Will and I packed our bags and got away from the kids this
month.
Hallelujah!
Our destination was romantic Siena, Italy.
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| We're not really in Italy, but it feels like it. |
Nah, not really, but it certainly seemed like we were in
Siena, Italy. We only traveled about 30
minutes from home and checked into the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill for a
night. It has one of the best Italian
restaurants in the state, and we had never dined there since becoming a
couple. It was the perfect destination
for a one-night getaway.
As soon as you walk into this European boutique hotel, which
has been in operation since 1987 in this university town, you think “Wow!”
It’s opulent, yet intimate.
How can that be?
As soon as you cross the entryway, you’re no longer in Chapel
Hill. You feel as if you are in Siena,
Italy, staying in at a Tuscan villa.
And that is exactly how the original owners of this hotel
intended for you to feel. They fell in
love with Italy while on holiday and decided to bring some of it back for
guests in the Triangle to enjoy as well.
The marble floors were imported from Italy.
The common areas are filled with Italian antiques.
And this chair would suit an Italian royal, don’t you think?
It’s the little things at this hotel that make it feel as if
you are in someone’s personal home. The
lobby is not crammed with bellhops and valet parking attendants. Other than the same doorman who has been
there since the beginning greeting guests, hotel guests transport their own
bags to their rooms. There is a cozy bar
in the lobby, and the concierge serves warm cookies on his desk in the early
evening hours. In fact, some guests feel
as if this is their home because they are guests of the Siena every time there
is a home UNC-Chapel Hill football or basketball game.
There are only 79 rooms and suites in the inn, each with a
complimenting look, but still unique in style.
We had a corner suite.
Oh, yeah! This is amore!
The hotel is currently undergoing a renovation of all the
rooms and will be finished by spring.
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| The Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill, NC |
It was so wonderful to take the elevator downstairs to dine
at Il Palio, a farm-to-table ristorante named after the famous horse race in
Siena.
This restaurant is
phenomenal. It’s probably the best
formal Italian restaurant I’ve personally been to outside of Italy. We dined at a cozy corner table, and since I
was on assignment, the chef prepared some extra special courses for us.
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| Il Palio at the Siena Hotel |
It was a pleasure talking with him about how
he prepares his dishes. Some of you may
have already read about our experience at Il Palio because I did name the ristorante as my Fabulous Friday Pick earlier in the month. I look forward to dining at the restaurant
again, especially for a special occasion or holiday.
After about five delicious courses in Il Palio, we retreated
to our quiet room about 11 p.m. Franklin
Street is a busy road in Chapel Hill, but we heard no exterior noise upon
entering our suite and discovered our bed had been littered with some delicious
chocolates, along with the next day’s forecast.
How sweet it is to sleep in and have not one little one wake
you before you want to get up.
When you stay at the Siena, your room rate does include a
complimentary breakfast in Il Palio.
However, we kept our robes on a little longer and ordered room service
instead.
The extra expense, about $33, was worth it not to have to get
dressed and rush downstairs. Sounds
silly, and not very romantic, but we were actually excited to see “CBS Sunday Morning”
on TV. Typically at our house, we hear “SpongeBob Squarepants” or “Mickey Mouse
Clubhouse.” A gourmet breakfast with
intellectual programming was a nice change.
Later that afternoon, we picked up our two, who did not miss
us at all, and we were ready to tackle the world of parenting again. My
sister-in-law said she loved having the kids and would love to have them
again. She probably shouldn’t have told
me that because you know as well as I do that just got my mind churning for
other destinations.
The Siena does offer a bed-and-breakfast package that
includes room service and a late checkout.
For that package in a larger suite like ours, rates are around $250 plus
taxes. The best deal, though, in my
opinion, is the Date Night Package, which includes drinks for two, a small
plate in Il Palio, and a $100 voucher for dinner. Rates are $233 to $269 depending on room
selection. The $100 voucher probably
would not cover your entire meal for two in Il Palio, but it would cover the
majority. To plan your visit to Chapel Hill, visit http://www.visitchapelhill.org/
Want to Go:
1505 East Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, N.C.
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Disclosure: I was a media guest of the Siena Hotel. I chose to be lazy in my suite in the morning
and forgo the complimentary breakfast, and ordered room service at my own
expense. All opinions, as always, are my
own. My thanks to The Siena Hotel and Summit Hotels for their Southern Hospitality with an Italian flair.
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