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Honeymooners Beware: T+L Lists The World's Best Hotels for Families
The list-makers at Travel + Leisure don't strictly cater to single jetsetting types. There's an active sect of family travelers out there, and those that don't consider Disneyland the Alpha-Omega of getaways. Sorry, Mickey.
Their survey of the "World's Best Hotels and Cruises for Families" in the U.S. and Canada is topped by the Enchantment Resort of Sedona, Arizona (which, coincidentally, sounds Disney-esque). It's no rough-it campsite or—shudder—Comfort Suites, but a luxury resort where adults are known to enjoy playtime as much as their young counterparts.
The hotel's site explicitly tells prospective travelers not to "worry about the kids," citing activities like Camp Coyote exploration as a selling-point. The Camp is an educational program designed for kids aged 4-12, where they can partake in "scavenger hunts, outdoor games and Southwestern-inspired cooking classes," with a full day of Camp priced at $70.
Tags: Family-Friendly Hotels / Hawaii Hotels / Hotel Pools / → All Tags
Is the Grand Wailea Resort Like Las Vegas, But for Kids?
Upon hearing that Grand Wailea Resort just threw down $50M for upgrades and renovations, we wanted to give the property a quick before and after look-see while recently in Maui – especially since we were shacked up right next door at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea.
We should have heeded our gut instinct to steer clear after watching a bajillion screaming kids bouncing and jumping off an oversized inflatable slide in the water directly in front of Grand Wailea Resort. Ick. We asked around and this air-filled atrocity doesn’t actually belong to Grand Wailea Resort; it’s simply a noisy eye sore that disturbs the hotel’s waterfront views. The kids l-o-v-e it.
Tags: Hotel Websites / Family-Friendly Hotels / Hotel Services / Paris Hotels / Luxury Hotels / → All Tags
Plaza Athénée Gives Rich Kids Their Own Guide to Paris
Here’s a confession: we used to think that trips to great cultural centers would probably be lost on kiddies. What child, we reasoned, would be able to grasp le sheer greatness of the City of Light, for example?
Well we were wrong, because we hadn’t counted on the Plaza Athénée’s new kiddy-licious website, veryimportantchildren.com. Whether they’re tots or teenagers, the site will tell them what’s to see in Paris (not just the usual stuff either; it mentions temporary, time-specific things like exhibitions, too) as well as what’s going down in the hotel itself (things which it deems “hypra-cool”, which we might take as our word of the summer).
Of course, being the Plaza Athénée (rooms start at 595 euros, or $835, this summer), it’s aimed at very important, rich children. There’s even a section where you can upload your own pictures of your stay, to make a little rich kid community. Cute! But there’s nothing to stop the non-important and non-rich folk using the website to glean ideas. Just as long as it’s not the idea that they’ll be staying there on your next trip over.
Tags: Family-Friendly Hotels / Florida Hotels / Nickelodeon Hotels / → All Tags
Marriott's Nickelodeon Getaways Head on Down to Florida
As we’ve noted before, Marriott and Nickelodeon sure have been getting cozy of late. Nickelodeon Getaway packages are cropping up at Marriott hotels worldwide, with two Florida hotels — the Doral Golf Resort & Spa and Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort — debuting the partnership in the Sunshine State this Friday.
The Nickelodeon Getaway package features a two-night stay, SpongeBob SquarePants or Dora the Explorer sleepover kit with pillowcase and Nickelodeon-themed gifts, character breakfast for the family, and souvenir photo with your favorite character. Not to mention, kids can hang at the pool for Nickelodeon’s signature interactive poolside game show in the afternoon, which naturally includes the crowd-pleasing chance to get slimed.
Meanwhile, parents can relax hitting the links, taking a dip in the waterfalls pool at Doral’s Blue Lagoon rec area (complete with poolside cabanas), or lounging at Marco Island’s Tiki pool. Each resort always offers a boatload of kid-friendly activities, from Camp Doral kid activities to free tee-offs for kids ages 6 to 15 after 3 p.m. when accompanied by a paying adult.
Rates start at $179 at Doral Golf Resort & Spa and $239 at Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, available Friday through Sunday only. Book the rates using promo code ZNL.
