On this Thanksgiving Eve, “I’m thankful mostly for good wine and exquisite taste in friends”.
A dear friend of mine recently crossed a major milestone. She is now a part of the Golden 40 Club. Consulting with her husband, another friend and I set out to surprise our deserving friend with a weekend celebration in honor of her birthday. The theme of the weekend was, “ 40 Never Looked So Good”.
The celebration began with a surprise dinner with a few of her close friends and their spouses. Since Italian is her favorite cuisine, Davio’s, an elegant Italian restaurant in the Buckhead area of Atlanta was a perfect choice. Their private room was ideal for our intimate celebration. We laughed and celebrated the birthday girl while being serviced by an attentive restaurant staff. To ensure the evening flowed smoothly, we were assigned a personal concierge that stayed with us throughout the evening. You know you are enjoying a fine dining experience when all meals are brought to the table in unison by a perfectly timed wait staff.
To add a sweet touch to the evening, an elegant black and gold color palette was chosen for a simple and classic design. White rose floral centerpieces were accented with a touch of gold. Each place setting received a personalized box of gourmet chocolates. A mix of flavors were chosen to offer unique unexpected flavor combinations. Flavors such as apple cider milk chocolate with caramel, mojito lime white chocolate, Grand Mariner dark chocolate, and passion fruit habanero were a sweet thank you for guests.
After dinner and dessert we said our goodbyes and wished the birthday girl farewell. What she did not know was that we had another surprise planned for her. We hurried off to make sure the next surprise was ready. We planned a girlfriend getaway at the Mandarin Oriental Atlanta, a contemporary luxury hotel in Buckhead with a luxurious spa and unparalleled southern hospitality. The Mandarin Oriental was the ideal hotel for an ultimate girlfriend getaway celebration. My planning partner described our stay as a multi-sensory luxury experience. I encourage you to visit her site for a detailed review of the spa and hotel. This review will have you booking your next hotel stay and spa treatment at the Mandarin Oriental.
From the moment we arrived we were cared for by the upmost professional and courteous staff. Our luggage was delivered to the room before we made it upstairs after checking in. In advance of the birthday girl arriving to the hotel, we set up a mini dessert station. To our surprise, the hotel arranged to have a decant chocolate layered birthday cake delivered to the room for the honoree as well. Such a nice touch to an already wonderful evening.
The Spa experience lived up to its reputation of being worthy of a monthly private appointment on your schedule. Before we entered the relaxation room, we enjoyed a cup of hot green tea. After our massages we found it difficult to leave. The spa exceeded our expectations with yet another unexpected surprise for the birthday girl. In addition to a personal happy birthday visit and greeting from the spa manager, she also received this gift of unique scents to remind her of the sensual spa experience.
We enjoyed the weekend getaway so much that we are plotting our return for a “momcation” at the spa. Choosing the Mandarin Oriental Atlanta as the location for our “40 Never Looked So Good” birthday celebration allowed us to create memories together for a weekend we will always remember. One that is certainly worthy of a luxurious 40th birthday celebration with the girls.
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