San Diego, with its nearly perfect weather and tons of family activities, is an ideal place to bring the kids. A must-visit spot is Balboa Park with its renowned San Diego Zoo, miniature train, 14 museums and beautiful gardens – check out the kid-friendly itineraries. TheNAT, San Diego Natural History Museum, offers an Ultimate Dinosaurs exhibit where kids can meet new and exotic dinosaurs and for the first time outside Washington, DC., Photo Ark a multimedia exhibition that showcases National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore’s project documenting the world’s animal species. Visit TheNAT website for info on monthly family days. The New Children’s Museum is filled with various art installations to keep kids and their families entertained for hours. While not the most wallet-friendly activity in San Diego, SeaWorld San Diego with its coasters, rides and sea creature exhibits is a popular option. Know what is affordable? San Diego’s pristine beaches for a day of surf and sand.
Where to stay: Hilton San Diego Bayfront has a toddler pool and kids-only water slide. Embassy Suites San Diego Bay – Downtown modern suites include separate living rooms with pull-out sofas plus free amenities like made-to-order breakfast and evening appetizers and drinks – near kid-friendly activities.
Happy travels!
Veronique
Veronique Deblois is a travel industry veteran who currently works for Hilton. The views and contents on this post are my own and in no way in partnership with my employer.
A family vacation does not mean discerning parents need to do away with luxury accommodations. World-class resorts have smartly developed kids programs to keep the little ones entertained while providing their parents with much needed R&R of their own.
Here are ten luxury hotels with amazing kids programs where guests will easily create family vacations to remember.
The Cloister at Sea Island – Sea Island, GA
Sea Island’s Camp Cloister is fun-filled with activities for the kids, like baking classes, archery lessons, themed dinner night, baby sea turtle viewing, fishing, nature walking, swimming, scavenger hunts and storytelling.
There are also endless activities for teens like sailing, paddle boarding, swimming in the ocean or the pool, beach volleyball and more. Teens 15 through 18 years old will also enjoy Waterfront Lounge, Sea Island’s haven made just for teens where they can watch the game, play pool or shuffleboard and meet other teens from different destinations.
Grand Summit Hotel at Mount Snow Resort – West Dover, VT
Grand Summit Hotel is owned by the Mount Snow ski resort making all ski school programs very conveniently located. A full day of ski school is offered to kids ages three (Cub Camp), found through six (Snow Camp) and seven through 14 (Mountain Camp for skiing, Mountain Riders for snowboarders). Non-skiers can enjoy snowshoeing and tubing.
In warmer months, there is Adams Farm, a working seven-generation farm with seasonal activities and agricultural experiences. Kids can enjoy feeding the farm animals, wagon rides, sleigh rides, paintball, and with many other seasonal special events. There is also bowling, fishing, boating, miniature golf and more.
Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort – Wailea, HI
The Grand Wailea kid and teen program, Camp Grande is a supervised children’s program for kids ages five to 12 years old. The program is held at The Rock, a 20,000 square foot facility that also houses Ohana Hale – the gaming lounge with countless video games and The Spot – a lounge for teens 13 through 17. At The Rock, kids can find activities like fresh orchid lei making, hula lessons, video games, the Lego wall and much more. There are also a whale-shaped outdoor wading pool, a play kitchen and tool set, a private movie theater, snack bar, craft room and a full-sized soda fountain. The game room offers foosball, ping-pong, pool and an arcade.
Photo by Hawks Cay Resort
Hawks Cay Resort – Duck Key, FL
Hawks Cay Resort offers kids’ activities for young ones five to 17 years old. Camp Hawk at Hawks Cay Resort is for children five through 12 years old offers activities like nature hikes, scavenger hunts, swimming in the resort’s two pools, snorkeling and kayaking in the resort’s saltwater lagoon, and feeding tarpon from the marina’s dock.
