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Hotel parties on the fly

Hotel parties on the fly

Parties at home are great, but I’ve been loving the recent trend of traveling with my girlfriends and celebrating special occasions on the road. Hotels can be a fun place to get away from it all – for birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers etc. Whether the hotel is local, or 3,000 miles away, hosting a party there will make the entire event feel extra special. I’m excited for this new party series where I will be sharing different tips and ideas for celebrating – vacation style.

And… if the hotel has a gorgeous rooftop pool. And… it is the middle of August. Well that just makes perfect sense! I’m stoked to be teaming up with The Embassy Row Hotel (where we stayed in DC) to share the best tips for creating an amazing hotel party space when flying to your destination. Flying a party across the country can be super fun and also a challenge because TSA tends to frown upon birthday cakes going through the scanners. So for this party we ditched the cake and packed everything we needed in a makeup bag! It is easy and simple to recreate…

Balloon filled pool

Balloon pool

pool-party

Tip #1 Bring balloons!

Balloons are the absolute best way to bring a party on the road. They pack easy and light and can be blown up to make a HUGE party statement. To make the biggest statement aim to pack 50 to 100 balloons, a length of 20 feet of twine, an air balloon pump, and set aside an hour or two to blow them all up. These balloons were blown up and tied to the twine to allow me to move them around the room and pool with ease.

Stashing the balloons in the party room as a surprise to the guest of honor will start everything off on a wonderfully bright note. Since they are all attached to the string, the balloons are simple to float in the pool, fill in the elevator – all kinds of party throwing shenanigans. Bonus points for bringing the huge balloon trail with you out on the town!

love-party

Tip #2 Garland clad windows

I use this garland in my office, at parties and basically for everything. It’s the perfect party supply to travel with because it packs thin and can say anything you want it to say!!! This triangle party garland would also be an easy one to travel with. Form the party words and use glue dots to hold the edges on the surface (glue dots stick well onto windows and easily come off walls. Use it instead of tape to ensure you don’t damage anything in the hotel room). The garland can draw eyes to the beautiful view, like our amazing view of Dupont Circle.

towels-only

Tip #3 Use the hotel as your playground

When hosting a party I’m always looking for fun games that don’t seem cheesy. A round of selfie hot-potato game often does the trick and I love the idea of preparing a quick scavenger hunt of the hotel. To do this, pair everyone up with a list and a phone. Make a special party hashtag and have prizes for not only first done, but most creative photos, hottest guys found along the way and fun things like that! Especially if you’re staying for a couple days, it will instantly get everyone familiar with the hotel and having fun. Striped pool towels are a perfect hunting goal.

partie-supplies

party-supplies2

Here’s what you need to bring your next party on the road. It all should fit in a carry on makeup case! And in case you end up stuck in the airport, party supplies will be on hand:)

  • 50 balloons
  • 20 feet of twine
  • Lettered garland
  • Pencils for crossing off items on the hotel scavenger hunt
  • Candles
  • Gift tags for favors
  • Gorgeous tape for marking glasses and water bottles

balloon-hands

food

food-shot-2

Tip #4 Great food at your finger tips

One of the fun things about hosting a party at a hotel is that your kitchen is not invited! Instead of working all morning to create party food at home, all you need to do is pick up the phone at the hotel. Use cheese plates and happy hour appetizers to celebrate with taste.

Here’s an easy tip for making your food even better… Don’t use room service! Instead make sure you pick a hotel that has a great restaurant on location. We dined on brunch at Station Kitchen while celebrating in Washington DC. If you call ahead there is often a party room the restaurant will set up for you, which can be a fun way to feel like you are “going out” while still at the hotel. Or you can place an order from the actual restaurant to be delivered to your room. The food is better and cheaper than room service.

drinks-and-jenga

good-cocktails

Tip #5 Try something new

After food, drinks are the most important part of a party… Celebrating on the road is the perfect time to try something new! To save costs while celebrating, I often plan for a couple fun drinks for every guest the first day. Starting a tab at the rooftop pool bar and letting everyone know what the drink limit is makes it simple; after that they can pay for their own. Keeping wine chilled in the party room is also a definite must – when you get to town ask the hotel concierge where the nearest wine shop is, we often find one in just a couple blocks of where are staying with great local selections.

lounge-party

embassy-row

balloon-pool-3

fruit-plate

When it comes down to it, a great hotel can make any party better! Add in our simple decor, great food, drinks and games and you’ll have a party that will not be soon forgotten. When we traveled to Washington DC this summer we stayed in the SOME Suite at The Embassy Row. Not only was it a perfect party spot, but they also give back to the community with every guest who stays. Everything about the hotel screamed… “Celebrate!” and I couldn’t recommend it more for parties or just treating yourself for a night away.

Do you dream of having the freedom to travel? Or the money to do it? My entire vacation was paid for through the brand partnerships that I’ve built with my blog. You can do this too! I teach you how to take your first steps towards your dream vacation in this free ebook, Your First 1k Blogging. Get it here!

(Photography ©A Subtle Revelry by Rebecca Ondrey).

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