The Edgewater Hotel Stay + Derby Party

Happy Friday friends! I have been crazy busy getting ready to leave for Europe next week while also planning to get content scheduled to go up while I’m gone, so that’s why I’ve only shared one post a week over the last 2 weeks. I have lots of exciting things to come, plus I will be changing up my blog share schedule soon once I announce something very exciting when I’m back from Europe. Be sure you’re subscribed so you get to hear the news first! If you follow me on Instagram stories, you may already know, or at least have gotten the hints! 😉

Today on the blog, I wanted to share all the details from last weekend’s stay at the Edgewater Hotel in Madison, as well as the fun Kentucky Derby party they had. I have never really celebrated the Derby until this year, so when Chloe (FrizzandFrillzz.com) and I were looking for something fun to do, we came across the Edgewater Hotel’s Annual Derby Party. It looked like fun so we figured we would give it a try this year. More details on the Derby Party at the end of this post. It’s going to be a long post, but worth the read. (Time to grab a snack before reading on)

Disclaimer: This hotel stay was complimentary in exchange for a review. As always, all opinions are my own. *A huge thank you to the Edgewater Hotel for our stay*

The Edgewater Hotel

If you’re in the Madison and surrounding area, you may have heard of the Edgewater Hotel or maybe you’ve been there before. It’s located in downtown Madison, WI, just away from all the hustle and bustle of the busy downtown traffic. It’s located on the shores of Lake Mendota and is within walking distance to the Capital and State Street. The Edgewater was remodeled in 2014 with new additions including the restaurants, spa, and additional rooms. See old photos and learn more about the history of the hotel here. The Edgewater has over 200 rooms, several restaurants catered to every need, and an amazing spa. I have to say that the hospitality was outstanding while we were there and stood out the most!

I personally have never stayed at the Edgewater until this trip, but have been to the event spaces and around the hotel.  

The Room with a View

The room we stayed in was a Terrace Room with two queen beds. The Terrace rooms are just as they sound, they have a terrace off of the room with the most amazing views. We could see the lake and the capitol from our 8th floor room. The bathrooms are stunning and the shower is beautiful!!

Dinner at the Statehouse

We had dinner at the Statehouse the day we arrived and O.M.G. you guys, I’ve never had such wonderful service and food. We got to taste a little bit of everything, which you’ll see below. We also met Chef Juan, who told us all about his goals for the Statehouse restaurant. He likes to locally source his food and the dishes he creates are so unique and amazing. I had honestly never even heard of the Statehouse restaurant until we stayed at the hotel, but I will tell you that I WILL BE BACK! It’s a very nice restaurant, but some people may think that it’s just for special occasions. It’s definitely not! Go try it out and if you do, ask if Chef Juan is working and say hi to him! Tell him I sent you.

Great Lakes Perch

The Edgewater Spa

Our last day at the hotel ended with a spa treatment and brunch and I’m not sure which one I liked more! The Edgwater Spa is absolutely beautiful and the views are stunning. The staff was all so welcoming and kind and the atmosphere was very calm and pleasant. Chloe got an illuminating facial and I got a massage. It was so needed! After your spa treatment, they have a steam room and relaxation pool you can use. We had to head to brunch so we didn’t get time to spend there, so we will have to check it out next time.

Brunch at the Statehouse

We were back at the Statehouse again for brunch on our last morning at The Edgewater. The brunch menu is full of yummy plates and they also have bottomless mimosas. We tried the caramelized pineapple mimosa and the blood orange mimosa and they were both outstanding. I have to say, the best food item we tried was the lobster benedict! SOOO good! It was very rich, as with anything that has seafood and hollandaise, but so, so worth it! If you haven’t tried out the Statehouse for brunch yet, you definitely need to! With the yummy food and the views of the lake, it might just become your favorite new spot!

Other Food Options at the Edgewater

In addition to the Statehouse at the Edgewater hotel, they have a few other places to grab food on site. The Boathouse has a beautiful patio to sit on and dine with a great view, Augie’s Tavern is right next to the Statehouse,The Icehouse is also a place to grab a quick bite. They have pizza and much, much more.

Augie’s Tavern 
The Boathouse 
The Icehouse 

The Annual Derby Party

The Edgewater Hotel‘s Annual Kentucky Derby Party was so fun! We had VIP tickets and enjoyed the derby from both the main area and the VIP area. Everyone was dressed amazingly and we made some new friends as well. The weather was absolutely perfect too! 

You don’t need tickets to come to the main event, just for the VIP area. The VIP tickets get you one free drink, a welcome bag and a snack bar. You can also watch the race from inside if the weather isn’t the best. The mint juleps were flowing and the hats were all amazing! We had a great time and plan to go in the future!

The best part of the Derby, besides the race of course, was the view of the lake! Don’t forget to check out Chloe’s review of the derby party and hotel stay.

I’ve mentioned this in a recent blog post, but I will be sharing a Downtown Madison, WI Travel Guide Series on the blog soon! Be sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss out! Thank you so much for reading, and if you stay at the Edgewater Hotel, go to the Edgewater Spa, or even just dine at the Statehouse, let me know in the comments about your experience! I would love to hear all about it!

P.S. Next time you’ll see a blog post from me, I will be on my way to Europe! Follow along on my Instagram and Instagram stories! I love interacting with my followers through messages too!