Club offers two membership levels – Individual and Family. Benefits include:

• Free ski/snowboard and heated boot storage at the Grand Hyatt Vail location of Venture Sports; two pairs for individual members and four per family members

• Lift-side personal item storage

• VIP valet parking

• (10) complimentary breakfast tacos and coffee at the Gore Creek Kitchen —OR— (1) appetizer, house wine, beer or cocktail in Fireside Lounge

• (4) ski or snowboard tunes per year

• 20% off hotel room pricing at Grand Hyatt Vail

• 10% off retail at Venture Sports

• 20% off rentals & repairs at Venture Sports

• 20% off dining at Grand Hyatt Vail

• 20% off The Spa at Grand Hyatt Vail

Time to book your escape now! The Grand Hyatt Vail is perfect for Denverites and tourists alike, looking for a mountain oasis. I cannot recommend this resort enough!

The Gant Aspen

“Some place warm, a place where the beer flows like wine, where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I'm talking about a little place called Aspen.”

Ah, Aspen, the most luxurious of all the Colorado mountains. A sweet, Rocky Mountain paradise. A place where you can break out your fanciest of outfits, shop until you drop, eat at the top restaurants and still cater to your outdoorsy side! That is what we call Colorado at its finest. I’ve always had a love affair with Aspen. When you are there, it feels like you are on a true, luxury vacation, even though you are just hours from Denver.

I had the pleasure of staying at The Gant Aspen this past weekend with my husband. This was my first time staying at The Gant and, let me tell you, it lived up to that oh so fabulous Aspen lifestyle! The Gant combines the comforts, privacy and conveniences of home complemented by the luxuries of premier resort services and amenities. I honestly don’t know how I can go back to staying in an ol’ fashioned hotel room after our incredible experience here. There are 140 condos within the property and all are decorated to the nines with full kitchens, dining rooms, private patio / balcony and real, wood-burning fireplaces (did someone say s’mores?!), which offers guests a distinct experience. Accommodations range from one to four-bedroom floor plans and three levels of luxury interiors including standard, deluxe or premier rated condominiums.

We stayed in a two-bedroom, premier condo and I was so impressed from the moment we arrived. The condo felt brand new and was so well done! It truly felt like staying in a luxury condo with gorgeous views of the mountain and aspen trees everywhere. We felt so at home and spoiled! My husband and I could not get over how comfortable our bed was too! You know how there’s nothing better than going home to your own bed? Well, honestly, this bed made me question that statement. All condos have luxurious linens and down pillows, as well as a bedroom humidifier and fan. It was so nice to have our own condo and private space, especially during this weird, Covid time. We loved hanging in the living room and decompressing after our day activities and took advantage of the full kitchen by storing food in the fridge and heating up leftovers from our amazing dinners. It was like being at home… if only my home as actually in Aspen. Sigh.  

Before we dive in more, let me give you a quick snippet of our long weekend itinerary:

Thursday:

• Checked in and were greeted by the friendliest concierge and complimentary valet

• Lunch at Aspen Wine & Cheese – you can’t go wrong on this menu

• Sunbathing by the heated pool surrounded by beautiful aspen tress blowing with the breeze (cue ultimate relaxation)

• Hit up the Pickleball courts at The Gant – they even have paddles and balls for you to use!

• Drinks and dinner at Clark’s (Confession, this may have been the longest I’d gone without eating oysters, which I blame on Covid, and Clark’s was next level)

Friday:

• Morning coffee and breakfast from Pepperjack’s Café – The Gant’s on property food and bev

• Got my ass kicked on Ute Trail hike

• Lunch at J Bar - much deserved after that grueling hike!

• Retreated back to the safety of our condo at The Gant after nearly dying on Ute Trail – seriously one of the hardest hikes I’ve done

• Dinner at Betula – OH EM GEE, an Aspen must! The coziest and chicest restaurant of them all!

  Saturday:

• Rented E-bikes from Aspen Bikes

• Waved at the road bikers as I cruised by on my electric bike on our way to Maroon Bells (spoiler alert, they don’t wave back)

• Took in the breathtaking Maroon Bells and hiked to Crater Lake

• Cruised back to town (seriously these E-bikes are game changers) and walked around the farmer’s market

• Swapped out our bike batteries and biked to Pine Creek Cookhouse for lunch and cocktails

• More pickleball because with a court view like this, you can’t stay away!

