Sanctuary Beach Resort - Marina, CA

We were on the Monterey Peninsula recently to visit family and celebrate a big birthday for my husband.  Having grown up in the area, I can never decide where we should stay without heading to the usual suspects.  This time my husband chose, and he chose a place I had never been to and had barely heard of.  We stayed at the Sanctuary Beach Resort near the coastal city of Marina along the Monterey Bay.

This resort is an inclusive property, with spa services, a pool and a restaurant on the grounds.  My guess is that due to its location on the outer edge of the bay, they are in between Monterey and Moss Landing’s Elkhorn Slough, the sanctuary feeling increases if you don’t need to drive anywhere.  We loved the seclusion but enjoyed the easy access to Highway 1 and short drive to my family.  Our location was win-win and I admit that I loved the golf cart that came with our room.

Golf Cart for Room 6121

Depending on the room, they give you keys to an electric cart to drive around the property.  It helps getting to the restaurant, though after a few margaritas I had to give the keys to my husband so we’d get back to our room in one piece. They offer a continental breakfast for $10 delivered to your room as well as dinner delivered from 5:00pm until 9:00pm nightly.  Good information if you decide not to drive.

We stayed in Room 6121 facing the dunes and water. It was a king room with a fireplace and called a Dune View Deluxe but we could still see the ocean. We had our own patio set to relax in – perfect for watching the sunset with a glass of champagne.  With the large sliding glass door, it was easy to move inside and turn two chairs to face the view even when the cool wind picked up in the evenings.

The room also came with a set of plush bathrobes and toiletries. A nice bathroom with two sinks and a big shower/tub combo.  My only complaint would have been in our room, the dresser was inside this closet within the bathroom, not in the main part of our room or the closet there.  It made for awkward moments.  I hope this was only because of the triangular shape of our room, and not standard.

Check with the resorts website www.thesanctuarybeachresort.com for room restrictions as they often require minimum stays on the weekends.  Rooms range from Dune Views Deluxe to Ocean View Junior Suite for about $200-$400 but check for their advance purchase saver and save 20%.

The Sanctuary Beach Resort – 3295 Dunes Drive, Marina, CA 93933 • Toll-Free: 1.877.944.3863

Photos by Sharon Castellanos

Nick Hotel in Orlando, Florida, is the perfect destination for a family with young children ages 4-13 years old. If you fall outside of this demographic, please do yourself and your sanity a favor, and don’t go. That said, if you do have children ages 4-13 years old who have even the slightest inkling of who is any character on any Nickelodeon show, make your reservation today.

Nick Hotel, Orlando, Florida

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To prove its family-friendly creds, Marriott is going out of its way this summer to make special arrangements for families traveling with kids.

Marriott Tots Travel Too

One part of it is the Tots Travel Too™ program, now available at 2500 family hotels across 5 Marriott brands – Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites hotels.

Upon request, guests at these 2500 hotels will be provided with complimentary travel cribs along with freshly laundered Coverplay covers. Also complimentary is a squirting tub toy for bathtime which your tiny tot can take home.

There’s more, if you need it. Contact the front desk, and they’ll supply you with everything from outlet covers and nightlights to baby shampoo and lotion. Disposable bibs will be available in the breakfast areas.

All of the above is complimentary and available as part of the Tots Travel Too experience. More details here – www.marriott.com/totsTravel2.

But Marriott isn’t resting on its cribsters, so to speak. They also want to reel in families with kids who no longer need cribs.

To that end, Marriott has teamed up with Nickelodeon to offer Nick-themed vacations at 2000 Marriott hotels across 7 brands – Marriott, JW Marriott, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites hotels.

Exactly what a Nick-themed Marriott vacation means is a bit vague right now, but if you can hold on to your squarepants until around June 17, we’ll provide you with an update.

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Whenever I book a hotel, I’m looking to get the most bang for my buck.

Actually, whenever I spend a buck on anything, I’m keeping my eye on the bang factor.  But there are some times when quality outweighs budget (like with toilet paper), and other times when price is the deciding factor (like with nail polish remover).

Oh, right, this is a hotel blog.

You can find a lot of information online (and on this site) about how to save money on hotels.  But for some trips, there are more important things to consider than price when choosing a hotel.  Of course, it’s never a good idea to pay more than you have to – but when do you let the bottom line rule your decisions, and when should you be willing to pay a little more for a hotel room?

When To Pay More For A Hotel

When Location Matters – If you’re visiting New York City and all of your must see tourist attractions are in Manhattan, it might be worth spending a little more to stay in Manhattan instead of staying out by the JFK airport.  Or, if you’re attending a conference that will require you to be some place from early in the morning until late into the day, it might be worth the extra money to avoid giving yourself a daily commute to and from your conference site.

When You’ll Be Spending Time In Your Hotel Room – When I visit a new city, my main focus is to see the city – not the inside of a hotel room.  However, when my husband and I get away to relax together, we’re more concerned with relaxing together than sight seeing.  If you’re planning a vacation to get away that will involve extensive down time inside your hotel room, the quality of the hotel room is something to take into account in your planning.

When You’re Pampering Yourself – Along the same lines as a romantic getaway with your loved ones, some vacations are taken specifically because you need a little extra pampering.  If this is your specific reason for traveling, make sure you get what you want out of the trip by investing in a hotel that will make you feel luxurious.  (At the very least, avoid the threadbare flea bag motels.)

When You’re Traveling With Children – Traveling with children is a whole different beast than traveling with adults.  Consider kid friendly hotels that will make your stay more enjoyable for your children and, as a result, the adults in your party.

When Safety is a Concern – Of course, personal safety should never be completely abandoned.  But it’s of special important if you’re traveling alone or traveling as a single adult with small children.  Also, if you’re staying in a major city, you need to be more aware of (and willing to pay for) properties in safe neighborhoods than, say, if you’re traveling to small town Iowa.

As much as I’m a proponent of traveling despite a tight budget, I’m just as passionate about making sure you have the travel experience that your heart desires.  In order to do that, you may need to pay a little more for the right hotel.

Photo Credits (in order of appearance): Photos8.com on FlickR, ukcountryhousehotelsandspas on FlickR