If you’re looking for a weekend getaway in Atlanta, The Hotel at Avalon is a perfect spot to unwind, do a little shopping, and just have fun! As many of you know, I was in Atlanta last week because my daughter was having her second baby and my second grandson! I was so excited to be there to spend time with Lauren and Hudson during this special week. To make it even more special, The Hotel at Avalon very graciously gave Hudson and me a beautiful suite so that we could make a few special memories before his baby brother was born. We arrived in the afternoon, right before Lauren went to the hospital and that’s when the fun began!

The lobby of The Hotel at Avalon is so beautifully decorated and inspires wine sipping and sitting by the fire…however, with a 3 year old, sipping wine and relaxing are not really part of the plan; believe me, I tried! Instead, we ate cookies and decided to explore the hotel. So with a glass of wine in hand and a few extra cookies, we checked into our beautiful suite.

The suite was light filled and looked directly over the fabulous shops at Avalon.

I thought reading a book might be a good idea…a calming activity, but Hudson really just wanted to look out the window at the crane and wave to people eating below in one of the restaurants.

And…when you’re 3, you must jump on the bed because that’s just what 3 year olds do!

I honestly think I could live in this suite and be perfectly happy! The bathroom was complete with a soaking tub and more than enough plush towels. I felt sooo spoiled!

The best part of being in this beautiful space was spending time with my sweet boy! The hotel is very family friendly and absolutely everything we needed was at our fingertips!

Hudson loved the horse sculpture in the lobby as well as the picture of the classy lady in front of the elevators, but…

what he really loved was the outdoor area and pool. I promised to bring him back in the summer and spend a day or two swimming and playing by the pool. That’s a promise that I’ll look forward to keeping.

The pool also overlooks the shopping area below and the sunsets are spectacular!

After exploring the hotel, we set out to see what Avalon was all about! Hudson was excited, because I promised him ice cream at the end. Basically he had ice cream and cookies and then got a little crazy from all the sugar, but sometimes that’s just ok!

As you can see, there are shops and restaurants galore at Avalon! We came back several times while I was visiting and ate at Hudson’s favorite for tacos, El Felix. We also ate at Rumi’s Kitchen which is my favorite. Rumi’s Kitchen is a Persian restaurant and they have a spinach and date salad that I’m obsessed with and the best hummus I’ve ever eaten. I always wonder what their secret is! I’m excited to come back for a girls shopping and lunch day before Christmas. Hudson is fun, but he’s not much of a shopper!

I inquired about Thanksgiving at The Hotel at Avalon, because it would be so much fun to have Thanksgiving dinner there and get up the next morning and Christmas shop, but sadly, they are already completely booked for that weekend! I’m definitely making plans for next year! It would be so convenient to shop a little, drop bags off in the room, take a little break and then shop a little more! Black Friday shopping at it’s best!

Everyone is so friendly at Avalon, it’s like a little neighborhood and it’s so much fun to window shop and meet people. This little puppy was so excited to play with Hudson!

Finally, we made our way to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams! Hudson ordered a double scoop of chocolate, of course, and I got wild berry and lavender. It was absolutely divine and I ate every bite. Unfortunately, Hudson wore most of his, but he enjoyed it anyway!

The sky was getting dark and with a belly full of ice cream and lots of good memories, we made our way back to the hotel. We changed clothes, cleaned up Hudson’s face and decided to get a little dinner at South City Kitchen. The food at South City Kitchen is Southern with a twist…sophisticated Southern. FYI for anyone who has a chicken finger obsessed child, they have the best chicken fingers I’ve ever tasted and their beet salad is to die for! Several months ago, we celebrated Lauren’s birthday at South City Kitchen and loved every bite!

Thank you so much to The Hotel at Avalon for the very best memories of a very special evening with my grandson! This was an evening that we’ll never forget!