The Abbey Resort & AVANI Spa Hosts All-Star LEGO® Show President’s Day Weekend

I mostly dream of running away to The Abbey Resort and Avani Spa withOUT my family but since that never happens, maybe a trip with them is more realistic.  This looks like a fabulous family event at a GREAT price!

The Abbey Resort & AVANI Spa Hosts All-Star LEGO® Show

President’s Day Weekend

Professionally Created LEGOo® Exhibits and Workshops Offer a Weekend the Whole Family Will Enjoy

FONTANA, Wis., -- February 4, 2013 –The Abbey Resort & AVANI Spa is helping families build memories this President’s Day weekend (Feb.  15-18) an All-Star LEGO® Show offering activities to help inspire future engineers and architects.  The Northern Illinois LEGO Train Club, The Chicago LEGO User Group and the Kenosha LEGO User Group will offer LEGO® exhibits and workshops throughout the weekend -- a creative alternative to playing video games on a DS device or iPhone.

“In honor of The Abbey’s 50^th anniversary, we are scheduling celebratory events throughout the year like the All-Star LEGO® Show. A weekend at The Abbey Resort & AVANI Spa on Lake Geneva offers plenty of indoor and outdoor winter fun,” said David Lindelow, general manager of The Abbey Resort. “Partnering with regional LEGO® clubs to provide engaging and fun LEGO® activities is one more experience families can enjoy together during a winter getaway.”

The All-Star LEGO® Show will feature exhibits and workshops throughout the President’s Day weekend. Team members will be on-hand to field any questions from participants touring the exhibit. Featured exhibits will include:

A miniature winter village with trains
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hardy House
Wild west inspired scenes
Large sculptures of popular cartoon and historical characters such as Marvin Martian and Buzz Aldrin
Classic Lego city and space settings from the 1980’s

The three interactive workshops each an hour in length will focus on the building process including inspiration, design, and building techniques.  Kids will get a chance to play with various brick pieces and try important techniques for combining elements.

The exhibits will be open Saturday, February 16 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, February 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Workshops will be facilitated at 1p.m. and 4p.m. Saturday and 1p.m. Sunday.   Both exhibits and workshops are complimentary to guests of the resort as well as members of the community.

Rates for a two-night extended stay at The Abbey Resort & AVANI Spa for President’s Day Weekend start at $129 per night, double occupancy. Rates are subject to availability and based on best available day rate.

For more information or reservations, visit www.theabbeyresort.com.

About The Abbey Resort & AVANI Spa 

Located just 80 miles from downtown Chicago and 50 miles from Milwaukee, The Abbey Resort & AVANI Spa is a treasured icon and the only full-service resort on the shores of Lake Geneva. The resort is celebrating its 50^th Anniversary in 2013 and is completing a multi-million dollar renovation of the exterior, meeting space and common areas. The resort boasts a breathtaking setting on 90 acres of beautifully manicured grounds, award-winning dining and banquet facilities,nearby championship golf courses and a wide range of outdoor activities. This only scratches the surface of all the activities and offerings that The Abbey Resort provides. With impeccable customer service, the team at The Abbey Resort consistently meets the needs and expectations of both guests and meeting planners. The 35,000 square-foot AVANI Spa enhances the resort experience with innovative spa treatments and modern luxuries.

The Abbey Resort & AVANI Spa is managed and operated by Hostmark Hospitality Group of Schaumburg, Ill. For more information or reservations, visit www.theabbeyresort.com,join Abbey Resort & AVANI Spa on Facebook www.facebook.com/abbeyresort or follow @AbbeyResort on Twitter www.Twitter.com/abbeyresort.

Avani Spa

I'm really not convinced you can go wrong with a spa, but I'm sure there are places that don't offer a truly relaxing experience.  However, Avani Spa is NOT one of those places.

I was recently hosted to two days at the Avani Spa, courtesy of The Abbey Resort & Avani Spa and Morrocanoil.  I have to say it was a wonderful experience.

