Thanks to the H Hotel in Midland, Michigan for sponsoring this post and hosting my husband and I for a romantic weekend.
For some couples, a vacation without the kids is an annual occurrence. Sadly for my husband and I though, that’s not the case. While we have traveled quite extensively over the years thanks to this blog, we only just took our second adults-only trip and our oldest turned eleven in June. Our only other trip without one or more kids in tow was five years ago when we spent a few days in the Turks & Caicos.
Last weekend my mom watched our three kids for a few days while we took a road trip from the Chicago suburbs, where we live, to Michigan. Michigan is definitely one of my favorite states to visit during the summer months and I always look forward to exploring a new place there when we go. This time we stayed in a small town called Midland which is a little less than five hours away from Chicago.
Midland has the charming downtown area that I look for on vacation, with a variety of restaurants and small shops to visit. I loved the welcoming environment of the town and the seating areas throughout, including this one pictured above with chairs gathered around a fire pit. The whole town just gave off a relaxing vibe which was much needed during our hectic back-to-school season.
Another thing I really enjoyed about the town itself was the variety of outdoor activities. I loved walking around the large Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning and seeing all of the fresh produce and homemade items. We also went to Dow Gardens and did the canopy walk in the trees which was pretty cool. There were so many other things to do as well but we only had a short couple days to spend in Midland so that just means we will have to make another trip back soon!
The hotel we stayed in, the H Hotel, was perfectly situated in Midland so that we could walk to most of the things we wanted to do. The Farmer’s Market, The Tridge (a unique bridge in Midland), and a splash pad for kids is in close proximity to the hotel’s front door. Head out the back of the hotel and through the courtyard space and you are in the heart of downtown Midland.
What I appreciated most about this 4-star hotel is the attention to detail that they put into everything. Every part of the stay is well-thought out from the in-room coffee makers to the plush robes to the black little face towels they offer for makeup removal. I adored the cute little window seat that is perfect for curling up with a book during some downtime. And the beds? Heavenly. This was the most comfortable hotel bed I’ve ever slept on and it was perfect for taking a mid-day nap before we headed out for the evening.
They also offer a nice welcome treat (we had a fruit and cheese platter) you can request anytime throughout your stay, free admission to the Dow Gardens, and an exercise room and pool area (complete with hot tub). And getting around town is easy when you stay at the H Hotel because they offer complimentary valet parking, a hotel shuttle, and loaner bikes (and a pedal car!) you an use during your stay.
There are so many benefits to staying at the H Hotel but I’m sure my husband’s favorite of them all was the amazing food we had to eat. The H Hotel has two restaurants- Table Restaurant and Cafe Zinc- and they also have a Lounge for late night drinks and bar food, as well as 24/7 room service.
The first morning at the hotel we chose to get room service so we could get ready without rushing. This was our first kid-free morning in years so we were taking advantage of the peace and quiet! Sinisa, my husband, had the smoked fish plate and I chose the Grand American with eggs, hash browns, and bacon.
For breakfast the second day we chose to eat outside on the patio at Cafe Zinc. The Cafe Omelet with asparagus, morel mushrooms, and mousseline sauce was absolutely amazing. Sinisa- with his sweet tooth and European heritage- couldn’t pass up the Nutella crepes.
We were just as happy with our dinner choices. The first night we had a very late dinner at Cafe Zinc, the modern French Bistro. We split the Escargot a la Bourguignonne because we were feeling fancy and it was wonderful. I loved the creamy sauce and the puff pastry on top. For our entree, I had the rich and buttery Lobster Thermidor while Sinisa enjoyed the Braised Short Rib that our lovely server had recommended.
For our second night in town we got dressed up and went to the Table Restaurant which is an elegant steakhouse. We started with crab cakes for an appetizer, enjoyed some freshly baked bread topped with herbed butter, and then I had the Filet & Lobster Tail while Sinisa had the Lamb Chop. Again, it was another delicious meal!
On Friday night, after we watched the Bears game in the hotel room (#diehardfan), we visited the Oxygen Lounge and picked out a couple pastries from Cafe Zinc to enjoy. They had about a dozen specialty pastries including a chocolate cherry tart, mini carrot cakes, and cheesecakes. We enjoyed our desserts and then took our cocktails out into the hotel’s courtyard area to sit on a bench next to a fire pit and just relax. It was the perfect way to end an evening!
I wish our trip to Midland and the H Hotel was longer but we had to get home to our children and the rest of the back-to-school prep. Do you need to go on your own couple’s vacation? I’m giving away a $100 gift certificate to put towards a stay at the H Hotel! All you have to do is enter by completing at least one of the tasks on the form below. The more entries you complete, the better your chances of winning. Good luck!