Pop the champagne! Throw the confetti! Let the good times roll – Elle had her first successful sleepover, and it went SO well.

Aaron and I celebrated our first ‘evening off’ in style with a romantic date night and staycation at Chateau Lacombe Hotel Edmonton. I’m excited to share all the details!

But first, did you catch how I threw in the word successful, and wonder if that meant we’d had unsuccessful sleepovers?

The answer: um, yes. Haha! Until recently, Elle was the modern-day version of the Princess and the Pea. She had no interest in sleeping in a ‘peasant’ pack ’n play at her grandparents’ house when she had a comfortable, princess-worthy mattress at home. And so, she was delivered home to us… twice… once at 4 am LOL!

But after a trip to Canmore where Princess cast aside her royal ways, I knew it was time for Aaron and me to have our first night out (cue the bubbly) and the chance to sleep in a bit. She is 20 months old, after all!

Our night out at Chateau Lacombe Hotel Edmonton

Now don’t get me wrong, Aaron and I LOVE being at home with Elle and our family has been amazing at helping us get out for some fabulous dates. But when my sister (yay Auntie Lexie) said she wanted to take Elle overnight, I knew it would be the perfect occasion to surprise Aaron with something special.

We love to travel but you don’t have to hop on a plane to have a memorable ‘time away’ with your significant other. I thought of the most fabulous things Edmonton has to offer and La Ronde revolving restaurant immediately came to mind. Set 24 stories above downtown Edmonton, La Ronde has delicious food to match the equally exquisite view. 

So, I got to work and booked us a spontaneous staycation at the Chateau Lacombe Hotel Edmonton and dinner at La Ronde, which sits atop the hotel.

When we entered our suite at Chateau Lacombe Hotel Edmonton, I was floored! First of all, the space was HUGE and there were so many windows with the prettiest view of the city and an incredible balcony.

Aaron was stoked. If you’ve met him, you’ll know he’s such a happy guy and he got SO excited when he found an appetizer platter and a chilled bottle of bubbly waiting for us, which he wasted no time opening.

And as if that wasn’t romantic enough, the staff had decorated our room with rose petals and left the two fluffiest bath robes and slippers for us – as well as towels shaped like doves. BEST!

After spending some time unwinding with a glass of champagne and taking in the views, we headed to Chateau Lacombe Hotel Edmonton’s Concierge Lounge for complimentary appetizers and canapes overlooking the North Saskatchewan River. Everything was delicious – though I highly recommend trying their spinach dip, it was amazing.

We changed into some fancy evening attire and took the elevator all the way up to the 24th floor for dinner at La Ronde. This restaurant has a special place in my heart as years ago, when we were still dating, Aaron joined my family there for dinner to celebrate my birthday and surprised me with a trip to Mexico. It was super romantic, and one of the first signs that he was super into me!

La Ronde is Edmonton’s only revolving restaurant. It revolves once every 88 minutes, and we were lucky enough to watch the sunset and enjoy the nighttime glow of downtown Edmonton.

Photos can’t possibly do the food justice – it was delicious. Between cocktails and wine, we somehow managed to enjoy a three-course meal!

For starters, Aaron had the escargots provencal and I had the bison tartare. It was Aaron’s first time having escargot and he really enjoyed them.

Shout out to our waiter Jason, who helped us with the difficult decision of picking a main. Everything looked so good! In the end, I went for the grilled Alberta lamb chops with spiced pearl couscous and Aaron had the catch of the day – halibut. It was hands down the best meal we’ve had all year, if not longer.

We couldn’t say no to dessert – obviously. I had the Paris Brest: an almond frangipane éclair with apricot preserves and milk chocolate praline bavarois. Aaron chose the baked mango cheesecake with pistachio streusel, caramelized pineapple and vanilla bean cream. It might all sound quiet fancy but to put it simply: it was damn delicious.

The next morning, it was definitely strange waking up without Elle but both Aaron and I felt so relaxed and rejuvenated. We were excited to get back to our little hunnie, but when Auntie confirmed she was as happy as a clam, we couldn’t resist stopping by the Concierge Lounge again to enjoy breakfast. Because clearly we hadn’t eaten enough the night before.

Honestly, although we were only a 45-minute drive from home, it was SO much fun doing this mini getaway with Aaron. Parenthood is the most amazing thing we’ve ever experienced. Hands down. And right now, as I write this, I guess I’m just feeling lucky that I picked such a great guy to do life with, have a family with and have so much fun with. Okay, done being mushy now!

Xo Holly Hunka

Please note: Chateau Lacombe Hotel Edmonton did not pay for this post, but a complimentary room and meal was provided.