The first evening between our afternoon arrival and other scheduled activities, we didn't really have time to take in the full spa availability but I had an first class massage.  It's been several years since I've had a massage and I certainly hope it isn't that long until my next one.  The Avani Spa has a gorgeous facility and a wonderful, friendly and professional staff.  We waited in a beautiful relaxation room to be called in for our spa services.  When I was called back for my massage, I was led to a nice room with music and candles.  But the best part actually took my awhile to figure out.  The table was heated which helped in relaxing more than I'd ever thought of at the places without this feature.  The massage I got was called a relaxation massage and it was just that.  The pressure of this massage was perfect for relaxing.  I typically pick a deeper massage to have them work out a crazy amount of knots I always have.  But I find that if I am not able to get ice those muscles well afterward, I end up worse off the next day.  So for this occasion, the relaxing massage was perfect.  It warmed up and relaxed and stretched the muscles without getting in deep enough to need to be iced.  I VERY easily could have taken a nice long nap after this massage.  Once the massage was over, I was told to take my time getting up and ready and was reminded to drink plenty of water for the rest of the day.  I did make an effort to do so and did not tense back up that night at all.

The following day, my treatment wasn't until noon so after breakfast I decided to really check out the rest of the spa.  I put on my swimming suit and enjoyed the wonderful whirlpool in the woman's area.  I could have stayed there all day.  But there was a large sign warning of the lovely effects of 'prolonged' use such s nassea and dizziness, so after 15 minutes I hopped out and headed to the atrium pool.  (The hotel has an indoor pool as well but this pool is exclusively for spa visitors.)  I'm told that the pool can fill up on the weekends easily but on a Friday morning is was very quiet.  I spent a good half hour swimming only one other person was in the pool the entire time.  Then I made another stop at the whirlpool before getting dressed for my salon treatment. In addition to the pool and whirlpool, the spa has a sauna and steam room, and always has fruit and juices and teas available for all visitors.  The dressing area and showers are nice and stocked with anything I could think of that I would need.

In the salon, I had the Aqua Embrace treatment in the hair salon which is a series of of Moroccanoil products that left my hair super soft and healthy.  (A separate post about Morroccanoil will be coming soon.)  The treatment included a hair mask and heat treatment and was finished with the original Morroccanoil.  For me having my hair worked on or shampooed is relaxing, but the service included a scalp massage and quick neck and shoulder massage too.  It was very nice.

And I finished off my time at the Avani Spa by having lunch poolside in the atrium pool.  When I heard that we would be eating at the pool I was a little nervous thinking it might be hot and sticky in there and I had somewhere to go from there so being in dress clothes and sweating didn't sound exciting.  But it wasn't hot or sticky in the pool area.  It was nice and refreshing.  The food was delicious and the company was great too!

Atrium Pool in Avani Spa at The Abbey Resort

Sitting area in the woman's locker room

The woman's whirlpool

Me, Cher and Maria before we left. (don't we look relaxed?)

Find out more about Avani Spa!

Disclosure: Although this trip was complimentary, all opinions expressed are my own honest, personal thoughts.

The Abbey Resort and Avani Spa

Recently, I was invited to The Abbey Resort and Avani Spa in Fontana, WI for an overnight getaway and spa treatments.  Although, I always feel a twinge of guilt leaving my kids, there are often late night events that take me straight from work and keep me out way past their bedtimes so I decided (with my hubby's blessing) to go ahead and go.  After I confirmed I would attend I learned that two other great bloggers that I know would be there.  That made me even more excited.

We arrived at The Abbey Resort, which is on Lake Geneva just a little over an hour drive from our home.  I was excited to check out The Abbey as I've heard great things and I've always been a fan of Lake Geneva, WI.  The Abbey Resort is a little past the actual town and shops of Lake Geneva and around the lake.  But upon rounding a bend at the top of a bluff (as big as bluffs can be in our relatively flat lands) you are looking down into the lake and sourounding homes that created a exciting view even in the wintery bareness of the season.  I would only imagine how breathtaking it would be in the fall.  The colors there are always amazing.

