Valentine's Day plans? Looking to get out of your house for a little staycation or impressive meal? Traveling to Columbus, Ohio sometime soon? If you've answered yes to any of these questions I have the perfect place for you!
*This was a hosted stay, however I would never give opinions that aren't accurate depictions of my experience.*
The Renaissance Columbus Hotel located in Westerville just off of Polaris Parkway (409 Altair Parkway) is the perfect escape from reality. It's a quick drive from downtown and very close to Polaris Mall as well as tons of bars and restaurants. You really don't need to leave though as the Two-One Restaurant has you covered. As you enter the hotel the first thing you'll notice is how completely open it is. The lobby is spacious and modern and flows directly into the open concept restaurant. There are multiple dining options all of which are very spread out. I wish the weather was nicer, because they have an awesome patio complete with fire pits! Guess we'll just have to come back. 😉
The Renaissance Hotel and Two-One Restaurant are currently running a couple amazing specials. The hotel has "A Romantic Night Away" special for $269/night that includes an upgrade to a water view king room, chocolate covered strawberries upon arrival, dinner for two (appetizer, entree and dessert), breakfast/brunch for two (two entrees) and a late check out of 1pm. This is an INSANE deal for the quality and service you'll receive. And this deal isn't specific to Valentine's Day weekend only. It is currently ongoing.
We were given a suite to stay in for the night, and it was beyond comfortable, spacious and adorable. Check out this blue velvet couch! We had a living area with tons of windows overlooking the fountain, large bedroom also with fountain views and a stylish bathroom. The bed was insanely comfortable and the decor modern. It was also very quiet. No thin walls or noisy neighbors! They're also taking every precaution to ensure a safe experience.
We kicked off our stay by sampling cocktails at The Two-One Restaurant and Bar. Their name is a nod towards Westerville history and Prohibition and their cocktails follow suit. Our bartender Kate was knowledgeable and incredibly friendly. We decided to start with the Above Deck (left) which contained Two-One's Private Select Makers Mark (they have multiple bourbons made especially for Two-One), Drambuie, orange and rosemary. It was booze forward with slight herbal notes. We also ordered the New Fashioned which contained Makers Mark, Amaro, simple syrup and orange. It took a slight twist on the classic favorite.
I also tried the Two-One Spritz which contains Tito's vodka, lemon, Elderflower, orange bitters and soda. It was very tart and refreshing. Also this wall backdrop is so cool. I loved the ambience at the Two-One. They also have an expansive bourbon list, as well as a variety of wine and beer to choose from if cocktails aren't your thing.
For dinner we moved over to the more formal dining set up in Two-One which contains a fireplace, more beautiful art, Fiddle Leaf Figs and is adjacent to a game room containing a pool table and large swings. We started off with the Ahi Tuna (I know, shocking right? 😉 ). It was served on sesame crackers with green onions and a bourbon aged soy sauce. The tuna was cooked perfectly and the sauce gave it that something extra.
For my dinner entree I ordered the Lobster Mac & Cheese. You guys. It was SO good. Probably the best lobster mac I've ever had. So incredibly creamy and cheese. You should have seen the cheese pulls while eating this guy. And the lobster was buttery and delicious. I also loved the use of Campanelle pasta and sun dried tomatoes. If you're gluten free, they also have gluten free pasta! Highly recommend this dish.
Our server, Ryan, who was also wonderful recommended his favorite dish which was the Ribeye Sandwich. My husband had already been eyeing this on the menu, so that made up his mind! It was served with shaved ribeye, bourbon onions, smoked provolone, garlic aioli on a hoagie. Also incredibly tasty. It come with crispy, seasoned fries.
Switched to French 75s at dinner. Did you know French 75 was one of our signature cocktails at our wedding? Along with Old Fashioned. This dress is also perfect for Valentine's Day or any date you want to dress a little fancy for! It's from Revolve and linked below.
https://www.revolve.com/nbd-arijana-mini-dress-in-hot-pink/dp/NBDR-WD2393/?d=F§ionURL=IPHONE
Two-One is running a special Valentine's Day menu this weekend (Fri-Sun) that looks absolutely fabulous.
For dessert we went with the flourless chocolate torte. I'm not a huge dessert fan, but this was so rich and indulgent I just about died. Highly recommend with a glass of deep, dry red wine.
We had a really fun date night at the Renaissance, and the timing of this stay worked out perfectly being directly in between my husband's birthday and Valentine's Day!
The next day we lounged in our hotel room before getting ready for brunch. Full length mirrors are a must in any hotel room, am I right?! This was my more casual Valentine's Day appropriate look. Bodysuit is Lovers & Friends (linked below), jeans Abercrombie, backpack Louis Vuitton and shoes Steve Madden.
https://www.revolve.com/lovers-friends-jupiter-bodysuit-in-red/dp/LOVF-WS1945/?d=F§ionURL=IPHONE
First up for brunch were Bloody's. I really enjoyed the Two-One's Bloody mix. Extra spice and pepper.
With how spacious Two-One is, we weren't seated close to other guests whatsoever. Everything was very safe and spread out.
For brunch I ordered the Lobster Eggs Benedict which was served with home fries (or side of fruit but I freaking love home fries). The eggs and lobster were both cooked perfectly. Egg Benedict is my favorite brunch order and this one definitely didn't let me down!
Brad ordered the Maine Lobster Roll with butter poached lobster salad, celery and lemon served with fries. It was also very good. They do lobster very well at the Two-One!
Overall we had an amazing experience with our staycation at Renaissance and dining experiences at Two-One Restaurant. It was such a nice change of pace to stay somewhere else and do something different especially with being home so much these days. I hope you'll get a chance to stay with them and/or dine at the restaurant as well! I also have a highlight saved on my Instagram with lots of story videos of the lobby, hotel suite and ambience of the restaurant if you'd like to see more. Let me know in the comments if you've been before or after you check them out in the future!
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