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I love a great facial, and I was delighted by the services available at the Island Hotel. The delightful thing about the spa at the Island Hotel was that it was part massage, part facial treatment…and part bliss! After a hard day at the spa, pool and Fashion Island, Mr. Alist and I decided to treat ourselves do a delicious meal at the the Palm Terrace Restaurant, located in the Island Hotel. We just loved the cool, calm and very stylish dining room of the hotel and the wait staff was extremely attentive to our needs. Mr. Alist likes to say the best service is unnoticeable. The Island Hotel and the Palm Terrace definitely have this down, they excelled at anticipating our needs and wants.  We began the meal with some comfort food, we had appetizers of macaroni and cheese and a delicious waffle dish with salmon.  We were both in the mood for a steak. I ordered a petite filet and Mr. Alist had a strip. We shared mashed potatoes and creamed corn. Both steaks were perfect. We definitely saved room for dessert and Mr. Alist and I shared the most delicious Oreo cheesecake ever! We just loved our dinner at the Palm Terrace and were so impressed with the service. This would be a great place for a baby shower, dinner with parents in town or just a romantic dinner for two!

Sophistication, glamour and serenity are all words that come to mind when I think back to the time Mr. Alist and I spent at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach, CA in December. For those of us looking for comfort and leisure, the Island Hotel is the place to spend a few days before the arrival of baby. It is in the heart of Newport Beach and within walking distance to one of America’s great luxury malls, Fashion Island.  We checked into our very luxurious executive suite and settled right in to our accommodations. The room had great views of the Pacific, the marinas and of course, Fashion Island. We loved the separate living room and bedroom. It gave the suite more of an at-home feel. Also, our room had a comfortable balcony, and we loved drinking our morning tea and coffee while perusing the paper…with a view of the ocean and Catalina Island out in the distance. During the day, we walked over to Fashion Island to do our Christmas shopping. In the afternoons, I would lounge by the pool while Mr. Alist swam or worked out. (I also had a great spa treatment which I’ll describe in an upcoming post!) We had a delicious dinner at the Palm Terrace restaurant, which I’ll share tomorrow, as well.  The staff of the hotel was extremely friendly and accommodating–a perfect babymoon destination. We will definitely be back!

I was back in Orange County with Mr. AList last month to continue our reviews of the top Southern California Babymoon destinations! We stayed Thanksgiving night at the gorgeous St. Regis Monarch Beach. The St. Regis is one of California’s only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond awarded resorts. It has a chic Tuscan style that’s very suited to Southern California. Since it was Thanksgiving, we were able to see the hotel decorated for the holidays.  The first thing we saw when we entered the property were large trees decorated with lights. We also saw a beautiful sand sculpture in the lobby; it was truly special! After check in, we headed out to the balcony for cocoa, where we watched the sun set over the Pacific, with Catalina Island in the distance. This is a magnificent experience that everyone should do once in their lifetime. This is one of my top five things to do in Southern California. We were booked into an Executive Suite, and we were truly delighted with our beautiful room. We were greeted with soothing music on the stereo. The first thing I noticed was the VIEW! The balcony was extraordinary–with views of the resort, the golf course, the pool and the ocean. The bathroom was the size of a bedroom! The first thing I did was hop in the tub for bubble bath. {The toiletries here were the best I have ever received at a resort.} We ordered room service and dined while enjoying the early evening glow.  We had sweet dreams in the luxury bed. {There is nothing like a luxury hotel’s sheets–right?!} Find out all about our fun in the sun the day after Thanksgiving in tomorrow’s post!