Staycation: The Graduate

I was lucky to win a night stay at The Graduate Hotel in Downtown Richmond. It is 2.2 miles away from my apartment. However, I do not typically hang out in the Arts District, so it really was like a vacation and I got to bring Phoebe!

From the second Courtney and I got there (valet parking) the experience was lovely. We checked in at the front desk and the staff was fantastic. The hotel is decorated to the nines. Attention to detail is apparent. We headed up to the fourth floor (there are 16 floors total) and opened the door to the cutest room.

Corduroy and leather were abundant

Phoebe did laps and hopped up on the bed. We were given the king suite. It had (obviously) a king size bed and a little sitting area. Our view was of the VCU buildings on Main and Cary. Not the most amazing view, but still fun. Again, the decorations were spectacular. We honestly could have stayed there all night. Instead, though, we headed up to the roof.

We thought the rooftop bar might be open, but it wasn't. The pool area was open though and we got to check out the spectacular views the rooftop offers. Courtney and I agreed we will back when the rooftop bar is open next summer.

After checking out the hotel, we headed about three blocks to the Quirk Hotel Rooftop. It was our first time there and we LOVED it. It was just fancy enough to make us feel like we really were on a little vacation, but we could certainly picture ourselves coming back. It wasn’t overly packed and the weather was perfect for a couple drinks. We tried some of the cocktails and the rose on tap.

Views from the Quirk Rooftop

Rooftop selfies

Then it was off to Graffiato. I had been thinking about the carbonara since we went for restaurant club a few months ago and insisted we go get it since we were right next store. The place was booming, but we got seats at the bar. We ordered two cocktails and started to peruse the menu. We decided on the burrata (delicious), brussel sprouts (yummy) and, of course, the carbonara. I was a little nervous I had hyped up the pasta a little too much, but Courtney agreed it was the best she had ever had.

We filled up on dinner, but we had one more stop to make in the neighborhood before we called it a night. To Charm School we went. Courtney had never been and I told her how cute it was. We walked the two blocks and arrived at the adorable ice cream parlor. We both ordered two scoops with sprinkles, cones pieces and the marshmallow fluff. We got it in cups and walked as quickly as possible back to our hotel. We climbed in bed with Phoebe and happily ate our delicious treats.

We fell asleep content and with a pup passed out in the middle of us. We woke up early and agreed we both slept great. My biggest regret is not showering there. They had a beautiful bathroom with Malin and Goetz products. They all smelled great.

We packed up and headed down to breakfast with Phoebe at Brookfield, their little coffee shop. We both got the biscuit with ham and cheese and some beverages. It was a perfect little shop for a quick bite and delicious coffee or tea before starting the day.

I was sad we were there for less than 24 hours, but would totally recommend The Graduate to out of town guests or anyone who wants a fun little staycation. And we will definitely we back for the rooftop bar.

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