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This post is sponsored by The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center. All opinions are mine alone.
#GirlsWeekend #WoodlandsResort

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 A Girls’ Weekend at the
Woodlands Resort and Conference Center

[/custom_headline][text_output]Over the last few years, it’s been hard to stay connected with my best girlfriends. Our lives are packed with business trips, long hours at the office, and family obligations. We are so busy that our conversations are reduced to sporadic text messages or Facebook “likes” when we post pictures online. And when we do make plans to meet, it’s always the same “let’s go to dinner” routine. That’s why I’m sharing a few Taste & See Life tips for a Girls’ Weekend at The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center.

I’ll admit that I didn’t know much about The Woodlands. But after my stay at the Woodlands Resort, I can see why so many people are making The Woodlands a travel destination. It’s absolutely beautiful! Tall trees, nature trails, and wildlife naturally draw you into a state of relaxation. This is why The Woodlands Resort is the perfect location to plan your getaway with your girlfriends.

The Woodlands Resort spreads across 28,000 acres of natural forest and offers everything you need to relax: outdoor activities, spa treatments, and fine dining. Plus, it’s located 27 miles northwest of downtown Houston and just 18 miles from George Bush International Airport which makes it easy for both in-town and out-of-town friends to join your party. The best part, The Woodlands Resort is minutes from The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. That means you can plan a girls’ weekend around the performance dates of your favorite pop star like Pit Bull (July 23) or Gwen Stefani (August 14).

For a girls’ weekend, I recommend booking rooms in The Woodland Resort Building 3000. I stayed in room 3426 which offered two queen-sized beds, a spacious bathroom, and a stunning balcony view of the golf course, tennis courts, and pond. The rooms are beautifully appointed with modern furnishings and neutral tones. I loved having an in-room mini iPad, free wi-fi across the entire resort and most importantly, blackout shades which were much needed after our first night at the Woodlands Resort.

So what happened on our first night? Well, my friend Christina and I kicked off our girls’ weekend with a freshly baked 12-inch chocolate chip cookie and a bottle of Napa Cellars red wine that The Woodlands Resort provided as a welcome gift. Our initial plan was to enjoy happy hour in the room and then eat dinner at The Woodlands Town Center. However, after sipping a couple glasses of wine on the balcony, we decided to stay in and ordered room service with another bottle of wine. We spent the rest of the evening chatting on the balcony and enjoying our golf course view. Although we didn’t do anything exciting our first night, we had a blast staying in!

Saturday morning, we woke up hungry. We decided to eat on-site and tried the Grand Breakfast Buffet at The Woodland Dining Room. The buffet is reasonably priced around $20 per person and offers an array of options: made-to-order omelets, made-to-order waffles, seasonal fruits, baked goods, cheeses and more. We fueled up on fresh fruit, Belgian waffles topped with berries and whipped cream, and a couple strips of bacon. Everything was delicious and I especially loved the fresh-squeezed juices!

After breakfast, we rented bikes and took to the bike trails to enjoy a bit of nature. The Woodlands is such a bike friendly environment. The bike trails are clearly marked, paved and shaded. Drivers actually stopped and gave us the right of way. Biking in Houston is always risky so we appreciated the designated bike trails. However, keep an eye out for runners and dog walkers because they share the bike paths too.

Next on our schedule was lounge time at The Forest Oasis Waterscape™. The lagoon-style pools, water slides, and the lazy river provided the perfect solution to stay cool during the heat of the day. We didn’t care that kids and families were all around us. We were there to connect with our own inner child too! Christina and I hopped on our inflated floats and in minutes we were taken away by the lazy river current.  Along the way, I crossed paths with a group of ladies who were celebrating a friend’s birthday with a girls’ weekend of their own. We exchanged a few stories about our Woodlands Resort stay and agreed it was a great place to chill out with friends.

Around 2:45 pm, I slipped away for my Swedish massage appointment at The Woodlands Resort Spa while Christina lounged by the pool. I was so excited to experience a new spa. When I arrived for my appointment, the spa staff warmly greeted me, checked me in, and showed me to the changing rooms. I immediately slipped into a luxurious robe and met the spa manager for a quick tour of the spa. The spa offers separate facilities for men and women with private treatment rooms, changing areas, saunas, eucalyptus steam rooms and whirlpool hot tubs. They also offer an extensive product line stocked with hair and skin care products, scented candles, and nail polishes.

After my tour of the spa, my massage therapist took over from there and I was snoring on her massage table in no time. I ended my spa time by the fire with a glass of citrus infused water.

I highly recommend taking time for yourself at the spa. The Woodlands Resort Spa is perfect for Girls’ Weekends or “Me-Time” to unplug from a hectic work life. The Woodlands Resort Spa’s nail salon has two manicure and two pedicure stations so you can socialize with your friends while enjoying a little pampering. Their spa services include access to the spa, fitness center,  Forest Oasis Waterscape™ and the Lazy River. So if you don’t have time to dedicate a full weekend with your girlfriends, you can have a spa day to create meaningful memories with your friends.