• Dinner at Aspen Pie

Sunday:

• More locally roasted coffee from Pepperjack’s Café

• Said goodbye to our amazing condo and drove stunning Independence Pass home

Just typing away about our weekend makes me want to go back. This was seriously the ultimate staycation! The Gant was the perfect location for our Aspen adventure! It is right in town and a quick walk to all the restaurants, shops, and bars. Even better, if you are going for a ski vacation, it is SO close to the gondola! Nothing worse than awkwardly walking around in ski boots and being far from the chairlift. This would seriously mean your boots were made for walking. Pun intended.

As summer is wrapping up (honestly, how is August?!) and we move into Fall and Winter, I cannot recommend a weekend getaway or Colorado staycation at The Gant enough! Fall is so beautiful in the mountains and, shocker, Aspen is full of aspens and what is better than some leaf peeping in the fall?! Better yet, bring on ski season! We didn’t use our wood-burning fireplace in the room since it was August and that would just be a tad excessive, so I am thinking I clearly need to go back this winter to light that bad boy up! If you’ve never skied Aspen, you are missing out! It is such a fun, steep mountain and if you think the summer scene is something, then just you wait until winter. Picture bottles of Veuve being bought just to shake up and spray all over the après crowd. Only in Aspen.

The Gant would be so perfect for a winter vacay and I for one cannot wait to go back! You can click here to see all of the promotions they are currently offering (as if you needed an excuse to go) but here are a few that really sparked my interest:

Colorado Staycation Special:

Local Aspenites needing a parents’ night off to city-dwellers seeking a mountain escape receive 30% savings to play tourists in their own state. Be it enjoying mountain views over a glass of wine from a private balcony, exploring the Aspen area’s hiking and mountain biking trails or a simple change of scenery – enjoy a picturesque base-camp for Aspen adventure or respite with a luxuriously intimate condominium.

Stay More, Save More:

Travelers opting to design their own vacation can select savings based on their visit duration preferences. Enjoy 15% savings on one-night stays, 20% savings on three-night stays and 25% savings on six or more night stays.

Countdown to Winter:

With the understandable and unforeseen early closure to the 2020 ski season, The Gant is already dreaming about its first powder turns this winter. Snow seekers have early access to reserve advance winter savings up to 20% for the 2020/2021 season.

So, my friends, time to dust off the hiking boots, ski boots, suitcase, whatever! It is time to head to Aspen and stay at The Gant for your stay. I cannot wait to go back to this special place.

Here are my Aspen musts and what I will be doing next time:

Restaurants:

• Aspen Meat & Cheese: The ultimate lunch spot

• Betula: This is a newer restaurant that wows from the moment you walk in. The upstairs patio is so chic and cozy. Pro tip, order the Yellow Paloma cocktail (thank me later, cheers!)

• Clark’s: The best oysters in town and amazing seafood

• 7908: Heads up, this upscale restaurant turns into a club after dinner so bring your dancing shoes!

• Ellina: A hidden gem in the heart of town with a great menu

• Pine Creek Cookhouse: Nestled in the mountains and offers amazing views and food. Highly recommend e-biking here!

Hikes:

• American Lake

• Cathedral Lake

• North Fork Lake Creek Trail

Things to Do:

• Electric bikes to Maroon Bells

• Skiing Aspen Mountain, Snowmass and Highlands

• Cloud Nine – if you know, you know

• Gondola to the top of the mountain

• Stand up paddle boarding - float Stillwater to Rainbow Bridge of the Roaring Fork River

Where to Stay:

• THE GANT OF COURSE!

To quote John Denver, “Aspen is a life to live.” Until next time.

Garden of The Gods Resort and Club

This past weekend I had the pleasure of staying at the Garden of the Gods Resort and Club and all I can say is WOW. From the moment you walk in, the view of the Garden of the Gods park greets you and I felt all the stress slip away.

I decided it’d be fun to invite my mom to tag along for a girls getaway weekend and the entire stay exceeded our expectations. The drive from Denver was so easy, it only took us an hour to get to the resort and had beautiful scenery along the way. I was blown away by the service at the resort! The staff was so friendly and made us feel at home the entire time. The landscape and mountain views from the resort are truly remarkable! Pictures do not do it justice, but as your trusted blogger, I did my best to capture it!

Here’s a little snapshot of our itinerary:

• Arrival (cue jaws hitting the floor when we took in the view for the first time)

• Lunch with a view at The Rocks Lounge (try the lobster roll - it did not disappoint)

• Checked into our Casita (again, more jaws on the ground over how nice the Casita was)

• Pampering at Strata Wellness

• A really rough transition from the spa to the infinity pool (isn’t life hard?!)

