Hotel Allegro | Chicago Loop

    Happy Travel Tuesday!

I was enamored with our accommodations when we visited Chicago this past August. The Allegro is a vibrant boutique hotel with a great location in the Downtown Loop. 

While the standard rooms are tiny, they are well appointed and manage to ooze with character. The jewel toned décor and furnishings nod to art deco glam. Details are in the reflections: gold and silver clustered drawer handles on a desk made entirely of mirrors, add to that a paneled floor to ceiling, nearly wall to wall mirror on the opposite side. Then you've got uniform geometric pattered wallpaper, a plush carpet underfoot that zigs and zags, and wonderfully fluffy king size bed loaded with pillows backed by a blue velour headboard.

The reception and lobby are spacious and soaked in rich colors in one corner and earth tones in the next, decorated with funky shaped couches and over sized circular benches. They offer a complimentary beer and wine happy hour for guests every evening from 5-7 pm, a perk of all Kimpton Hotels. Additionally, I had a fantastic breakfast at the adjoining restaurant 312 and the attached bar and lounge Encore isn't a bad spot to grab a drink. I felt relaxed, I slept well, and I appreciated being centrally located among the hustle and bustle of Chicago.

Hotel Allegro | A Kimpton Hotel

171 W. Randolph Street

Chicago, Illinois 60601

*edited - this hotel is now owned by Royal Sonesta*

The Royal Sonesta & ArtBar

This weekend marked a joint bachelorette party in Boston for three of my best blogger pals getting married this fall. The Royal Sonesta hosted Megan, Michelle, Alicia, Meghan and I in their luxurious and contemporary art infused accommodations. We stayed in the Artist Suite with sweeping views of the Charles River and Boston's skyline.

The suite captivated with modern art installations and cohesive décor points. The paintings and drawings popped against a neutral toned room, while the bathrooms sleek fixtures and sprawling vanity provided us with ample space to get ready for a night out at nearby Cambridge spots Abigails, The Blue Room and Naga. (More on those later!) 

Upon arrival to our room we were greeted with bottles of ArtBars Clandestine Absinthe Corpse Reviver and an over-the-top fabulous cheese and charcuterie spread complete with tiered bowls of grilled crostini, fresh fruits and nuts. It felt great to relax in such a calming space while catching up and enjoy each others company. I was truly enamored with the artwork, including the boldly framed Campbells soup dress. Other vibrant statement pieces added unique character, tastefully accenting the chic furniture. This is actually some of the most thoughtful hotel décor I can recall, serious props to their interior designer.

We enjoyed a light lunch on Saturday and brunch on Sunday on ArtBars riverfront patio defined by shiny steel tables with vivid orange chairs.

My Clam Chowder ($9) was exquisite with a thick creamy broth lending peppery notes to the tender potatoes and sweet chewy clams. I was a big fan of their house vanilla vodka, sasparilla, salted cream and CO2 infused Root Beer Float ($11). On a muggy day this treat really hit the spot! 

After a night of drinking and dancing their perfectly prepared bacon was a dream alongside fresh, fluffy Blueberry Pancakes ($11), the really good kind where plump berries explode in every bite and plenty of powdered sugar dusts the top. 

A huge and incredibly special thanks to Amanda Hurley for booking our accommodations and going the extra mile to make our stay so memorable!! We received a small discount on our room and the in room goodies as well as a champagne toast (lunch) and mimosas (brunch) were complimentary. 

If you are traveling to Boston or planning a staycation definitely consider the Royal Sonesta, a bright and breezy meets modern luxury riverside retreat. The location provides easy access to downtown Boston and Cambridge. The area is walkable in either direction with the green line (Lechmere or Science Park) only steps away. 

The Royal Sonesta

40 Edwin Land Blvd

Cambridge, MA 02142

Sfizi @ Dante

Every Tuesday in the bar and lounge at Dante enjoy $2 grilled cheese sandwiches from 5:30 pm. Offering sweeping views of the Charles River and the Boston skyline, Dante is a contemporary Italian restaurant located inside the Royal Sonesta Hotel on the Cambridge side of the river.My sister and I arrived and were happy to learn from the hostess that the grilled cheese special is offered on the patio as well. It was a gorgeous evening so we took full advantage of the riverside views, settling in first with some cocktails. I went with what can only be described as my dream cocktail, the Italian 75 ($9) which combines my two favorite liqueurs - Aperol and St Germain with lemon, prosecco and gin. Leah's Watermelon Basil Margarita wasn't as noteworthy.For our second round I stuck with my beloved Italian 75 and she decided on Sangria ($9) which was much more satisfying than round one. Along with our cocktails a sophisticated version of the weekly grilled cheeses were enjoyed; boasting layers of melted mozzarella, peppery arugula and spicy pepperoncini on thick slices of evenly toasted bread.I should mention one half of a grilled cheese is $2, still a large half and $2 well spent. In addition to this deal the bar offers $1 oysters daily from 4 - 6 pm. We couldn't pass this up and slurped three briny east coast oysters each. We also noshed on some sfizi - "little tastes" which are individual antipasti plates meant for sharing. The Fried Calamari ($6) incorporated delicious little morsels of fried lemon zest along with a grilled lemon thyme aioli. The Pannocchia ($6) which is grilled corn on the cob with pecorino cheese and a spicy aioli was excellent.

Our waitress disappeared for awhile after clearing our plates - when it was clear we were finished with our cocktails and in need of either the check or another round!  Even so, Dante is not a bad spot to check out for their weekday menu deals especially while you can still enjoy the outdoor space. 

We exited the patio off the back steps and decided to take an evening turned sunset stroll around the Charles. We stopped to feed a family of ducks, meandered over the Longfellow Bridge, watched the Red Line speed by and looped back around to the Boston side of the river and walked the Esplanade home.

Dante @ The Royal Sonesta Hotel

41 Edwin Land Boulevard

Cambridge, MA 02142