Teens (ages 12 through 17) can play basketball, volleyball and kickball. They can also hit the ocean and kiteboard, kayak, snorkel and fish. For teens looking to just unwind, the five pools are perfect for laying out and video games in the play area are where they can make new friends.
Hotel Del Coronado – Coronado, CA
At the DelVentures activity center atHotel Del Coronado, children four through 12 years old can enjoy beach-themed activities and play rooms, underwater murals, funhouse mirror and more. Exciting 1-hour activities and 3-hour evening adventures are popular with this age group, The free adventure pack provided at check-in includes a treasure map and compass to use to explore the property and uncover the hidden clues, leading kids to a “treasure” at the end.
The resort also has a space dedicated to teens ages 13 to 17 – VIBZ, a hip lounge with computers, karaoke and foosball tables. Teens over 14 years old can also visit the spa for special massages and facials.
Summertime activities for the whole family include dive-in movie nights, surf camps and family s’mores night.
Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa – Santa Ana Pueblo, NM
Hyatt Regency Tamaya takes great care to develop its children’s program with local culture and flavor. The 500-acre property is located on part of a Native American Pueblo and provides kids three to 12 years old the opportunity to experience the art and history of this culture within prearranged activities at Camp Hyatt. Camp Hyatt works with National Geographic Kids to construct eco-friendly and locally inspired activities.
The Stables at Tamaya, where over half of the horses at are rescue animals from the Tamaya Horse Rehabilitation Program, is another popular place with kids. The stables offer free pony rides to kids three through eight years old and lead-arounds for children ages four through eight.
Photo by Langham Huntington
Langham Huntington – Pasadena, CA
Modestly priced at $30, The Langham Huntington Kids Program offers kids 12 years old and under a teddy bear backpack filled with goodies like a special kids’ craft from Little Junebugs, Langham newsletter which includes family-friendly dining and activities in the area, free kids’ dinner in The Terrace restaurant (must dine with an adult who orders an entrée from dinner menu and a complimentary Langham chocolate bar from the Flavours of Langham Luxury Gift Boutique.
There is also the Imagine Tea, designed for kids and featuring junior performers from the famed Magic Castle who do close-up magic while the kids dine on a specialty tea menu of sandwiches and fun desserts, accompanied by pink lemonade, milk and a selection of fruit-infused, caffeine-free teas.
Photo by Mohonk Mountain House
Mohonk Mountain House – New Paltz, NY
The Mohonk Mountain House, a National Historic Landmark resort, is nestled in the private woods of the Hudson River Valley. The resort’s castle-like appearance is sure to fascinate kids and parents alike and the kids’ program is built in a way that puts children in touch with nature and area wildlife through a variety of outdoor activities. Mohonk accepts children two years and older and the full-day program is available from mid-June through Labor Day for kids two to 12 years old. Activities range from nature hikes, to pony rides, to swimming and boat rides.
There are also activities for kids from seven to 12 years old that include learning rock scrambling, tennis and golf clinics and sporting events and tournaments. The Teen Lounge accommodates teens from 13 to 17 years old and entails listening to music, watching movies, playing video games and simply hanging out. In the winter, children can take ice-skating lessons, go snow tubing or snow shoeing.
Photo by Resort at Paws Up
The Resort at Paws Up, Greenough, MT
At The Resort at Paws Up, families will get reacquainted, reconnected and revitalized. The resort offers activities ranging from horseback riding, fly-fishing, river rafting, paintball wars and chuck wagon riding. Families can stay on luxurious homes with wrap-around porches or plush family tents outfitted with separate sleeping quarters for the children and full bathrooms with heated floors. The property has a newly added perk of complimentary kids club – Kids Corps of Discovery, an immersion program that “replaces screen time with serene time” for children. Age-appropriate itineraries are available for toddlers, teens and tweens.
The Ritz-Carlton Naples – Naples, FL
Ritz Kids at The Ritz Carlton Naples is a nature center with 11 aquariums and touch tanks (home to eels, baby alligators, sharks, and jellyfish), a laboratory and a computer room. The program, available to children from five to 12 years old, is a place where kids can learn about and discover nature in a colorful, living eco-sanctuary.