• Cocktails!

• Room service for dinner because the outdoor fire place at our Casita had our name all over it

• Time to catch some ZZZs

• Morning coffee at Beach and Cable Barista (they have their own pastry chef, swoon!)

• Lunch by the pool

• My mom dragging me out of the resort because leaving really was that hard

Now that you’ve gotten the high level synopsis of the trip… let’s really dive in! Where do I even begin?! The resort itself is extremely nice! Think mountain getaway mixed with modern updates and breathtaking views all around. There are just over 100 rooms, including the Casitas where we stayed. The resort went under new ownership seven years ago and what was once an invite only, private club, became a luxurious resort open to all! They host weddings, retreats, and visitors alike. They were actually setting up a wedding on the lawn while we were there and what a backdrop that view would be for a ceremony! Talk about some epic wedding photos! I actually think the resort would be really fun for a Bachelorette party too! You could get a Casita with multiple bedrooms and have the perfect mix of spa, pool and relaxation while also being able to hike in the Garden of Gods Park and do fun, outdoor activities like golf or horse back riding! Perfect for us Colorado gals!

Our Casita was just a short walk to the main resort and it almost felt like being in Palm Springs. The landscaping around the Casitas area is filled with beautiful streams, flowers, walking and golf cart paths, glimpses of Pikes Peak and, of course, our beloved Rocky Mountains. All of the Casitas are brand new and have one to three bedrooms, beautiful furnishings, kitchen and dining room, fireplaces, and feel oh so luxurious. Move over Kardashians, this girl is living the high life! My mom and I had a two bedroom, three bathroom Casita and were so impressed at how well it was done and how nice each of our rooms were. You could spend all day at the Casita and be perfectly happy.

But, at last, the spa beckoned and I headed to the Strata Wellness Center for my Aypa Energy Body Treatment. Don’t know what that means? Hey, neither did I! But friends, trust me, this is a spa treatment that you are going to want to remember and try when you go to the resort yourself. Here’s how the website describes the treatment: “Aypa is a mystical Andean Incan treatment using natural, organic indigenous plants and fruits from Peru. A purple corn exfoliant, lucuma warming body mask, sacha inchi oil, and an exquisite crème made from organic quinoa complete a treatment that awakens all the senses with these native earth, wind, and fire elements.” Here’s how I describe this hour of pure goodness. First, a body scrub is massaged all over you that smells simply divine! You then rinse off and return to the warmness that we all love of a massage table. For the rest of the treatment, the warming mask, which feels like a warm oil, is massaged all over and OH EM GEE, this was seriously one of the best massages I’ve gotten. It felt so nice and I melted into that table. I’m honestly getting sleepy and relaxed all over again just typing this… Side note on the spa, they also have a Himalayan salt room which was so impressive and has healing affects for both health and mood!

OK, back from my cat nap after re-living that spa treatment. My mom and I then went to the Infinity Pool, which is restricted to those 21+. There is also a family pool area with a hot tub, as well as a recreation pool and splash zone across the street at their Kissing Camels Golf Club. But we decided to be all about that infinity pool life because who doesn’t want a front row seat to the Garden of the Gods view with bar service! The view from this pool is easily top five I have seen. I couldn’t even concentrate on my book, which got tossed to the side because the view was the true star of the show! It was fun to do happy hour drinks and soak in some sun before dinner. Highly recommend their aperol spritz!

For dinner, we opted to retreat back to our gorgeous Casita and throw on some comfy clothes and lounge by our outdoor fireplace because #vacation - am I right?! The food was amazing and I felt like we were living in the lapse of luxury! It was so nice to sit outside and enjoy the sunset over the red rock formations and catch up and laugh the night away. Good wine, good times, and great accommodations!

The rooms were so comfortable and it was so nice to snuggle up in my huge king bed! The next morning we walked to the resort coffee shop, Beach & Cable Barista, which offers Starbucks coffee, smoothies, grab and go bites, and, best of all, homemade pastries! I am gluten free and was amazed how many gluten free options they had! I had a lemon scone day one and a pumpkin muffin day two because… treat yo self!

