Hotels

A view of the Seaport Hotel from the Boston Harbor

When the Seaport Hotel in Boston opened back in the 90s, it was one of the first hotels on the about-to-be-revived South Boston waterfront.  Now, finally, the waterfront is a Boston hot-spot, with the Boston Convention Center, Institute for Contemporary Art, and the Boston Children’s Museum easily within walking distance.  The Seaport is still one of the best hotels in Boston, with deluxe accommodations, a fabulous restaurant, and family activities nearby.  It is also a “green hotel“, featuring environmentally friendly policies.

This Thanksgiving Holiday season, the Seaport Hotel, in conjunction with their on-site restaurant Aura Boston, is offering a wonderful special with two options.  If you are certain of your plans, you can fully pay for your room in advance, with no option for cancellation, and lock-in the fabulous rate of $99 per night, which includes overnight accommodation, usage of the Wave fitness club and pool, and wireless internet access.

If you need the option of canceling or changing your reservation, you can get the flexible holiday rate of $149 per night. Both rates are available from November 22nd – November 30th, 2009.

To book this special rate, visit the Seaport Boston’s promotions page.

If you do stay over the Thanksgiving holiday, you can also book reservations for Thanksgiving dinner at Aura Boston.  The special Thanksgiving menu includes a kid’s menu.

Photo credit: the Seaport Boston

San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino

One of the best places to stay in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is Condado Beach–with easy access to dining, shopping, nightlife, beach lounging and the historical area of Old San Juan. And smack in the middle of Condado Beach is the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, a great choice for families or couples to base their San Juan explorations. The hotel now helps guests share their vacation experience with pals back home with free YouTube postcards.

The hotel’s YouTube Concierge offers guests a chance to star in a 30-second video postcard, which is then uploaded to YouTube for you to share with friends and family back home. The free service allows you to avoid worrying about buying postcards or stamps, or whether to bring the camera down to the pool or beach. Take a look at the video we shot poolside on our last day.

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The week immediately before and the few weeks after Thanksgiving are the BEST times to visit Orlando on vacation to experience the many theme parks and attractions with some of the smallest crowds of the year. The weather has cooled, the rain has dispersed (not my guarantee), and most kids are in school.

If you happen to be in town for Thanksgiving at the beginning or end of your vacation, there are some fabulous hotel restaurants catering to your Turkey Dinner needs. If you’re an “all-you-can-eat” kind of family, below is a list of the Top 5 tastiest-looking Thanksgiving Day buffet menus in the Orlando resort area.

Thanksgiving Dinner Buffets for 2009

Capriccio Grill™ – Peabody Orlando on International Drive
One of the priciest buffets in town at one of the nicest hotels, the Peabody is doing it up fancy-like for Turkey dinner. The nicest of nice foods (most of which I cannot pronounce) include Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage, Pecorino & Beurre Noisette, Apple Cider Baked Smoked Ham & Grain Mustard, and Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes.
Adults $59.50; Kids (6-12) $25 (under 6 is free)

Orlando Thanksgiving Day Buffet – Celebration Hotel in Celebration
Adjacent to Walt Disney World, Celebration, FL, has the charm and ambiance of an old-time neighborhood and city-center with all of the new-world features. The Celebration Hotel is offering a “Florida-style” Thanksgiving buffet featuring Honey Cornbread Stuffing, Granny Smith Apple-Vegetable Turkey with Giblet Gravy, and New Orleans Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce.
Adults $49.95; Kids (3-12) $19.99 (under 3 is free)

Traditional Thanksgiving Buffet – Caribe Royale on World Center Drive
Spend your Thanksgiving dinner in the company of a live Jazz Trio while dining on Shrimp & Crab Cocktail with Remoulade Sauce, Cream of Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup, Tender Roasted Tom Turkey, and a “lavish display of desserts.”
Adults – $39; Kids (3-9) – $15 (under 3 is free)

