Photo Friday: New Lorien Hotel and Spa in Old Town Alexandria, VA

We just added the Lorien Hotel and Spa in Alexandria, Virginia to the Ciao Bambino portfolio. This hotel makes a great home-base for exploring the Washington DC area. This photo is of our excursion to Mt. Vernon — just a bike ride away from the Lorien!

In contrast to many suburbs that have strip malls and chain stores, Alexandria is steeped in history and loaded with beautiful, independently owned shops. For a list of our favorite activities, check out my recent Alexandria with Kids post on Delicious Baby.

As for the Lorien, this is a new Kimpton Hotel. It was designed by Vincente Wolfe, a famous New York designer, who really succeeded in combining historic aspects of the area with a modern, calming interior. This location is an excellent alternative to staying in the heart of DC — you have neighborhood feel with adorable shops and local activities, yet the property is only a 15-minute ride into DC on the metro. The Lorien offers luxurious amenities like the spa, but also fun ones like the Dream Menu where you can order different pillows (we tried buckwheat and water). Here’s a photo of my kids enjoying the BRABO Tasting Room restaurant at the hotel.

Read the complete family-friendly review of the Lorien Hotel and Spa. Explore more of this week’s Photo Friday posts on Delicious Baby.