The full and half day program provides hands-on discovery activities in the Nature’s Wonders facility that use a science-based curriculum and kid-sized lab featuring microscopes and visual stimuli like preserved reptile skeletons—all the tools to help a budding marine biologist explore a new world.
Happy travels!
Veronique
Veronique Deblois is a travel industry veteran who’s currently employed by Hilton. The views and contents of this post are my own and in no way in partnership with my employer. I wasn’t compensated for writing about this subject.
The stylish, contemporary property is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Denver, and as the name suggests, near the Denver Convention Center. The all-suites hotel is a stroll away from the Denver Center for Performing Arts, the 16th Street Mall and the Denver Art Museum. I walked to several downtown Denver restaurants during my stay.
As is true of Homewood Suites, a hot full breakfast is served free of charge each morning. There are also complimentary evening socials from Monday through Thursday evenings. The hotel has full kitchen in its suites and smartly offers a complimentary grocery shopping service – brilliant! For on-the-go-items, there’s a 24-hour on-site convenience store. There is also complimentary internet access. Guests can re-energize in the fitness center, I did and it’s a great spot, or refresh with a dip in the indoor pool or hot tub.
The Suite
I stayed in a spacious one-bedroom king urban studio with panoramic mountain view suite and it was fabulous. My bedroom had gorgeous views of the snow-capped mountains and large windows were prominent throughout the suite. One of the bedroom features I loved during my stay – a ceiling fan over the bed! The bed linens and pillows were of premium quality, an important element to a comfortable stay. There’s a large flat screen TV in the bedroom.
Dining Area
Living Room / Office
Kitchen
Bedroom
Bathroom
I had a fully-equipped kitchen with a twin burner stove, microwave, full-sized refrigerator, coffee maker and a dishwasher. While I didn’t have an opportunity to cook in my suite, I appreciated being able to store beverages and snacks in the refrigerator. This is a great feature for families traveling with kids as well as business travelers not wanting to dine out each night.
The work area with comfortable desk chair is adjacent to the living room featuring a sofa bed. I found myself stretching out on the sofa and watching TV on the flat screen a few evenings during my stay.
The modern bathroom was clean and spacious with a walk-in shower and a granite vanity. Kudos for the great water pressure and the small foot rest perfect for leg shaving.
I’m looking forward to visiting Denver again so I can stay at this great property.
Happy travels!
Veronique
Veronique Deblois is a travel industry veteran who’s currently employed by Hilton. The views and contents of this post are my own and in no way in partnership with my employer. I wasn’t compensated for writing about this subject.
The Wentworth Mansion, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, is a historic hotel in downtown Charleston. Through my social media efforts, I won a three-night stay at this illustrious property and our stay was simply perfect on all levels: luxurious accommodations, gracious hospitality, an award-winning restaurant and exclusive amenities.
Richard Widman purchased The Wentworth Mansion in 1997 and proceeded with an extensive $7 million renovation that preserved and restored historic features including the original staircase, the inlaid floors, and Tiffany glass while adding modern conveniences.
Wentworth Sunroom
We loved that the property, which had been a private residence, was not in a commercial and bustling part of Charleston, yet, it was just steps from award-winning dining, art, history and shopping.
The property’s grounds are lush with green lawns, century-old trees and flowers. There is a private, complimentary parking lot that was welcoming as street parking is common in the neighborhood. A bell person is available to gather belongings from the car and transport them to guest rooms.
All guests receive a complimentary house-made breakfast and nightly chocolates from the restaurant in the mansion’s original carriage house.
When I hear that my room comes with complimentary breakfast, I am not often excited but at Wentworth Mansion, breakfast is an absolute treat. More on Circa 1886 in a bit.
In proper southern hospitality, the property offers afternoon hors d’oeuvres & wine in the Charleston Parlor. There, we had an opportunity to meet other guests and unwind before heading out for the evening. Upon returning from our evenings out, we were greeted by evening port, sherry and brandy.
