It's hard to believe that Orlando-area hotels have gotten even more kid-friendly, but it's true.
The Loews Portofino in Orlando has just unveiled its Dr. Seuss kids' suites. The two-bedroom suites have a king bedroom for Mom and Pop and a kids' room with two twin beds and Dr. Seuss decor.
Upon entering the suite, colors and patterns are everywhere, from the vibran blue carpet that is sprinkled with a pattern of lighter blue dots to the beds, which appear to be a part of "Who-ville" with Seussian forms inspired from Horton Hears a Who Book. Buildings teeter, trees drop and machines work in impossible way.
Fortunately for parents, their bedroom is normal and free of any Dr. Seuss interior design scheme. The Loews group in Orlando has several other kids suites available. There are Jurassic Park-themed suites at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort and musical kids' suites will debut later this year at the Hard Rock Hotel.
Starting rates for kids' suites at the Loews Portofino is around $500 a night.
Man, it must be hot in Orlando. According to police reports a black bear was spotted taking a swim in the pool of the Hard Rock Hotel early this morning.
The hotel was not evacuated and no one is in danger as this breed is particularly shy but the search for the bear is on at nearby Universal Studios.
Still can you blame the bear for wanting to take a dip? The Hard Rock has a 12,000-sq.ft. sand beach pool area with an underwater stereo system, a 260-foot water slide, and themed cabanas like "The Yellow Submarine" or Stevie Wonder's "Musiquarium" which have ceiling fans, plasma TVs, wireless internet, and dedicated server to bring you drinks.
Or perhaps the bear was just trying to reserve some chairs for the family. We know how heated these pool chair wars can get.
Just in time for Earth Day and HotelChatter's unofficial Green Hotels Week, the The Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando Resort have become certified members of the Florida Green Lodging program.
Aside from having green ogres and monsters on hand, the Loews Hotels (Loews Portofino Bay, the Hard Rock Hotel and the Loews Royal Pacific Resort) have formed "green teams" at their hotels. These teams are staffed by employees and help implement green practices that encourages both the guests and the hotel employees to be more "environmentally responsible."
Guests in all 2,400 on-site hotel rooms now have the opportunity to recycle plastic bottles, newspapers, aluminum cans and office paper.
In addition, a hotel campus-wide energy management system, programmable thermostats and high efficiency lighting help to conserve energy in all guest rooms and in more than 130,000 square feet of meeting space.
The hotels’ Energy Star-rated appliances, low flow plumbing fixtures and a linen and terry re-use program help to conserve water and waste is reduced by recycling and purchasing items in bulk.
The Hilton's Grand Vacations Club in Orlando, the mecca for family vacations, has put together two themed packages that either a family of brainiacs or a family who loves to karaoke will probably appreciate.
The first package is the "Out of the World" getaway which includes a NASA-themed kids welcome amenity and admission to four for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex where the family will get a guided tour of the entire place.
The package is only good through September 30th and starts at $257 per room. To book call the resort directly at 407-465-2638 and request rate code KSC.
The next package is the "Hilton Grand Vacation That Rocks" which is available through December 31. It includes karaoke nights on the hotel property and a $50 Hard Rock Cafe gift card. Could the karaoke night be the start of your child's very own High School Musical? (Yes, we've seen this movie. More than once.) Just remember, a three-night minimum is required and rooms start at $119 a night. For more information, book here.
When we say Orlando is hot in the summer, we mean it's really hot--as in steamy. That doesn't stop the crush of families coming to visit all the Disney Parks, however. So prepare to find a place with crisp air conditioning and a sizable swimming pool.
Disney World is not for everyone. For example, it is not for us. We just can't imagine going to Disney World now that we are past the age of 12. But we understand that a lot of you have children or grandchildren who beg mercilessly to go to Disney World.
Yet, even though you will give in to the cries (literally) of your beloved little ones, Disney World is crazy expensive! There's an alternative though. It's called the Wonderful Weeks of Disney and it's promoted by the theme park itself. Each season, the theme park highlights its lighter weeks when you can expect fewer crowds and hopefully get some bargains.
For the Summer Season, the lighter weeks begin August 12 and run through September 27, which is also during hurricane season. So you take that risk of getting rained out.
While the tickets are still crazy--$67 a day for people 10 and older, $56 a day for ages 3-9--there is a bit of a break on the hotel scene.
Sure, there are swell summer rates at places like The Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld. One for $149 a night (Promotional Code LRW) is more than half the high season rate of $309. However, this does not include taxes or parking. Add those, and we're looking at $175 (and change) a night.
That math prompted us to see what we could do at a more upscale resort. So we tried The Villas of Grand Cypress and guess what we found?
