I heart The Peninsula Hotel.

I mean, it’s kind of hard not to. The luxury brand does an amazing job with their attention to detail, customer service, high-quality everything and beautiful, relaxing ambiance. And I’m not talking just about the hotel rooms here…the restaurants, spa, bar, lounge, all of it. Every single time I within the walls of The Peninsula, I always leave feeling like a million bucks.

So, can you imagine my sheer excitement when I received an exclusive invite to a summer party being hosted by and held at The Peninsula Hotel here in Chicago? No joke, I think I let out a little scream. My calendar was immediately cleared for that particular June evening and I waited eagerly in anticipation for the event. I knew anything The Peninsula Hotel hosted was going to be amazing. Really amazing.

The invite was extremely vague: “Join us for a summer celebration of art, color, culture and exclusive first looks with cocktails and cuisine.” Um, ok?! I wasn’t really sure how many people were invited, and quite honestly, I was just thinking this was going to be a dinner with maybe 30-40 people there. Wow, I was totally off the mark on that one.

Invite to The Peninsula Summer Celebration

On the evening of the event, as I am in the vicinity of The Peninsula, I see traffic backed up a few blocks and didn’t really think much of it. Just figured it was regular rush hour traffic. But then as I pull up to the hotel, I see a special valet line, a red carpet, check-in by last name and a flurry of activity. Ok, this is no small party!

Walking off the elevators on the lobby floor, I immediately see the long hall lined with waiters each holding varying trays of white and red wine as well champagne. Don’t mind if I do! And then I reach the end of the corridor to see the most stunning image. Behind the red curtain, the blocked off lobby is adorned with stunning Asian decor, Cirque du Soleil like entertainers high above the crowds and even within the tables, stations galore with delectable Asian food, multiple open bars and lots and lots of people. It was truly a feast for the eyes and senses.

As I’m taking it all in I notice the terrace outdoors is also jam-packed and completely revitalized into a bumping party. I head out there and notice that between the fantastic DJ, food carving stations, multiple bars, go-go dancers and a bike and skateboard ramp that were created just for the event, I’m standing in awe. Mind blown. Best. Party. EVER!

And the food you ask? It was so fabulous, that I only took one picture of one food item I ate that evening and about a million pictures of the most elaborate, beautifully presented desserts I have ever seen. There was no way to capture the unbelievable dessert spread, but here are just a few shots.

I came later to find out that The Peninsula is starting a major renovation project on all the rooms and was showcasing the newly designed and renovated suites that evening. We had the chance to tour these suites and they were stunning (as expected). I kind of want to move in.

Let’s just say that none of these pictures do any kind of justice to the sheer amount of wonderful details and beautiful presentation that were incorporated throughout the celebration (and new hotel suites). The rocking energy and pure fun and joy I saw everyone partaking in were mere reminders that The Peninsula really knows how to throw a party. It was truly the event of the century and I was so honored to be a part of it. As usual, I left The Peninsula feeling like a million bucks. Actually, after this party, I’d say a billion bucks.

Please Note: While I was invited to this event, all opinions are my own.