The Accommodations
Each of the 21 guest rooms has a unique size, shape and architectural features. The property offers pet-friendly guest rooms for patrons with pets have easy access to the lawn and homemade dog biscuits.
Mansion Bathroom
Mansion Room
Our room was one of the Mansion Rooms, once the bedrooms of the family that built the Mansion. The elegant guest room is spacious (averaging about 475 square feet) and beautifully appointed with a king-size bed with premium linens, an expansive bathroom with oversized whirlpool tub, a walk-in shower and luxurious bath products and a gas fireplace. There was a sitting area where I enjoyed reading a book and a desk where we could have worked comfortably, but did not. There is nightly turndown service.
Rooms also feature refrigerators with complimentary soft drinks and bottled water, flat screen televisions, DVD players, hair dryers, irons and ironing boards, cozy robes and safety deposit box. Rooms and common areas offer complimentary internet access.
Wentworth Lobby
The Food
Tucked away in the gardens behind Wentworth Mansion in the original carriage house, Circa 1886 Chef Marc Collins honors Charleston traditions while creating contemporary cuisine beautifully crafted with the finest, locally-sourced ingredients from the area’s fields, pastures and waters.
The delicious breakfast that comes with stays at Wentworth Mansion features homemade pastries, delectable coffee and local favorite dishes. Service is friendly and polished but not stuffy and the setting is beautifully appointed.
We also enjoyed dinner at Circa 1886. We opted for the five-course Chef’s Tasting Dinner. The typical cost of this $75 dinner is reduced for hotel guests. It is a considerable value for food that is so fabulous.
More about Circa 1886 in an upcoming post.
The Spa
Originally the Mansion’s stables, The Spa provides everything guests needs to rejuvenate and replenish amid 14-foot vaulted ceilings, exposed beams and rustic beauty.
A stay at Wentworth Mansion is an absolute treat and pampering experience and I look forward to returning.
National Air and Space Museum. Photo by The Smithsonian Institution.
In Washington, D.C., most of the family-friendly attractions are free making this popular city a bargain for families. Three stops on the National Mall that are must-visit are part of the Smithsonian Institution: the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American History. The National Air and Space Museum offers many educational opportunities for children and adults and features thousands of objects on display, including the 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia and a lunar rock kids can touch. The National Museum of National History has a compelling display of dinosaur bones and artifacts and also features the wildly-popular Butterfly Pavilion, which is a paid exhibit. At the National Museum of American History, families will be able to view the Star Spangled Banner and visit hands-on kid-friendly exhibits. A short metro ride away is the National Zoo with its more than 2,000 animals and many informative educational classes.
Where to stay: The Embassy Suites Washington DC Convention Center is within walking distance to the Smithsonian museums and White House and has an indoor pool. Hampton Inn Washington, D.C./White House has an indoor pool and offers complimentary breakfast and internet. The District by Hilton Club offers a touch of luxury with family-friendly amenities like free hot breakfast and an indoor pool.
Happy travels!
Veronique
Veronique Deblois is a travel industry veteran who currently works for Hilton. The views and contents on this post are my own and in no way in partnership with my employer.
I’ve been a frequent guest at Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis when I’ve traveled to my company’s headquarters. The hotel is outstanding on many levels: service, accommodations, location, amenities. The property is centrally-located near the convention center.
About Hotel Ivy
This luxury Starwood hotel incorporates the historic Ivy Tower and features 136 rooms with 21 luxurious suites. The staff is polished, warm and helpful. The lobby is simple and classy and is where the check-in desk and the lounge are. The hotel offers meeting space also.