Garden Grove – Swan and Dolphin Hotel at Walt Disney World
With traditional Thanksgiving dinner fare, the Garden Grove’s buffet includes a turkey and ham carving station, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean almandine and a special kids-only offering.
Adults – $34.95; Kids (3-9) – $15.95 (under 3 is free)

Holiday Grand Buffet – Rosen Plaza on International Drive
Mixing traditional American Thanksgiving dinner accutrements with modern dishes, the Rosen Plaza has planned a tremendous spread including Roast Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus, Traditional Roast Turkey carved tableside, Pilgrims Loaded Mashed Potatoes, and Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Adults $31.95 ; Kids (4-12) $15.95 (under 4 is free)

I’m pretty much considering telling my grandma I’ll be a day late to our family Thanksgiving dinner.

photo credit: A Lynch

One of the big hassles of travel, IMHO, especially when traveling with kids, is having a hotel experience which ends up draining you, rather than restoring you. Cramped space, inadequate beds, poor lighting, all can take the fun out of a family trip. When we travel, the hotel is our home base and we have high hopes that spending time there will be relaxing and restorative, giving us the energy to continue exploring our visiting city.

Sutton Place Hotel

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The best reason to stay at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites when visiting Lexington, Kentucky may be its location just blocks from the campus of the University of Kentucky, 1.5 miles from downtown, and five miles from Lexington Bluegrass Airport and I-75/I-64 Interstate access. Additionally, the hotel is less than one mile from the Lexington Convention Center and Rupp Arena, and just a short drive from the Keeneland Horse Racing track, the Red Mile, and numerous Kentucky Horse Park events. But its location is not the only reason to choose this relatively new hotel when visiting Lexington.

Holiday Inn Express Downtown Lexington, Kentucky

The moment I walked into the lobby, I was impressed. Directly across from the front desk, a large common area with comfortable armchairs and sofas had been arranged in front of a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, inviting guests to relax and chat. Behind the fireplace, a large breakfast bar occupied one whole wall of the spacious, sunny dining area. Just down the hall, a sparkling clean indoor pool and spa, 24-hour guest access Fitness Center, and guest laundry rounded out the hotel amenities.

Commoon area with fireplace, comfy furniture, dining area, and large breakfast bar

Indoor pool and spa

My room was equally impressive, featuring two queen size beds with upgraded linens and top-of-the-line mattresses, an entertainment center, writing desk, and free high-speed Internet access. The hotel also offers suites and rooms with private whirlpools. For business clients, a 650 square foot meeting room and 24-hour business center are available. Perhaps best of all, the University grounds were a perfect distance for a nice, brisk walk in the morning prior to checking out. At $90 per night, this Holiday Inn Express was a good value for the money.

Standard room with two queen beds

Photo credit: Barbara Weibel
Article by Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels

Disney Character Totem Pole in the Atrium Lobby

Planning a visit to the Great West in the near future? Me either. (Oh, how I wish, though.)

Why go all the way to the actual “West” when you can stop in to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World in Orlando? The outside of the hotel is manicured with pine trees, moose statues, and the building appears to be sided with logs from the Great West. Inside the hotel is a GRAND atrium with Disney character totem poles, a ginNORmous stone fireplace, and an actual creek running through with an actual bridge as only Disney can do.

The family and I haven’t stayed a night in the deluxe resort hotel, but we’ve been to the hotel for lunch at their all-you-can-eat BBQ restaurant, Whispering Canyon Cafe. Mucho delicioso, and at Disney World, finding a reasonably-priced restaurant can be a chore.

Outside the back of the hotel is a massive lake where you can rent boats, swim in the creek “reservoir,” and take a stroll on the boardwalk through the forest. There are many decisions you have to make when choosing a Disney hotel (ie. to stay on property or off), and if one of the decisions you’re making involves needing on-site activities that are family-friendly, check out Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, even if it’s only for the day.