Tags: Family-Friendly Hotels / Hotel Lounges / Miami Hotel Mambo / Loews Hotels / → All Tags
Loews Miami Beach Teams Up With Pottery Barn Teen
Okay. We'll admit it. We sort of secretly love PBTeen even though we're not teens anymore and have no excuse to decorate our living spaces in hot pinks or with monogrammed rainbow throw pillows or shelving units shaped like school lockers. But we love it — and we hope it is still around when we have teenagers of our own with rooms that we can decorate all cute and fun and teen-y.
Loews Hotels apparently loves PBTeen, too (sidenote: do any teens love PBTeen? We hope so) — so much so that the hotel chain has formed a bit of a partnership with the furniture and decor line. Loews Miami Beach, a hotel geared toward families has gotten a taste of PBTeen's style in utilizing PBTeen furniture and accessories to create "an abundance of additional options for tweens and teens to enjoy during their stay."
What that actually means: they've converted one of the hotel's cabanas into a "teen dream oasis" and have totally PBTeened it out.
Tags: Hotel Deals / Family-Friendly Hotels / Hotel News / Shangri-La Hotels / → All Tags
This Summer, The Kiddies Stay Totally Free at Shangri-La Hotels
Shangri-La has seriously been stepping it up recently, making a name for itself in the freebie world by coming forward as the first international luxury hotel chain to offer free WiFi on all its properties. And now they're stepping up their game even more with the announcement of their "Kids On Us" program at seven of its properties this summer, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: children under 12 years old to "eat, play and stay free."
Per a Shangri-La press release:
From now until 30 September, 2009, "Kids On Us" offers great savings for families including extra bed in the parents' room for up to two children at no additional cost and complimentary breakfast, lunch and dinner from the resort's children's menu. Various recreational facilities such as full use of the adventure zone, trapeze, jet-skiing, horseback-riding and nature trail walking can also be enjoyed at no charge.
Yeah. Nice for those of you with little ones. The participating resorts are: Rasa Sentosa Resort in Singapore; Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa and Golden Sands Resort in Penang; Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort and Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa in Kota Kinabalu; Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa in Cebu; and Shangri-La's Boracay Resort and Spa.
Also! Taking advantage of the "Kids on Us" program scores you a complimentary room night for a future stay at any Shangri-La property — and you can research the other destinations on your hotel's free WiFi connection! Without the kids bugging you because they'll be downstairs eating their free breakfast! Yay! Everyone wins.
Tags: Memorial Day Hotels / JW Marriott Hotels / Hotel Packages / Tucson Hotels / Family-Friendly Hotels / → All Tags
Round Up the Fam and Head to JW Marriott Starr Pass for Memorial Day
Memorial Day is only two Mondays away (May 25th), so it's hot time you start doing your research to figure out where you're going for the long weekend — that is, if you happen to be so fortunate as to have the day off.
The always fam-friendly JW Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson is offering a special Memorial Day rate and lots of activities to keep everyone busy: on Saturday and Sunday, the resort is setting up arts and crafts or face painting and airbrush tattoos, a Hula Hoop Contest, a Watermelon-Eating Tournament, a Ping Pong Tournament, a Water Balloon Toss or Potato Sack Races, and, at night, a "Dive-In-Movie" at the pool.
On Sunday, the place will be decked out for a "tropical beach bash," complete with theme-y decor and drink specials, with a Summer Kick Off Beach Concert and carnival-ish games for the youngins — and (yay!) fireworks at the end of the evening.
Guests departing on Memorial Day (Monday) get a 3 pm checkout, and rates start at $159 — or you can opt for a room plus a $100-a-day resort credit starting at $239 per night. These rates are offered May 21 through May 25 only; use booking code PX3.
No kiddies? Um, we suggest you avoid the place on Memorial Day weekend — come the weekend before or after; golfin' and spa-ing will keep everyone happy and relaxed without the threat of rogue screaming children.
Tags: Family-Friendly Hotels / Arizona Hotels / → All Tags
Kick It With SpongeBob and Dora at Tucson's Starr Pass
Hollywood can have its celebrities-gone-wild antics. In Tucson, Arizona, family-friendly Nickelodeon celebrities rule the scene, with A-listers SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer hanging out with guests at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa.
In the footsteps of other Marriott-Nickelodeon partnerships, Starr Pass is now offering a Nick Getaway program, which starts May 29 and will run every weekend this summer.