Christina and I completed our day with a magnificent steak dinner at Robard’s Steakhouse. Our waiter provided several suggestions and addressed our questions about the food preparation. It was hard to make a decision because everything sounded amazing. We ordered the hand-selected, made-to-order Seafood Guacaviche, a blend of guacamole and ceviche. Christina and I loved it! We were like “Why didn’t we think of that?” Two of our favorite starters in one. My only suggestion for the dish… more plantain chips, please!

For our main entrées, we both ordered the in-house, dry-aged 8 oz. filet mignon with garlic butter sauce and parmesan truffle fries. The steak was spot on and we loved our experience at Robard’s Steakhouse. The service was outstanding. We didn’t save room for dessert or have any wine because we were too full to indulge anymore. However, we will be back soon to try more dishes![/text_output][accordion id=”” class=”” style=””][accordion_item parent_id=”” title=”Girls’ Weekend Tips” id=”” class=”” style=””]

Tips for a Girls’Weekend at The Woodlands Resort

1. Request to stay in building 3000, preferably in a fourth-floor room for views of the golf course.

2. Plan your weekend activities ahead of time to make reservations for golf, tennis, or spa appointments.

3. Explore the Woodlands by bike, foot or car. The Woodlands offers over 100 parks and over 200 miles of nature trails.

4. Stock your mini refrigerator with water and light snacks for your room. Randall’s grocery store is near the resort should you need anything.

5. Find a new treasure shopping at The Woodlands Town Center, Market Street, or The Woodlands Mall.

6. See a concert at The Cynthia Wood Mitchell Pavilion and dance the night away.

7. Visit Old Town Spring and eat lunch at Corkscrew BBQ.

8. Relax at the lazy river and enjoy a few frozen beverages with your friends.[/accordion_item][accordion_item parent_id=”” title=” IN-ROOM AMENITIES” id=”” class=”” style=””]

 IN-ROOM AMENITIES:

• LAN and wireless internet
• Bath & Body Works bath products
• Triple sheeting
• Many with patio or balcony
• Single cup coffeemaker
• Study area
• Laundry valet
• Iron and full-size ironing board
• Hair dryer
• Personal voice mail
• Microwave
• In-room safe
• In-room iPad mini

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RECREATIONAL AMENITIES:

• 36 holes of championship golf
• 1,005-foot lazy river with spiral plunge slide
• Fitness Center with Cybex equipment
• Health Spa with sauna, steam room and whirlpool
• 5 swimming pools with spas, waterfalls, and slides
• The Bistro with billiards, drinks and appetizers
• Water volleyball and basketball
• Seasonal poolside entertainment
• 21 court tennis facility
• Over 194 miles of jogging and biking trails
• Bicycle rentals

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE OUTLETS:

• Robard’s — upscale, classic American steakhouse
• The Woodlands Dining Room — conference dining room
• The Royal Mile Grille — available for lunch
• Cool Water Café — poolside at Forest Oasis Waterscape™, open seasonally
• The Bistro — billiards, drinks and appetizers
• Room Service — tempting array of choices, only a phone call away

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NEARBY ATTRACTIONS:

• Shopping at The Woodlands Mall
• The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
• Market Street dining and shopping*
• Tinseltown and Market Street Cinemas
• The Woodlands Waterway®
• Lake Conroe
• Old Town Spring
• Splashtown Water Park
• Main Event Entertainment Complex

*If you want to leave the resort for dinner, The Woodlands Resort has a free shuttle to Market Street, which has lots of dining and shopping options.[/accordion_item][/accordion][text_output]Of course, our girls’ weekend had a few minor bloopers that were not captured in photos.  Like, how did red wine get splashed across my white capri pants on the first night? What really caused Christina’s bike ride wipe out? And, what was in the suntan oil that Christina purchased on Pinterest that turned her legs lobster red in less than 1 hour? These mysteries remain unsolved. But the stories behind them are priceless and part of our Woodland Resort Girls’ Weekend adventure.

The Woodlands Resort offered the luxurious accommodations and amenities to allow us to let go and be carefree. We enjoyed exploring the beautiful scenery on bikes, being silly on the lazy river, and eating gourmet meals without having to leave the resort. The Woodlands Resort was the perfect place for us to experience a Girls’ Weekends without worrying about a thing!

Thank you, Woodlands Resort & Conference Center for graciously providing the two-night stay, massage, and food credit. I thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance and amenities of your luxury resort and plan to return again for another relaxing Girls’ Weekend.

I know you will enjoy The Woodlands Resort as much as we did so go taste and see for yourself!

The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center
2301 North Millbend Dr. | The Woodlands, Texas | 281-367-1100

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