Family Staycation at the Swissotel Chicago

We enjoyed a little family Chicago staycation and had the best time being tourists in our own city.

Caroline thinks going to Chicago is a vacation and Campbell is always along for the ride & ready to have fun! Here is the itinerary of what we did, where we ate & where we stayed…

Day 1
We started the day visiting the animals at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Both of my kids loving strolling the zoo, but we usually don’t last longer than an hour. To keep with the vacation theme we had lunch at one of our favorite sunny spots, Summer House Santa Monica. Everything on the menu is delicious and they have one of the best kids menus in the city. Plus, we can never resist their incredible cookies.

After lunch we checked into our fabulous our staycation home, the Swissotel Chicago. We stayed in their amazing Kid’s Suite which was the perfect set-up with two bedrooms separated by a big living space with panoramic city and three full bathrooms. Caroline & Campbell were greeted with so many goodies – dolls, puzzles, trucks, art supplies, games & more. They were in heaven!

The kids also loved sharing a room and the suite had playful bedding for kids. I was also able to have a crib sent to the room for Campbell, which meant one less item we had to bring with us.

We spent the afternoon relaxing and playing with the toys the Swissotel Chicago‘s Kid’s Suite generously provided us.

The hotel is a 3-minute walk to Maggie Daley Park which is playground heaven with city views. We worked up an appetite and took a quick stroll to the new Avli On the Park in LakeShore East for dinner. We love Avli in Winnetka and we’re so excited to visit their new city outpost. Avli has a dreamy rooftop and a delicious menu with yummy cocktails. Plus, they have a great kid’s menu. It was the perfect al fresco dinner spot and walking distance to the hotel.

With the Swissotel Kid’s Suite you are given movie rental night and Caroline requested to watch her favorite of the moment, Descendants 3.

Day 2
We started the day with delicious room service from The Palm located within the hotel. Is there anything better than room service breakfast? The kids were so excited to play with all of suite’s toys, which gave us a chance to enjoy breakfast in peace and get ready for the day.

Our big activity of the day was a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry. We spent 2.5 hours at MSI and left feeling like we could’ve spent the rest of the day there! Our favorite exhibits were the great train story, take flight, Colleen Moore’s fairy castle, farm tech, the idea factory, the baby chick hatchery and yesterday’s main street.

After an eventful morning, we went back to the hotel for naptime.

Before our dinner reservation, we walked to IT’SUGAR on Michigan Avenue. The store is a true sugar high filled with a dose of nostalgia and unique candy. We took the kids to an old favorite that recently reopened, Ed Debevic’s. If you haven’t been it’s a retro diner feel where the staff is snarky and dance on the tables. Caroline & Campbell absolutely loved it, it’s a great spot for kids.

We took a leisurely after dinner stroll on Michigan Avenue back to the Swissotel.

Day 3
The kids were up and at ’em early (again) and we we’re so grateful our hotel room was filled with toys to keep them entertained. We started the day with another delicious room service breakfast and then a quick jaunt to visit Chicago’s iconic bean. After a photo-opp, Caroline requested one more visit to Maggie Daley park before we bid adieu to our staycation.

Caroline is already asking when our is next vacation to Chicago is. For our staycation we knew the location of the Swissotel Chicago was a perfect homebase with its proximity to the Chicago River, Lake Michigan and being just steps away from the Magnificent Mile. It’s a great destination for summer fun! Here are a few things near the Swissotel Chicago that I have on my radar for our next adventure…