Before check out, we managed to get some more pool time in and continue our ultimate relaxation with poolside lunch. I honestly cannot recommend Garden of the Gods Resort and Club enough, especially to all of my Denver and Colorado followers! It is so easy to get to and you truly feel like you have left and gone on vacation! This resort offers so much and is great for so many different types of trips. Think family vacay, couples retreat, spa weekend, golf trip, hiking adventure, it has it all! Next time I go back, here are just a few of things I have on my list already to do!

• Golf at Kissing Camels Golf Club, which has challenging 27 holes

• Play pickleball - those who know me know I am OBSESSED with Pickleball so you can imagine my excitement when I found out they have courts!

• Yoga on the lawn - who wouldn’t want to do Warrior One with that view!

• Hike in Garden of the Gods Park

• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo - named one of the best in the country!

• Seven Falls - a series of seven waterfalls that you do want to go chasing

Thank you so much for the amazing team at Garden of the Gods Resort and Club for hosting us. This weekend getaway exceeded all expectations and was such a dream. Until next time… I’ll be back!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Picture this, it’s 2020, there’s a worldwide pandemic. You can’t leave the house. Airplanes? What are those? You wear a mask everywhere. You even have stylish masks now that are you like more than others. Someone gets within 6 feet of you… are they crazy?!

But then, a beacon of light, and no, I’m not talking about T Swift’s new album. I’m talking about the event that we all know and love… the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

Sure, it’s not going to cure Covid (wouldn’t that be great though). But hey, why not do a little treat yourself and get some amazing pieces on major sale.

Here are my picks from this year’s sale. Happy shopping!

#SummerBikeChallenge

It’s perhaps no secret anymore that Denver’s best kept secret is that we get 300 days of sunshine. That’s what is so great about the Mile High City; more time to be outside and be active! Things may look a little… or a lot different this year (looking at you Covid) but that doesn’t mean we can’t be outside and still practice social distancing! One of my favorite activities this summer has been to bike ride around town, so you can imagine my excitement when I learned about Way to Go’s 2020 Summer Bike Challenge that is running from June to September.

In case you don’t know, Way to Go is a program of the Denver Regional Council of Governments and their mission is simple: Improve Denver’s air quality through decreased traffic congestion. I think we can all get behind that! You likely know them from the popular Bike To Work Day, which is always so fun to take part in! The 2020 Bike Challenge is encouraging us Coloradans to swap our cars for our bikes for many of our day to day tasks. Running to the store? Going to meet a friend for a drink? Headed to the park? Leave the car at home and take out your bike instead! This simple act will help eliminate our footprint and get us in a better habit of taking our bike on these short trips rather than the car. I have been loving biking to the park, biking to friend’s houses, and even to local restaurants to grab a bite outside and enjoy the summer!

As you guys probably already know, I am a Colorado native and a total fan girl when it comes to our city. DENVER IS THE BEST! Sorry, not sorry. There’s no other place like it in my opinion. Where else can you hop on multiple bike paths and be in so many awesome locations from your two-wheel transportation so quickly! Denver is such a biker friendly city! I love hopping on the Cherry Creek trail and cruising from downtown to Wash Park to Cherry Creek and more! A typical Sunday for us means biking to the farmers market and loading up on fresh produce for the week (and then my husband giving me a hard time for buying too much and making the backpack too heavy yet again, but that’s neither here nor there).

If you’re looking for some inspo on where to bike, then another fun aspect of the 2020 Bike Challenge is the Pedal Pursuit Scavenger Hunt, which is a fun way to explore new areas and win prizes! All you must do is bike to five or more locations and then you are entered to win! You can track your trips here and find additional rules and regulations by clicking here. I mean, who doesn’t want to win a REI prize pack valued at over $500… am I right?! I downloaded the locations checklist here and my husband and I did it last week. We had so much fun exploring places that we normally wouldn’t think to go to. Went biked to Dairy Block, Mile High Stadium, the Molly Brown House, the City Park Pavilion and more! It’s such a fun way to spend a Saturday or Sunday and another great excuse to get outside and take advantage of our amazing city!

Since many of us are working from home this year, Way to Go also decided to change Bike to Work Day to Bike to Wherever Week where you can pledge to ride to, you guessed it… wherever! This will be occurring September 21st through the 25th and you can get more details by clicking here.

Hope to see you all out there on your bikes! If you spot me on my pink cruiser, be sure to say hi! Post your summer bike pictures and use hashtag #SummerBikeChallenge to be entered for more sweet prizes! Let’s do our part, in a fun way nonetheless, to keep our city and state clean and beautiful!

Happy cruising!