This year was my 40th birthday and I spent a LONG time trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I had a big work event the week of my birthday (it actually started on my birthday) so I knew that I would have to have a delayed celebration. I considered a cruise, an all inclusive resort, and even considered doing nothing at all. Finally I realized that I just wanted to spend time with my friends eating, drinking, and spending time by the pool – all things that I didn’t need to leave town to do. I decided to plan a 40th birthday staycation at one of my favorite resorts in Orlando, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress.
I went all out and got a suite for 3 nights. A suite that was bigger than my house! It gave me a great place to celebrate with friends and relax after a day spent by the pool. I was very lucky that 3 of my best friends were able to join me for my stay. I planned a few things for the weekend with the rest of my friends, so I was able to celebrate with those I love the most.
We started our adventure with brunch at Homecoming Kitchen. I wanted to have my “birthday dinner” there but was unable to get a reservation, so we decided to do brunch instead. It was amazing as always and a great time catching up with my girls before the celebration really got into full swing. Southern food is always a great way to start a staycation!
Afterwards we were able to check into our two bedroom suite and get settled for our 4 day stay. Holy wow. I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing this suite was. It had two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, living room, and amazing views of the resort. It was the PERFECT place for a celebration!
We unloaded all of our party supplies and got the celebration started off right with some bubbly. Having a wine fridge in the suite was SUPER helpful with all of the champagne and wine we brought with us. We were prepared!
That night was my “birthday dinner” at Mia’s Italian Kitchen with all of my friends. We had great food, great wine, and a great time. I am so lucky that my friends were willing to make the trek out to International Drive (aka Tourist Town) to celebrate with me.
Sunday was my favorite part of the weekend – the pool party! I decided to get a poolside cabana so that we had a place to gather and it was a GREAT decision. Having a shady place to relax, eat, and drink meant that we were able to spend a LOT of time poolside. The pool area at the Hyatt is fabulous! Our cabana was kind of in the back and it was perfect. We were all able to be our crazy selves without worrying too much about bothering other people.,
The rest of our time was spent enjoying our suite, more time at the pool, and some really good food. There also may have been a little bit of drinking 🙂 Deciding to have my 40th birthday celebration at the Hyatt was definitely the right call. I was able to enjoy all of my favorite things with my favorite people. It was perfect.
*Disclosure: Although I paid for my stay at HRGC, I was treated to a couple special perks.
