The Girlfriend Getaway
There is a particular kind of tired that a spa day doesn't fix. It's the kind that comes from being the one who knows where everyone's everything is. The kind where someone is always asking you where their shoes are, what's for dinner, or if you've seen that thing they had two seconds ago.
What fixes it, I have found, is one night away with women who are also tired in exactly the same way.
We did it in twenty-four hours. Friday afternoon to Saturday morning, two girlfriends, both moms, no itinerary beyond dinner, and somehow, it felt like a real vacation.
And the best part? We came home Saturday and still had the entire weekend ahead of us. No Sunday scaries. No “where did the weekend go?” Just a reset, and then real life, but a better version of it. And a better version of myself.
If you know me, you know how much I value self-care. I really believe taking care of ourselves is part of how we take care of everyone else. When we give ourselves a chance to breathe, laugh, sleep, recharge and remember who we are outside of our everyday roles, we have so much more of ourselves to give to the people we love.
Our home for the night was The J House, a boutique luxury hotel in Greenwich that feels like a destination without requiring you to travel far. If you live in Fairfield County or Westchester, you can be checked in before your kids even notice you've left.
The Afternoon
Greenwich Avenue is minutes away, so, naturally, we shopped first.
Wandering in and out of stores with no agenda and nobody asking you for anything is its own form of therapy. We were just three friends, walking around Greenwich on a Friday afternoon, with nowhere we had to be and no one who needed us.
Check-In
We got there in the late afternoon and were handed a glass of bubbly at check-in. Did they just read my mind?! Because that is the best way to begin anything.
The Double Executive room fit all three of us comfortably, and I mean genuinely comfortably... not the “we'll make it work” kind. We had plenty of room to spread out, get ready, leave our things everywhere and, by the end of the night, enough space for a dance party.
The room itself had that very J House combination of sleek and chic. Within minutes, our bags were open, shoes were off and we were sitting around talking like we had nowhere else to be.
Which, for one night, we didn't!
The art throughout the hotel is worth a pause. As a contemporary art fan, I was immediately drawn to the pieces on display. They give the hotel a uniqueness and edge you don't often see in a hotel, at least not around here. The J House is modern, but it doesn't feel cold, and the staff is a huge reason why.
Every single person we encountered was warm, accommodating and helpful. I'm pretty picky about how hospitality presents itself. I almost annoy myself with how hyper-aware I am of the little things: smudge-free glassware, labels all pointing in the same direction, wrinkle-free everything, the details that you may not consciously notice when they're done right, but absolutely notice when they're not.
So when someone else is paying attention to those things? I notice that too.
Dinner at Tony's
One of my favorite parts of the night was getting ready for dinner. Bubbly, music and taking turns doing each other's makeup, or, at the very least, sharing our lip glosses. It reminded me of getting ready for nights out years ago, except this time we were back in our pajamas before our younger selves would have even thought about heading home.
Our eight o'clock reservation at Tony's was downstairs in the hotel, which meant the walk home was just an elevator ride.
Tony's has a whole vibe. It's lively, energetic and warm, and on a Friday night, it was buzzing. Birthdays were being celebrated, friends were catching up over drinks, and tables were lingering over dinner. There was energy everywhere. It felt like the place to be.
And total bonus, we got the best seat in the house.
We were tucked into a half-circle corner booth with a perfect view of the entire restaurant. It was basically a people-watching dream. We could see everything happening around us while still feeling like we had privacy.
Tony himself came by the table several times, and if you've been, you know what comes with that: his upbeat personality and his seriously challenging trivia questions. I will not be sharing our record, but I am happy to share that the one I got right was the kind of car Richard Gere drove in Pretty Woman.
A win is a win. I’ll take it!
Tony's menu is another reason it works for a night like this. It's an Italian steakhouse with homemade pastas, prime dry-aged steaks, market-fresh fish and sushi, so everyone can find something they're excited about. We tried a little bit of everything and savored every. single. bite. I stuck to my go-to drink of Tito's and soda, but the cocktail menu is full of craft cocktails that someone more adventurous than me would certainly appreciate!
The Best Decision of the Night
We had dessert sent up to the room. Best move.
A parade of seriously delicious sweet treats arrived, and we devoured them in our silky pajamas, on our beds. It was perfection.
We ate, laughed, talked some more and then turned the room into our own little after-party.
Then we drank an absurd amount of water before bed because, after all, we are grown women who have learned far too many times from our late-night mistakes.
The Morning
After we quickly grabbed our coffees and pastries from the downstairs café, we recapped our amazing night and scrolled through photos back in the room.
I had a late-morning hot stone therapy massage at The J House Spa, and I can understand why it keeps getting recognized as one of the best spas in Greenwich. In fact, The J Spa was named Best Day Spa in the Greenwich Lifestyle Local Love Awards, and it has also been recognized as Best Spa in multiple Best of Greenwich lists.
My massage was exactly what I needed. I left feeling genuinely restored, and that feeling lasted well beyond the hour on the table. I will absolutely be back.
And then there was the pool…
We had every intention of spending the rest of the morning poolside. The J House has a heated outdoor pool with an expansive pool deck and cabana, and I pictured us settling into it for a few hours with something cold to drink, sunglasses on and ready to gossip.
Mother Nature had other plans. Thunderstorms rolled in and made the decision for us. So, sadly, no pool, no cabana and no mini-vacation extension for a few more hours.
But there's always next time!
Why Twenty-Four Hours Works
It's long enough to feel like you left, yet short enough that nobody at home falls apart.
With a Friday into Saturday, you get the champagne, the shopping, the long dinner, the pajamas, the dessert, the spa and the sleep-in-adjacent morning... and you're home before you're even halfway into your Saturday.
Sometimes you just need twenty-four hours, a few good friends and a hotel room where nobody needs anything from you.
Book it.
THE DETAILS
The J House
1114 East Putnam Avenue, Riverside/Greenwich, CT
Luxury boutique hotel with 84 guest rooms and suites, Tony's Italian Steakhouse, The J Spa and a heated outdoor pool.
Room: Double Executive Room, from $549 per night.
Tony's at The J House: Dinner reservations recommended, especially on weekends. The restaurant offers Italian steakhouse fare, homemade pastas, prime dry-aged steaks, seafood and sushi.
The J Spa: Book treatments in advance. The spa offers massages, facials, acupuncture and holistic therapies.
Pool: Seasonal heated outdoor pool with an expansive pool deck and cabana.
GETTING THERE
A short drive from most of Fairfield County and under 30 minutes from many parts of Westchester. Metro-North to Riverside, followed by a short cab ride, if you'd rather not drive. Valet parking is available on site.