My good friend Bria and I went on an early birthday getaway at Chateau Elan, a winery, and resort located in Braselton, GA. The winery is located north of Atlanta. I had the best time, wine tasting, relaxing by the pool, enjoying the spa, and eating some fabulous food. The resort was the perfect spot to celebrate another year of life and to turn my brain off of anything work-related and wanted to share a fun travel guide for all things Chateau Elan.
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Chateau Elan Travel Guide
Our stay was booked from Monday - Wednesday, due to the fact the hotel had a 2-night promotion at the time. Upon checking in, we immediately went to the Wine Tasting. The winery has a complimentary tour of the property and wine process for guests every day at noon.
However, we were unable to attend because we arrived later than expected. The winery grows its own grapes on-site as well as at its other properties.
For my wine tasting, I received 7 pours. I will say that this experience was not as hospitable as we would have liked. A couple of the employees seemed annoyed and unenthusiastic about breaking down the history of the wine. They did say that the wine is strong and some customers typically get really tipsy, so plan your time accordingly. However, we stayed there for around 2.5 hours drinking and I wasn't that tipsy, just felt good. You know what I'm saying! My favorite wine was the Moscato D'asti. If you're a sweet wine drinker and love white wine, this is definitely a fan favorite. After our wine tasting, we headed poolside.
The hotel had a great pool area and a poolside bar that is open during specific times of the year. I wish that we were able to enjoy the poolside area a little longer than we did. However, I made reservations for dinner at 8, which we did run late for. The resort has a gorgeous outdoor pool with a hot tub. The pool was filled with ultra-chic black and white chairs, umbrellas, and cabanas. Literally so beautiful and gave the feel of a French villa.
On Monday night, we went to Versailles Restaurant & Bar for dinner, one of the eight restaurants they have on the property. The restaurant is French-inspired and is located under a beautiful glass-top atrium. The food was good! Bria and I both had the salmon with grits. I will say as a Southern girl, the grits tasted interesting. As in not the best, but not the worst I have ever tasted. Breakfast and lunch are also served at this location as well.
Tuesday morning was all about the spa! It was everything that we had hoped for and more and was definitely the highlight of the trip. It was giving LUXURY!
The spa offered all the treatments that one would expect at a luxury spa - massages, facial treatments, body treatments, a nail salon, and fitness and wellness services. The spa also allows access to the jacuzzi, spa pool (indoor, saltwater pool), and other amenities for an entire day. I had a male masseur, which I originally was hesitant about, but he was so professional and checked in to make sure that I was comfortable.
We choose the 50-minute Swedish massage and then headed to the jacuzzi! After the Jacuzzi, we had reservations for the onsite restaurant for brunch, Fleur-de-lis.
They serve brunch daily and it is an intimate setting where spa guests can dine in their robes and slippers, guests off-property are also welcome. The restaurant serves upscale healthy spa cuisine and it overlooks the backside of the lake property, which is so gorgeous. I highly recommend booking your spa appointment early as the spots fill up quickly.
After the spa, we were worn out, so we took a nap and then proceeded to head to our Mixology demonstration. The class is taught by a master mixologist that teaches the essentials of cocktail making. We learned how to make drinks for every occasion and mood. I learned how to make a Whiskey Sour. It was a fun time, I even meet a few of my sorority sisters in the class.
Later, we had reservations at the Marc Restaurant on the property. It is an upscale steakhouse and was by far the most expensive meal that I partook in during the duration of my stay. However, the food was the best we had all trip in my opinion. I ordered the steak and potatoes and it was truly delectable. After dinner, we chilled by the fire pit listing to the audiobook version of New Moon (don't judge us lol + Team Edward!). On Wednesday, we slept in until it was time to head back home.
Resort Guide Notes
- Tip the staff! Most of the staff are friendly and welcoming, so bring $5 and $10 bills as gratitude for their service.
- They have FREE s'mores at the desk for a fireside hangout. S'more kits can also be purchased at Le Petit Cafe and roast the marshmallows at fire pits located throughout the property, but my favorite is the pool area.
- Leave time for the spa, winery, and pool. We made a great time with the first two, but I wish that I had more time for the pool. I love the water!
- If you are celebrating a birthday put that on all your reservations. You get free desserts when you do!
- Do not get the celebration packet, it's not worth it. It comes with a small cake, 5 celebratory balloons, and a bottle of champagne for $135. To be honest, it was pathetic and I was truly dissatisfied.
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