As I entered the lobby, I was immediately greeted with smiles and friendly greetings.  And the smiles and polite 'hellos' didn't stop all weekend.  The lobby was also warm and welcoming with large cozy looking furniture and a fire roaring in the fireplace.  After checking in I headed to my room to get rid of my luggage.  It was also cute and cozy and smelled amazing as soon as I opened the door.  Everything is done to create a welcoming mood from the lights that are left on to the TV which is set to their information channel that plays soothing music.  My lake view was terrific but I can only imagine how much more beautiful it would be in the spring, summer or fall.

Look at the big ole bed, all for me!

I love the cottage-y feel of the entire place.

lake view room

After thoroughly checking out my room I headed out to see a little of the resort before arriving at the presentation from Moroccanoil.  The entire resort is truly comfortable and inviting.  There are beautiful views all over and many different comfortable areas to sit and hang out or get work done.

there are a lot of these cozy sitting areas all around The Abbey Resort

A small waterfall and pond full of large goldfish on the resort grounds.

After a presentation from Moroccanoil and an amazing massage in the Avani Spa (which will both be covered in depth in separate posts) we all gathered for a tour of the property.  We learned that The Abbey Resort really is the prefect place for just about any occasion, whether its a corporate training, a girls getaway, class reunion or family vacation they have it all covered. With meeting rooms and a fabulous on site staff they can take care of anything you need for group gatherings.  They also have tons of activities daily that are open to all guests that make The Abbey Resort a great family vacation as well.  Check their calendar for tons of spring and summer activities from an antique boat show to the nightly bonfires, there is something for every one.  With several restaurants on the property as well as a sizable gift shop there wouldn't be a need to leave the resort at all if you didn't want to.

Cher from Mom and More, Maria from My Chicago Mommy and I.

Another of the restaurants on site. We stopped in and it sounds like they have a great family friendly, fun menu and amazing specialty drinks.

The lobby, with a warm fire always burning and great comfy and inviting furniture.

Our tour concluded in the Porto room which is located upstairs in the A-Frame of the Abbey's beautiful architecture.  We were treated to an amazing spread of food that I may very well never see the likes of again.  (A whole post dedicated to the food will be posted shortly.)

The amazing Porto dining experience.

The amazing architecture of the A-frame and Executive Chef at The Abbey Resort

After dinner we headed out to cover some of the property we ran out of time for in our tour and was of interest to us as moms.  The family area that includes games area, the indoor pool and small movie theater are available for guest use everyday.  The also hold craft times for kids in an area where they will also handle childcare upon request.  They ask for 2 weeks notice as the need to schedule additional professional staff to take care of your kids at what I considered a reasonable rate for allowing you to enjoy a dinner alone with your spouse or relaxing spa treatment($13/hour for the first child and $5/hour for each additional child).

This sweet shop wasn't open when we were there but this looks like a fun little spot in the family area of  The Abbey Resort.

A small theatre available for movies for families or group time.

There are a row of these tables set up a with a variety of family games available for guests to play for most of the day.

Indoor pool, open until 11pm each night.

Small, shallow kids pool with slide and a fountain.

This area is where you can arrange for full child care services (they ask for 2 weeks notice) or attend open craft time with the kids.

Enjoy smores by the campfire every night.  Can be found just outside the Waterfront restaurant in the winters, close to the building, and out farther in the warmer weather. 

A surprise awaited me after dinner.

A picture of The Abbey in chocolate

What's better than a box of chocolates, but a chocolate box of chocolates. (yeah the inner box that the chocolates are in is actually a little box made of chocolate and that chocolate art work is the lid)

I know, I am admitting I don't get out much but I was so excited to see robes in the room, I had to take photos.

A lakeview is beautiful but the sun bouncing off the lake is hard to ignore, even at 5am!

The next morning I woke early and took my time getting ready before heading to breakfast.  After breakfast I headed back to Avani Spa for some more relaxation and a wonderful hair treatment with Moroccanoil products.  After the treatment, we had a quick lunch poolside in the spa before heading home.

I had an amazing time at The Abbey Resort and Avani Spa and am already planning a return trip with a friend for sometimes in the near future!!  This is a local treasure I wish I knew about sooner!!!

Disclosure: This was a complimentary trip but all opinions expressed are my own honest, personal feedback.