Our Weekend in DC as a Family of 3

How often do you have the opportunity to comfortably travel with your pet(s)?

For us, it has been extremely rare that we are able to bring Oliver, our Chinese shar-pei, along when we explore new cities. Since one of our goals this year is to travel more and to place a higher value on experiences than “things”, we needed to find a way to include our fur baby in those plans.

If you’ve been following along for awhile now, you know that Oliver tends to be on the more high-maintenance end of the spectrum. He doesn’t play well with others and has had major social anxiety since he was bit by a friend’s dog when he was little.

That’s why it’s so important for us to have our own private and calm space that feels like home when we travel. A loud and close-quartered hotel with a public dog area simply is not going to cut it for our family.

Thankfully, Avenue Suites in Georgetown, DC is familiar with the concerns of pet moms and dads, and has designed their hotel to cater to these needs. They are so well-versed in hosting pets that they have gone as far as to create a one-of-a-kind signature service called “Modus Loves Pets” where all pets stay for free.

When Sam, Oliver, and I arrived a couple Saturdays back for a relaxing weekend away, their kind and thoughtful staff welcomed us with dog treats, a full-size plush bed for Oliver, and a private terrace off of our room.

I have stayed at many hotels in the past, and I must say that having the luxury of a private outdoor patio is by far my favorite amenity, especially when traveling with a dog. Nothing beats waking up and having my morning coffee in my slippers and robe outside, with my two loves beside me.

The suite was extremely spacious and had an open layout, which allowed Oliver to feel comfortable when we left him for a couple hours at a time while exploring Georgetown.

Recently, many of you have asked me about cherry blossom season at the Tidal Basin. My best advice would be to avoid the chaotic day-of traffic and stay local at a hotel like Avenue Suites.

The location of Avenue Suites is ideal because it is truly at the heart of DC’s best attractions. On-trend boutiques and well-known brands, cute coffee shops, chic new restaurants, and historic monuments are just a few things among many within minutes of the hotel. They are only a quick walk away from M Street in Georgetown, and an 8 minute drive to the Lincoln Memorial.

There is nowhere in the city I would rather stay when we are shooting new campaigns or having an unplugged weekend together.

Favorite places to shop: Zara, Anthropologie, Francesca’s, Kate Spade, Rent The Runway

Favorite places to eat: Brasserie Beck, Lucky Buns, La Piazza, Laduree, Georgetown Cupcake, Union Market, Dean & DeLuca

Favorite places to visit/photograph: Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Union Station, US Capital Building, Tidal Basin

On Saturday after we got settled into our suite and had a coffee on our terrace, we wandered over to Greenworks Florist where I shot a new Spring look in front of the Instagram-worthy storefront. It was perfectly pink and full of pretty, over-sized blooms. (Keep an eye out for the full blog post coming later this week*)

Once we got back to Avenue Suites and quickly changed into our evening clothes, we grabbed a cocktail at their restaurant and bar downstairs, La Piazza. I got a glass of rose and Sam got his classic Moscow mule. We relaxed for a bit, wandering around their space and cozying up in front of the fireplace in their lobby.

Later, we headed back to our room with another round of cocktails, a classic white pizza, bruschetta trio, and arugula parmesan salad to enjoy outside (even Oliver got to indulge in a piece of pizza!)

We rose with the sun on Sunday to shoot with a local film photographer at the Jefferson Memorial. The morning fog created the most romantic and dreamy backdrop with the White House right behind us, and we practically had the entire place to ourselves. We spent a couple hours snuggling in close, twirling around the marble pillars, and enjoying the warmer weather in Spring formal attire.

After we wrapped shooting, we had just enough time to snag a quick pair of Chai almond milk lattes and gooey chocolate croissants from La Piazza before the end of their morning service. We snuggled in bed for awhile after that, just enjoying the simple fact that we had Oliver by our side and didn’t have to worry about him at home with a sitter.

All in all, the chance to recharge and spend quality time together just the 3 of us before the chaos of the work week began was priceless.

From our encounters with the friendly staff to every thoughtful detail in our room for Oliver, it is truly no wonder that I continue to stay with Avenue Suites time and time again.

Book your stay at Avenue Suites in Georgetown DC by visiting their website now (you’ll receive 15% off when booking through this link)!

Disclaimer: The hotel stay and amenities were provided to us for free, however the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Do you travel with your pets? What has been your favorite hotel experience so far? Comment on the latest photo on my Instagram feed and tell me, or tag me in your favorite travel selfie!

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xo Anna Elizabeth