My family and I are big-time Disney World visitors. Having been Orlando residents for the last 13 years, we have taken advantage of our close proximity to the parks and themed hotels. That said, there are still tons of things we still don’t know about Disney World and learn about new improvements and specials all the time.

Sleep in a Pirate Bed

This past summer, our friends booked and invited us to one of the Pirate-themed hotel rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Our reaction: “Disney has Pirate-themed hotel rooms???” We had NO idea. My ignorance is now your bliss. You’re welcome.

If your kid or spouse is pirate-obsessed, the Pirate-themed rooms at the Caribbean Beach Resort are the perfect weekend getaway destination. Not only do the headboards look just like a pirate ship, but the in-room refrigerator is inside of a rustic-looking barrel and the shower has a Black Pearl image “carved” into the sides. Nearly every decorative feature of the room is in some way themed after pirates. Not a single detail is left untouched by a pirate.

When you’re ready to leave your pirate room, head down to the pirate ship at the Caribbean Beach Resort pool. There are 2 water park-sized slides and an entire pirate area for toddlers and young children.

October and November as well as April and May are ideal times to visit Disney and the Pirate-themed rooms with cooler weather and smaller crowds. Call 407-WDW-MAGIC or book online.

Skull & Crossbones Bathroom Curtain

Flat Panel TV on Pirate Cargo Boxes

Photo credit: Terry Greear

Duval Street in Key West, FL

Over the summer, I had written a post about the Sheraton Suites in Key West, Florida while doing research for my upcoming wedding. I thought I had it all figured out – until I came across the Doubletree Grand Key Resort in Key West. This place has a lot to offer, too, and they offered us an even better group rate. So, planner that I am, I had to come up with a list comparing to two to help make my decision – and hopefully it’ll help you decide between the two as well!

Doubletree Grand Key – The Good

THE SHUTTLE – it  holds about 40 people, and there is more than one, so there is no trouble getting to downtown Key West, which is about 3 miles away. The shuttle has four drop-off points, too – one at Smathers Beach, one at the Butterfly Conservatory and one at Conch Republic Seafood – and to the airport, too.

THE AQUARIUM – The hotel has an aquarium right on the premises!

THE POOL – the pool is a zero-entry pool, and the entire pool area is currently being renovated (come back in November to see how it looks!)

THE LOCATION – If you’re you’re looking for a quieter location that’s removed from crazy Duval Street, you’ve found it.

Doubletree Grand Key – The Bad

THE LOCATION – So, this is good and bad. It’s not right across the street from Smathers Beach, and it’s about three miles from downtown, so you either have to take the shuttle, cab or drive it.

RENOVATIONS – the hotel is nice, but is in need of some renovations and is not newly renovated like the Sheraton is. Rooms are on the smaller side, as well.

Sheraton Suites – THE GOOD

THE LOCATION – right across from Smathers Beach! It’s 2 miles outside of downtown, so it’s removed from all the craziness of Duval Street.

RENOVATIONS – they’re gorgeous! The hotel lobby looks very inviting and cool, and the rooms are beautifully redone.

ROOMS – they are HUGE. All are suits, and some can fit up to six people. Fridges, Starbucks coffee, couches that convert to beds, gigantic showers and granite countertops.

SHUTTLE – it drops off in one location downtown – the shuttle is small, but it’s nice to have so that you can avoid having to drive.

Sheraton Suites- THE BAD

THE SHUTTLE – yes, it’s nice to have, but it’s small and you have to reserve it really to make sure that you have space.

I couldn’t really think of anything else I didn’t care for at The Sheraton! Guess my decision is made.

Photo: Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar

When searching for a family-friendly hotel in the Orlando area, you normally don’t find “resort” or “grand” in the name of the location. Usually you find “budget” and “motel” for an inexpensive location with a pool when you travel on a budget. That said, the Hilton Grand Vacations Club on south International Drive is an ideal location for a family vacation.

