Smarty Staycation Spot: The Ballantyne Hotel

How often do you schedule alone time with just you and your hubby? Not often enough, right? My goal is to get away sans kids a few times a year. But it seems like I blink, and 6 months goes by. Our weekends are jam-packed with four kids’ insane activity schedules. Too often we are crawling into bed on Sunday evening and my hubby and I have barely even chatted with each other. For my family, a weekend away is hard to come by. We don’t have any family within two states of us and not too many folks raising their hands to pack up and watch our gaggle of kids for more than a few hours.

Recently, the stars aligned for me. All four kids had a sleepover! And it was on our anniversary weekend – how lucky were we?! Our anniversary was this month and all of our sporting seasons were wrapping up, the twins got a weekend lake invite, the girls were at sleepovers – so it was GAME ON to whip up some fab anniversary plans. So we headed to our favorite relaxation spot in Charlotte – you guessed it, The Ballantyne Hotel!

The Ballantyne Hotel’s Spa has been a winner of our Smarty Awards for several years. The Spa at Ballantyne is my very first pick for me-time – whether it’s a gal pal pedicure, a deep tissue massage or hair and make-up for a special occasion, this is my favorite place in the city to put my feet up and relax.

So my perfect anniversary staycation began at 1pm on my anniversary Saturday. My hubby gave me the afternoon “off” from the kids and I headed down to the Spa at Ballantyne to get a massage and have my hair and make-up done for the annual Smarty Photoshoot (more on that this Thursday, tune in!). It was so relaxing and I have to admit, I looked pretty amazing when I walked out of that spa for our first pics uptown. Trust me, it was all due to the fabulous artists who worked on me for hours:-)

Let’s talk about the massage. I chose the Carolina Lavendar Massage which was quite possibly the best massage I’ve ever gotten. And I’m a massage girl, I don’t throw that title out very often! My massage therapist used locally grown lavendar aromatherapy and just the right amount of pressure for 50 glorious minutes. My favorite part about getting a treatment at the Spa at Ballantyne is that you have access to all of the hotel’s luxurious amenities including the outdoor pool with bar (usually where I spend the rest of my day!), the indoor pool, and the spa facilities with all of the best yummy products for skin and hair.

After the uptown CSP photoshoot, hubby & I returned to the hotel as quickly as we could and hit the Gallery Restaurant. This was the perfect cuisine for our anniversary dinner. The Gallery follows an earth to table concept using only the finest local ingredients. We had the Cap Steak with smoked Kobe-shi poached quail eggs and the NC sturgeon – we enjoyed every delicious bite! The Gallery Restaurant’s art display is in partnership with Shain Gallery and it is absolutely captivating. The restaurant feels like you are actually dining in art gallery, and all pieces of art are available for purchase. Following dinner, we had cocktails on the veranda with my favorite signature drink, The Juicer with Tito’s, kale, ginger, pineapple and lime. It’s as if they custom-made this drink with my name right on it!

The rooms are luxury at its finest. The bed was more comfy than my own, which speaks volumes because I LOVE my bed. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have my four kids jumping on it to wake me up! Our breakfast included a front row, golf course view and the omelet was the best I’ve ever had, everything came from local farmers.

We finished up our fab staycation with hubby playing golf, something he doesn’t get to do as often as he’d like, and me hanging by the pool reading magazines and enjoying a few more of my signature cocktails. I used up every minute of my alone time and we didn’t get home until 7pm. It was absolutely perfect, can’t you tell? Just look at how relaxed we are in that pic (photo creds: Abbe McCracken Photography)!

I’m taking a pledge right this moment to schedule a 1-night staycation at the Ballantyne Hotel every six months. Because our crazy family life is flying by and we need to take the time to schedule some alone time to keep our marriage healthy and alive! Here’s a special shout-out to my friends who took my kids for 24 hours – Cheryl, Kelley & Celene, I got your back. You say word, and I got your kids on any given staycation opportunity you get! It truly takes a village!

I reached out to our friends at the Ballantyne Hotel and guess what? They have the PERFECT Summer Getaway Package just for you and your hubby!

The Ballantyne Hotel Summer Getaway Package:

This package includes an overnight stay with one $50 credit per room per stay toward spa, dining or golf; parking; and internet access.

Valid Thursday – Sunday arrivals through September 6, 2015; Rates from $219 plus tax per night. Reserve online or at (800) 325-3589.

Summer 2015 Special Events: Specialty afternoon teas like Summer in the Carolinas Tea –July 22 – 25, 1-5 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to wear straw hats and their summer best. The seasonal menu will also feature the option to add a Mint Julep for $10. The cost is $36 for adults and $18 for junior patrons (excluding tax & gratuity). Reservations are required at 704-248-4100.

You can find the Ballantyne Hotel at:

Phone: (704) 248-4000
Email: info@theballantynehotel.com
Starwood Worldwide Reservations: (800) 325-3589
The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, 10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway,
Charlotte, North Carolina 28277
facebook: www.facebook.com/BallantyneHotel
twitter: @ballantynehotel
instagram: #ballantynehotel