About the Rooms
While there are several room categories to select from, I’ve always stayed in the Superior Room which is the hotel’s “entry level” room. The room design is much like the whole feel of the hotel – understated elegance. It’s about 400 square feet and features a soothing color palette of creams and blues accented by dark wood. There’s a sitting area, a desk perfect for getting some work done, an ultra-comfortable bed with premium linens and a flat screen television. There’s also a clever custom armoire that creates a sense of division between the bathroom, wardrobe area and bedroom. The bathroom is tiled in limestone and offers both an enclosed glass shower and deep soaking tub. I opt for a king bed but a two queen bed layout is also available.
By the way, the hotel is pet-friendly.
Spacious SHower
Soaking Tub
Wardrobe Divider
About the Amenities
I’ve taken advantage of three of the hotel’s amenities while visiting: the spa, the lounge and the fitness center.
The Spa Club is luxurious without being showy. It features 14 treatment rooms offering specialty massages, body treatments, facials, nail services, and more.
The lobby lounge is named Venetia and features creative mixologists who make drink that rival any of the hippest bars in town. There are also many wines by the glass and a fun beer list, including local favorites. There’s a great happy hour daily from 3PM – 7PM.
There are also a restaurant, the very popular Monello, serving classic Italian fare.
Ivy Fitness Club is beyond a business traveler’s hotel gym dreams. The club has more than 5,000 square feet of state-of-the-art fitness equipment. There are also classes (more to come in a separate post).
I just recapped my recent stay at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess and need to add a separate post about its indoor/outdoor bar, The Plaza Bar. Over the 5 days we spent at this gorgeous Scottsdale hotel, I must admit that we spent a considerable amount of time at this bar. Why? Several reasons:
The Space
As I mentioned earlier, The Plaza Bar is an indoor/outdoor bar that offers several spaces to fit any moods. There’s the typical bar with comfy stools where we had lovely conversations with the mixologists and watched a couple football games. There are sofas with fire pits reminiscent of a home outdoor living rooms. There’s also a modern indoor bar with floor-to-ceiling glass walls/windows that overlook both the central hotel plaza and the backyard/golf course.
Photo by Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
The Drinks
This property has invested in the right bar program. The mixologists are awesome and personable and have developed a craft cocktails menu offering house made bitters, infusions, syrups and powders that are used to make some pretty spectacular drinks. To my hubby’s delight, there are many craft, seasonal beers with some local favorites. There are also many wines by the glass.
My favorite cocktails during out stay were the #1 – vodka, lime, chili-anise shrub, basil, grapefruit segments and ginger beer ($15), Salted Cucumber Gimlet – gin, lime, cucumber and salt ($14) and French ’75 – gin, lemon, sparkling wine ($14).
The Food
The Plaza Bar has a nice bar food menu which features items like chips and onion dip, deviled eggs, burger, chicken Caesar salad and wings. It’s a good alternative to doing a full meal which enjoying drinks or while watching the games.
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
7575 East Princess Drive, Scottsdale, Arizona, United States 85255
I’ve visited the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess over Thanksgiving for the last two years. I’m in the travel industry and see MANY nice properties in the course of a year, yet, this gorgeous resort is at the very top of my list.
About the Property
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is a AAA Five Diamond resort situated in the Sonoran Desert. The property features 750 guest rooms, six pools, two newly-renovated TPC championship golf courses, five top-ranked restaurants and lounges, an award-winning spa with a salon and a wellness facility, catch-and-release fishing lagoons and the popular Trailblazer’s Kid’s Club and Family Adventure Center.
Standard Room
Living Room & Patio
Top Notch Food & Drinks
Having a solid food and beverage program is something that’s a must for us when staying at a hotel. The Princess excels in both with award-winning restaurants and specialty lounges/bars.
For a casual breakfast or lunch, we like Ironwood American Kitchen which serves classic American cuisine in a casual indoor/outdoor bistro atmosphere. The all-day offering ranges from flatbread pizzas, sandwiches and salads.
Our dinner favorite is La Hacienda, celebrity chef Richard Sandoval’s modern Mexican restaurant. We adore the classic-yet-refined Mexican cuisine and the tequila bar that features 240+ varieties of tequila from 36 different labels presented by a Tequila Goddess – amazing mole, guacamole and margaritas!