Kid-friendly perks include Dive-In Movies at the pool; Nickelodeon’s Character Breakfasts (with SpongeBob and Dora photo ops); poolside entertainment (Nick-produced skits, games, contests with slime); and arts and crafts (decorating flip-flops, t-shirt making, and sand art).
Weekend rates start around $269 per night.
Tags: Mother's Day Hotels / Miami Hotel Mambo / Kimpton Hotels / Hotel Packages / Family-Friendly Hotels / → All Tags
Have an EPIC Cabana Party With Yo' Momma on Mother's Day
Alright, Mother's Day is coming up very, very soon and you need to start getting your game up and figuring out what you're going to do for the Matriarch of your fam. Does your Lady of the House dig the whole chill-by-the-pool scene? Pamper her and make this Mother's Day an epic one (i.e. ensure you will be getting better gifts than the rest of your siblings — or earn yourself a Get Out of the Doghouse Free card) at EPIC Miami.
For $2,200, you get mom accommodations for three days and two nights at Kimpton's newest Miami property (which, by the way, has been getting fairly stellar reviews). During her stay, she gets a 90-minute massage at EXHALE spa, a two-day poolside cabana rental, and "a kids pool party for up to 10 children inclusive of all water toys and floats, lunch, beverages, custom made party cake" and some kind of surprise gift.
This is an ideal package for a hubby to give to his wife, and you can bring the kids along, too: the KimptonKids program keeps the tots busy so parents enjoy can enjoy themselves a little.
The EPIC Mother's Day Package can be booked for either this Mum's day or next year's — but you've gotta book by June 10, 2009 and stay by May 10, 2010. Use rate code UMD at the hotel's website.
Tags: Hotel Cocktails / Holiday Inns / Family-Friendly Hotels / → All Tags
All Ages Can Partake in the Par-tay with Holiday Inn's Mocktails
Where: United States
Random hotel fact of the day: 64 percent of all drinks consumed in hotels are alcohol-free, or so says PR firm Weber Shandwick. (Side note: We can't help but wonder what percentage goes to those $8 water bottles…)
And nowhere does that stat probably skew even further towards non-alcoholic than at Holiday Inn, a hotel chain about as synonymous with families as Disney World. So it makes perfect sense that Holiday Inn would offer a line of "mocktails" for its guests who want a more sophisticated way to beat the summer heat than a Big Gulp from the nearest 7-11.
Holiday Inn enlisted Virginia Willis, author of "Bon Appetite, Y’all! Three Generations of Southern Cooking," to craft a signature line of libations fit for alcohol-abstainers, from spritzers to slushies to lattes. After a successful launch last summer, the mocktail menu will continue to be served this summer at Holiday Inns nationwide.
Tags: Family-Friendly Hotels / Kidcations / → All Tags
Staycations, Naycations, Yaycations and Now, Kidcations
All everyone in the travel industry talked about last year was “staycations,” that involved staying close to home in order to save money. When the bottom fell out of the economy, everyone dropped "staycation" for "naycation" which caused travel peeps to fight back with "yaycations." But there's one more "cation" we can introduce to our travel world lexicon: Kidcation.
The Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego is offering said Kidcation from April 3 to May 31 and then again from June 19 through September.
The Kidcations program aims to make a stay at the luxury resort more like a trip to summer camp. Upon arrival, children receive a goody bag with coloring books, crayons and games, “dive-in” movies next to the Santiago pool with treats like nachos, popcorn and lemonade, and organized games in the resort’s Wii lounge.
There are also family-oriented yoga sessions at The Spa on weekends, family golf outings, and even in-room camping expeditions complete with pop-up tent and s’mores. Most activities are free, though some will cost a little extra.
When the kids’ wanderlust gets the better of them, San Diego’s family attractions like Sea World, Lego Land, The Zoo and The Wild Animal Park are also within easy distance.
Staycations, kidcations…what’s next, petcations? Ooh, not a bad idea.
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The Easter Bunny To Make Appearance at Luxe Hotel On Sunset
Even the Easter Bunny likes to hop to Bel Air for an occasional brunch date, and this Easter he’ll be putting in an appearance at On Sunset’s Jazz Brunch at the Luxe Hotel. While adults graze and groove to the strains of a jazz trio, the tykes can cavort with an Easter Bunny entertainer.
Brunch lasts from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, though the Easter Bunny will only be there from 11:00 – 2:00 pm. After all, he’s got a lot of places to hit on his busy day.
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