Kind of ridiculous just how BIG the bathtubs really are

The Hilton GVC is primarily a timeshare location, but they offer rooms and suites to regular nightly guests at a surprisingly low rate. My family and I have stayed at the Hilton GVC on two occasions and have been highly impressed with its decor, price, amenities, pools, and staff. Both times we have stayed was in a 2-bedroom suite with balconies, full-size kitchen, two king bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and a the biggest in-room spa tub I’ve ever seen. (Even bigger that ones I’ve seen on MTV Cribs. HUGE.) We aren’t big spenders, so we were pleasantly surprised that we were able to book a 2-bedroom suite in July for only $149. (I actually calculated the price for moving in permanently.)

Aside from the two grand pools (one with a waterfall and nearly spans the length of a football field; one with a gradual beach-style walk-in entry), the resort caters to children with their covered wooden playground (wooden playgrounds are hard to find in Florida), toddler splash park, daily AND nightly planned kid’s activities, and poolside ice cream socials. We took full advantage of their poolside bar & grill sitting by the pool with our hot dogs, hamburgers, and mommy/daddy drinks.

Resort pool with waterfall

The Hilton Grand Vacations Club is adjacent to the Orlando Premium Factory Outlets, and depending on your room location (and heat index), is a short walk to shopping. Just across the street from the Hilton GVC is Publix, a major supermarket chain where you can stock up your kitchen with your grocery shopping needs. If you’re in town to visit the area attractions like Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, or SeaWorld, all are only a 15 minute or less drive away.

Hilton Grand Vacations Club on International Drive – Orlando
8122 Arrezzo Way
Orlando, Florida, USA 32821
Tel: +1-407-465-2600

Having to fly unexpectedly to Scottsdale, Arizona recently for a family emergency, I found myself scrambling to locate a hotel with enough amenities to satisfy my parents and my wildly diverse siblings with their extended families.  Not being familiar with the area, but wanting to get a hotel with the basics to satisfy me, I can report that the Wingate by Windham in Scottsdale is where I plan to return to whenever I am back in town.

Plush Beds @ Wingate Scottsdale AZ

The Wingate by Wyndham is part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of hotel brands that includes Ramada, Days Inn, Travelodge, Howard Johnson and more.

This Wingate is targeted to the business traveler, with a 24 hour fitness room that I used daily, and a well stocked breakfast set up every morning from 6:00 until 9:00. I stuck to the cereal and eggs, but my sister raved about the “make your own waffles”. With the heat, my brother skipped the gym and used the pool. He swam every morning, reporting to me how nice and clean the water was.

Great Equipment & Television in the 24 Hour Fitness Room

They offer great deals for seniors and AAA members.  We had nicely appointed queen rooms for $89 a night.  My room had two queen beds and huge flat screen LG television.  With my sister in a room on one side of me and my mother on the other side, how quiet my room was at night was perfect.

Neutrogena Products & Fluffy Towels

We all agreed that the Moen Revolution showerhead was a nice perk and my father loved how new the ironing board and iron were. He likes a a very sharp crease in his pants. Each room has a single-cup coffeemaker with Wolfgang Puck coffee that comes in handy if you stay up late like my niece or get up at the crack of dawn, like my mom.

With members of my family unable to drive but needing to get to the mall and other destinations, we were pleasantly surprised by their free shuttle service. They have a few vans available from 7:00 to 7:00 everyday, that will take you anywhere you want to go within a 5 mile radius of the hotel. Amanda, one of the front desk agents drove us a couple of times and expertly got us to our destination. Given my parents back seat driving and the hundred temperatures, I couldn’t tip her enough.

Make Your Own Waffles!

The Phoenix Airport is too far but the Scottsdale Airport is close enough use their free shuttle.  If you need to print your boarding pass, they have a 24 hour Business Center too with free internet access and printer.  The Wingate by Wyndham in Scottsdale has an amazing staff who offered our family so much warmth. If you travel to Scottsdale for business, a round of golf or maybe a girls spa weekend, this hotel is in a great location off the 101 Loop.

All photos taken by my iPhone.