My golf-avid husband loves to lunch after playing at Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar located at the Clubhouse overlooking the 18th hole of the famed TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course. The restaurant has a Pan Latin menu and he enjoys lunch of ceviche paired with one of the 151 varieties of rum available.
Another restaurant I’ll be dining at on my next visit is Bourbon Steak, a Chef Michael Mina restaurant.
Spacious Bathroom
Soaking Tub
Well & Being Spa
When my guy’s at golf, I’m at Well & Being Spa. This place is AMAZING and I’ll write about it in more details in a future post, but it includes more than 70 treatments to choose from, has a top-of-the-line fitness center and tons of daily fitness classes. I love starting the day with a yoga class then enjoying a few spa treatments.
Seasonal Experiences at the Princess
One of the reasons I enjoy visiting this property over Thanksgiving is because of its Christmas at the Princess event. The place transforms in a winter wonderland, yes, in the desert, complete with ice skating rink, giant decorated trees and millions of twinkling lights. The place is festive and beautiful and sets the tone for the holidays to come – I highly recommend it.
The resort features seasonal and holiday experiences complete with specialty menus, decadent brunches, concerts and family-friendly activities. Here’s a bit of info about the four main seasonal experiences:
Note that there’s a daily resort service charge of $30 per room, per night (plus applicable tax). Resort service charge includes half day access to Trailblazers Family Adventure Center for up to three children (ages 5-12, lunch fee additional), self-parking, basic internet access, access to the hotel gym (not the spa fitness center) and more.
Who Should Stay at This Property
The best part of this property is that it truly caters to all: foodies interested in dining at four top-ranked Arizona restaurants, meeting/conference attendees, spa fanatics (like me) looking to partake in the innovative spa and fitness programs at Well & Being Spa, sun worshipers ready to soak in the sun at one of the six sparkling pools, and golf enthusiasts ready to tee off at two newly-renovated 18-hole championship golf courses, including one that’s home to the Annual PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I’m on the road for work a good part of the year. That means lots of time at the airport lounge and sitting on a plane.
While I typically work on my laptop to keep up with emails and assignments, I can’t do that at the start of end of my flights as laptops need to be powered down. What I find myself doing during that time is getting on my iPad and playing games or reading.
I’ve been looking for new ways to pass the time while traveling and started coloring. Yes, coloring…as in coloring book and colored pencils! I’ve been buying adult coloring books that are very intricate in a henna sort of way. The books and my coloring pencils case are thin so they take up hardly any space in my laptop bag, a definite plus!
According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapy, including adult coloring, is a mental health profession in which the process of making and creating artwork is used to “explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem”. Basically, for me, it’s all about stress relieving and keeping my mental focus sharp.
I find the time flies by as I color and I’ve enjoyed it tremendously. Perhaps it would also be good for you!
I’ve shown my love for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts on this blog and via social media in the past, and am, once again, doing that, this time for the beautiful, elegant Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park, a AAA Four-Diamond property.
I recently stayed at the 687-room, 45-story property while I attended a business meeting within the conference space.
The front-desk staff was beyond courteous and addressed me by name and acknowledged my President Club status. These employees really set the tone for the level of service I’d be experiencing during my stay – simply delightful.
My king-bed room was on the 36th floor and overlooked Grant Park and the water. The furnishings aren’t brand new but are pristinely-maintained. The bedding made it so I never wanted to get up in the morning and the bathroom linens were top-quality.
I appreciate a hotel with bedside electric outlets and the Fairmont didn’t disappoint. The work desk was also well-appointed to fit my business needs with suitable outlets.
The check-out process was on-point with the proper level of appreciation for my business, which will ensure return visits.
The Fairmont Millennium Park Chicago is the perfect property for leisure or business.
Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park – 200 North Columbus Drive, Chicago, Illinois, United States 60601. Telephone: (312) 565-8000.
