Some people will do anything to escape the cold.

Case in point: A friend of mine unexpectedly found herself living in colder weather this winter and devised a plan to bring back her tan. The plan involved kidnapping me for a few days over Presidents Day weekend while she did some sun-worshipping during her time in the Sunshine State. Truth be told, my friend has great taste, so the kidnapping portion of this story is mostly me agreeing to drive to the east coast, enjoying lots of girl time, while catching up with my pale friend.

We started our trip in Orlando at The Celeste Hotel, adjacent to University of Central Florida’s campus. I expected the hotel to exude UCF Knights gear, but to my great surprise, The Celeste is a hotel inspired by the stars. With celestial influences throughout the destination, the “space touches” are as vast as the constellations and galaxies within the sky itself.

There’s a wall of NASA spaceship models with plaques commemorating each launch. The stars along the edge of my coffee cup and saucer were subtle and, yet, added a sophisticated touch. The hallways are trimmed in wallpaper and feature trace amounts of sparkling glitter along the top quarter. There’s even a copy of Hubble’s Universe coupled with modern spaceship pieces inside each room as décor, right next to the Keurig. Even the room key seemed to glow with the phrase “Journey Somewhere New” embedded in the design.

While the little touches to stay on theme certainly caught my attention, the hotel easily delivers a refined boutique experience as part of the Tribute Portfolio Collection by Marriott, with a gorgeous bar, live entertainment, excellent food/drinks and a beautiful outdoor pool.

At the hotel restaurant/bar called Aurora, my friend and I enjoyed an excellent hummus plate with lightly roasted vegetables and splendid basil oil (how have I missed the basil oil trend?). I loved the thematic drink names and ordered a Starry Night (peanut butter whiskey with bitters), although the Solar Flare and Zodiac caught my attention, as well.

Breakfast the next morning was also excellent with an egg white omelet filled with creamy goat cheese and vegetables topped with avocado and a side of roasted potatoes (cue the lovely table plates). Shortly after, I toured the outdoor pool area and snapped a few additional pictures of the hotel lobby. Not to be forgotten, there was a life-sized mannequin dressed in a UCF Football helmet and uniform upon entry, along with several UCF trinkets and souvenirs for travelers cheering on their favorite sports team.

Now to be completely honest, our time at The Celeste was simply the prelude of this Presidents Day tale. However, my visit was “so heavenly,” I felt compelled to write a separate blog about it first.

Therefore, stay tuned for additional information about our time in St. Augustine and whether or not my pale friend finally found her missing tan or if her cold-weather escape plan turned into indoor martinis and distillery shopping.

Both are distinct possibilities within the universe.

— Carrie Cox, account executive