As we head into the second week of January, is anyone else getting a touch of the winter blues? To be honest, I always find this a rather drab time of year. December is filled with so much merriment as we enjoy all of the holiday festivities… then January hits and it’s back to reality. It’s dark, cold and dreary, everyone is winding down from holiday partying so there aren’t many social engagements, and many of us are trying to dial back on the excesses we enjoyed over the holidays – whether we’re watching our spending, our drinking or our diets – so this month can often feel a little lackluster. I think that this time of year, we could all use a little getaway to perk us up, but not all of us have the funds or vacation time to jet off to the tropics.
Enter the staycation! Over the past few years, I’ve gone on several ‘staycations’ within a 1-2 hour drive of home, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each one. There’s just something about being away (whether by an hour-long car ride or a ten-hour flight) that’s fun, uplifting and restorative all at once. And look at the bright side: you won’t have to deal with delayed flights or lost luggage! If you’re looking for a fun staycation idea in Ontario, I have a great suggestion to share.
Back in November, I was kindly invited by the Hilton Niagara Falls for a fabulous staycation that included a stay in one of their Fallsview Suites, dinner at their Italian restaurant Corso, and breakfast at The Watermark.* We had such a fun time and every detail of the experience was on point – their hospitality team is amazing and took such great care of us!
We stayed in a Two-Bedroom Deluxe Suite, which was so spacious at 500 square feet and included two king beds and one queen sofa bed! Each bedroom was on either side of the bathroom, which had both a shower and an oversized whirlpool bathtub. But the best part of this room was the incredible view of Niagara Falls…which by the way, is even more spectacular at night!
In our suite, we were greeted by a thoughtful welcome basket filled with goodies from local businesses – bread, pasta and chocolate from Corso; wine from Peller Estates; cute pineapple print socks from Two Left Feet, Flow Water, bath bombs and more. After enjoying a glass of wine by the in-suite fireplace, we headed out to dinner at Corso.
Corso is one of four restaurants located right in the Hilton hotel. (Bonus: the hotel also connects to Fallsview Casino Resort via a skywalk tunnel, which makes this a perfect winter vacation spot for the weather-averse – you literally don’t ever have to go outside! Corso specializes in gourmet Italian dishes served to your table family-style. For $59 per person, you’ll enjoy an endless array of dishes – yes, that means you can ask for more of whatever you’d like! You can take a look at a sample menu here. I really enjoy restaurants that offer tasting menus and serve family-style, because I love trying a little bit of everything! That night, Corso was hosting a special dinner for bloggers and content creators, and I was so honoured to be invited. The décor and atmosphere were absolutely stunning. We were seated at a long table decorated with lush greenery, lemons and floating candles. There was a pianist who kept us entertained with jazz tunes the entire evening, which further added to the ambiance.
After enjoying a welcome glass of champagne, Tania and I took our seats and got ready for the amazing meal to come! It was fun getting to know the other people at our table – I even met some people that I’d been following on Instagram for some time but had never met in person. To start, we enjoyed fresh house-baked bread and a gorgeous charcuterie platter of cured meats, cheeses, olives, mushrooms and grilled peppers.
Next up was one of my favourite foods: pasta! Corso makes all their pastas fresh in-house, and you can tell – they are so good. On the menu was strozzapreti topped with truffles and mushrooms, and rigatoni in a wild boar tomato sauce. I love mushrooms so the strozzapreti was definitely my favourite.
For the main course, we got to try four different dishes: steak tagliata, chicken piccata, roasted branzino and eggplant parmigiana. All this was served with a refreshing garden salad. Every dish was delicious, but I especially enjoyed the chicken piccata and eggplant parmigiana (what can I say… I love anything that’s covered in cheese!)
As if all this wasn’t enough, we ended our meal with limoncello, cappuccinos and a delicious tiramisu. Everything was plated and presented so beautifully, it was almost too pretty to eat (but don’t be fooled… eat we did!)
Both Tania and I loved the Corso experience, and agreed that we’d like to return for another meal in the future. $59 a person is a great deal when you consider the quality and amount of food you get! After dinner, we headed to Spyce Lounge (also located in the Hilton) for a nightcap with a lovely couple we met at dinner, Connor and Stephanie. Stephanie runs a beautiful Instagram account that you should check out if you’re looking for renovation/décor inspo! She also has two little ones and shares some great ideas for parents looking for fun crafts and activities to do with their kids.
The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast at the Watermark Restaurant. Located on the 33rd floor of the Hilton, the Watermark is the hotel’s signature restaurant and offers panoramic views of both the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls. Unfortunately we didn’t get to enjoy the views to their full potential because there was a crazy snowstorm that left the entire city of Niagara Falls in white-out conditions – you could barely see out the windows! Feeling like we were in a snowglobe was pretty neat, though, and we still got to enjoy a great meal. Tania ordered the Classic Breakfast (eggs, potato wedges, toast and bacon) and I got the Eggs Charlotte, which is just like Eggs Benedict except it has smoked salmon in place of the usual bacon.
All in all, we had a fabulous stay at the Hilton Niagara, and the beautiful dinner at Corso was especially memorable. We look forward to returning soon for another delicious Italian meal. Check out my Instagram reels of the hotel and restaurant to get a video tour of the full experience!
Are you a fan of the “staycation”? What are some of your favourite local travel destinations?
*Our stay and food were generously gifted by the Hilton Niagara Falls. As always, all opinions and thoughts are entirely my own.
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