Sybaris Pool Suites in Northbrook, Illinois: A Different Type of Getaway

I chose the Sybaris Pool Suites in Northbrook, Illinois for a couple of reasons. First of all I had plans to go the Chicago Botanical Gardens which is located near the resort in Glencoe, IL. Second, it was far away but not too far away in case an emergency arose and we needed to cut our time together short. Thank God that wasn't the case!

This isn't a grand hotel, nor is it a motel; it was created to be a romantic getaway for couples. I would classify this place as a mini-resort. There isn't a ton of staff, nor are there the elaborate services of a 5-star hotel, but you have privacy, you have space, and you have each other. There are five locations in the Midwest, including three in the suburbs of Chicago. I don't know of any other place like it in the entire travel industry. My wife and I had the privilege of experiencing this place for our second anniversary so I'd like to share with you what I liked and didn't like about Sybaris Pool Suites.

It was a Monday evening when we went - it's best to go during the week as the prices are much cheaper on a weeknight then during the weekend. We were out celebrating our anniversary so we had dropped off our child with relatives and off we went to the Northwest suburbs. With that began 36 hours of uninterrupted togetherness without diaper-changing, whining, baby food, and anything else that reminded us that we were now blessed with an infant that required our attention constantly. In case you aren't aware, children aren't allowed on the premises of the Sybaris Pool Suites. It's meant for couples only.

There are two different types of stays - an overnight stay and an afternoon stay. The afternoon stay lasts from 12:30pm-4:30pm. The overnight stay lasts from 6pm-11am. The resort is very strict about these timelines. You must be out by 11am for the overnight stay; for the afternoon stay you must be out by 4:30pm. We arrived to the resort a little bit before 6pm to get checked in and situated. We pulled up to what looked to be a secluded area off the main road. There were only a handful of parking spots available from what was the main area. Keep in mind everything is not in one building here, there are many smaller buildings including a main area for reception and gift shop. Once we got everything straightened out we received a map and a key to our suite. I went back to the car, started up, and as the gate went up we went around this maze of mini-houses towards our suite.

There are six different type of suites. I chose a suite that had a pool inside so that we could enjoy both the whirlpool and the swimming pool together. Did I mention that all of this was inside of our suite? There isn't a common pool that everyone shares, different suites have different amenities... some have more amenities than others. We stayed in the Paradise Swimming Pool Suite. Our suite included a 16-foot swimming pool, waterfall, massage chair, fireplace, steam room, and hot tub... all of this for $279. Now, did I pay $279? NO! I only paid $234. How did I do that? They have a game you can purchase online for $13 called the Foreplay Game. Inside the game was a $75 gift certificate that I could use towards my next stay. When I requested the suite I had to pay $30 as a membership fee. So you have 279 - 75 + 30 = 234. I know my wife really wanted to try this place out, so I thought what a better time to give it shot than for our anniversary.

We arrived at our suite (and I remember it well - it was house #36, there were 40 total) and we had our own private parking spot. Each suite has its own parking spot. We walked in and we were impressed from crossing the threshold. Was it elaborate? Not necessarily, but it was nice. I'd requested some sparking cider for the room since we don't drink champagne and it was there chilled for us along with two drinking glasses. We had robes we could use for our overnight stay. The whirlpool was ready for us, the swimming pool was ready for us and the room was in great condition. I was looking forward to a romantic night with my wife doing whatever we decided to get into that night, and the following morning.

Take note that I'm not a swimmer, so you may be asking why I got a room that had a swimming pool if I can't swim. First of all, the pool is only 5 feet deep so I could easily stand up in it. Second, my wife loves to swim, and what better option than having the pool in the room. Third, at the time I was seeing Sybaris commercials left and right for weeks and months prior to it that it piqued my interest in wanting to try the place. Once we got settled in we experienced the bed, the pool, the steam room, the massage chair, the fireplace, the sparking cider, the big screen tv, and fell asleep together early contrary to what had been our pattern with a child. It was the best few hours a married couple could ask for.

So what was interesting about the room? First of all there were no phones in the room. If you didn't have a cell phone you were in trouble! The only other alternative was to go to the reception area/ gift shop and use their phone. Their whole premise behind that was so that you wouldn't be disturbed by outside guests. For those of you who want to try this place out, bring your cell phones and put it on vibrate or silent if you really don't want to be disturbed.

We left early in the morning to find some breakfast to bring back to the room so we could eat before we left. There wasn't much around the area so we found a local convenience store and had a makeshift breakfast back in the room. After that we packed our belongings, got in the car and had fond memories of our stay at Sybaris Pool Suites. The room didn't have any problems as everything was in working order. The staff was friendly. You couldn't hear anything going on outside the room, nor see anything as there weren't any windows to look out of. Overall I'd give it a good rating.

Now, for what I paid for it... I honestly believe I could have had a similar experience at a Sheraton or a Westin or another 4 or 5-star hotel for the same amount, even if I had a junior suite. Would I go back to the Sybaris? Maybe. I only say "maybe" because the only thing that distinguishes it from most major upscale hotel chains is that the pool is inside the room. The check-in time is much later and the check-out time is earlier than other places. The room itself is nice, but it's not spacious. The pool and steam room take up about as much space as the other things in the room. I wish they had some kind of food options within the campus of the Sybaris so that we wouldn't have had to lose time outside the campus trying to find food to eat. My suggestion would be to get dinner and breakfast and put it in the refrigerator if you do an overnight stay, or get lunch in advance if you do an afternoon stay. For what you're paying you really don't need to leave the room.

Don't get me wrong, me and my wife thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and our night away from child responsibilities. We wanted to try the Sybaris Pool Suites and we were pleased with the service and the stay there. I recommend that any married couple that's in Indiana, Wisconsin or Illinois to give it a try at least once. I would not recommend that you fly into one of their five locations to try it out. You can go to your nearest major city and spend a night (or two) at a hotel and get a suite if you can. If I had to sum up my stay at the Sybaris Pool Suites I'd say this... "it's a great place to getaway for a night if you want to be in a secluded area just the two of you. The price is a bit steep, the rooms are nice, there aren't a ton of amenities, but it's not a bad buy nor will you have a bad time."

If you want more information about the Sybaris Pool Suites, go to their website at www.sybaris.com. If you can't swing a night there, then there's always the option of utilizing your home for an evening of romance... whatever works for you and your spouse.