10 days away. 

To say that the stress of planning a wedding could make any sane person a little crazy is an understatement. But what has pushed us over the edge is designing this day from the ground up. Nobody has ever been married on this property, and so we have to think of Every. Possible. Thing. Bathrooms, electricity, parking, oh my! 

With the wedding looming in the not-so-distant- future, Scott and I had the pleasure of abandoning our responsibilities for one night last weekend to travel to my old stomping grounds in Syracuse, NY. Having spent 7 years of my adult life in that city, any chance to return is a welcomed one. However, never have we been as spoiled and thankful for a night away as we were this time at the newly renovated DoubleTree by Hilton on Carrier Circle. 

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Having been there before (a very long time ago) I was eager to see the renovations and the “resort” style boast of the newest amenities – which were every bit as fabulous as they appeared on the website. Let’s be honest – Syracuse is not the most glamorous of tourist destinations. But as the city sits perfectly between Buffalo and Albany and caters to the home of the New York State Fair and University life, there are a million reasons to visit Syracuse (and don’t worry, I plan on outlining them all for you in the future…) 

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If you don’t read another thing, hear me now: there has never in all my years of traveling been such a familial, friendly atmosphere as there is at DoubleTree. Maybe it’s the fresh, warm cookies upon arrival (which definitely help) but every person we met was quite literally the nicest person ever. How that happened, I don’t know. But we were blown away by the level of service and care that each person took with those staying in the hotel. It was unparalleled, and honestly all the cookies and amenities in the world cannot replace exceptional service, of which DoubleTree has in abundance. 

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But let’s get back to the spoiling, because hey, every almost-married-couple wants a little of it in their lives . We were booked in the Junior Suite, and had a lovely display of goodies awaiting us in the room. Having not eaten all day, we devoured the charcuterie, fresh fruit, and the most delectable chocolate covered strawberries in no time at all. Shameful, given our wedding diet, but too good to pass up. 

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We wandered around downtown and drove the city before returning to have dinner at the Seasons Tavern and Bar, which was the only element we were worried might not live up to our expectations. Rather, we were pleasantly surprised with the menu and the quality of our meal – hotel food is not just food anymore. Scott had the Seasons burger and I relished in a crispy brussels sprout pizza, which was more than any two people could eat. Tack on a lovely conversation with the sous chef Amanda and a delightful server, and we went to bed completely sated. 

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Though our chaotic wedding preparations prevented us from staying past mid-morning, we had a chance to enjoy brunch back at Seasons before exploring some of the updated decor and amenities. Our favorite? The resort-style pool and indoor pool/spa that truly makes the hotel stand apart. 

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It seems impossible that the trip is our last night away as an engaged couple, but we truly could not have asked for a better night. Thanks to everyone at the DoubleTree for making this mini-moon so special!

**Double Tree Syracuse kindly hosted us for the night – all opinions are our own**