The Atrium at the Gaylord National

I’ve raved before about how much I love the Gaylord Hotels, and I’m so thrilled that they’ve recently partnered with Dreamworks to create a more family-friendly experience at their hotels. Now, they are offering Family Fun Nights with Shrek and Friends on special nights in February and March 2011.  These nights are the perfect way for kids to really enjoy themselves in a family vacation experience!

The Family Night Nights start at $99 per person, double occupancy, and include the following:

• Accommodations at a Gaylord Hotels resort for a family of up to four
• Admission to DJ dance party with appearances by Shrek, Fiona, and Puss in Boots
• Admission to a DreamWorks movie shown on a big screen
• Puss In Boots Quest for the Magic Beans Scavenger Hunt
• Swamp Juice and Ogre Treats
• A souvenir photo for the families
• A DreamWorks craft activity
• The daily resort fee
• Self parking

The Family Fun Night with Shrek and Friends takes place on Feb. 18, 2012 at both Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, TN., and Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, FL., and on Feb. 25, 2012 and March 10, 2012 at Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, MD.

The Gaylord National
201 Waterfront Street
National Harbor, MD 20745

The Gaylord Opryland
2800 Opryland Drive
Nashville, TN 37214

The Gaylord Palms
6000 W Osceola Parkway
Kissimmee, FL 34746

The Gaylord Texan
1501 Gaylord Trail
Grapevine, TX 76051-1945

Photo credit: The Gaylord Hotels

A Delta Riverboat at the Gaylord Opryland

Are you planning on staying at one of the Gaylord Hotel’s gorgeous properties this winter?  If so, you may be helping to support VH1′s Save the Music Foundation.  Under the Gaylord Hotel’s Rooms for Good program, 10% of the room package rate will be donated to a designated charity (excluding taxes, fees and incidentals incurred during stay).  In January and February, the designated charity is the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to maintaining and restoring instrumental music education in schools.

If you’ve never stayed at a Gaylord Hotel, now is definitely the time.  These hotels are like a beautiful city all under one climate-controlled glass atrium ceiling – including waterfalls, restaurants, shops, clubs, conference facilities, a spa, bars, a fitness center, and much more.  In addition, the Gaylord Hotels are now partnering with Dreamworks for an even more family-friendly vacation experience.  Rates start at $179 at the Gaylord Palms, and $199 at the Gaylord Texan, the Gaylord Opryland, and the Gaylord National Hotels.

The Gaylord National
201 Waterfront Street
National Harbor, MD 20745

The Gaylord Opryland
2800 Opryland Drive
Nashville, TN 37214

The Gaylord Palms
6000 W Osceola Parkway
Kissimmee, FL 34746

The Gaylord Texan
1501 Gaylord Trail
Grapevine, TX 76051-1945

Photo credit: The Gaylord Hotels

If you’re planning a family vacation to Washington, D.C., you may be looking for ways to save money. One option to consider is staying just outside of the city. But be careful; that budget hotel may actually cost you more money if you don’t take all of your extra expenses into consideration.

When visiting a city, I generally prefer to stay in the city proper. This provides better access to the amenities, attractions, and urban environment I traveled to enjoy in the first place. However, in rare cases it’s just as convenient to stay a little farther out and still save money. In the DC metropolitan area, for example, you can find the following hotel deals online:

Hyatt Arlington – $89 per night
1325 Wilson Blvd Arlington, VA
Across the Potomac and well beyond walking distance of most major attractions

J.W. Marriott Washington D.C. – $269 per night
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC
Two blocks from the White House

At first glance, the Hyatt Arlington seems like the best deal, especially when you factor in the $35 nightly valet charge at the J.W. Marriott that you may need to pay if you drive; the Hyatt Arlington’s daily parking fee starts at just $16 per night. However, if you choose to stay in Arlington, you will need to pay to take the Metro (or a cab) every time you want to get into the District. How much extra will that cost?

Your Metro expenses will vary depending on the number of people in your party (obviously) and the time of day and day of week you’re traveling (a little less obviously). Peak fares can be as much as double off-peak fares. If you plan to visit DC during the week and not on a national holiday, you should expect at least some of your fares will be about $5 per ride. You can save money by getting an unlimited daily pass for $9 per person. When traveling alone, $9 per day for Metro fare still puts you ahead if you spend the night in Arlington. Traveling with a family of four? Now you need to add an extra $36 per day, along with the added inconvenience of having to take the train every day.

Whenever you’re visiting a city and looking for ways to stretch your travel budget, it’s important to look closely at all your options. Consider hidden fees, extra transportation costs, and the convenience expense that often comes with less expensive lodging. You may still find that lower room rate is the best option for your family, but you also won’t be caught unaware by additional costs.

With a $45 million sale to a European real estate group, the Watergate Hotel in Washington DC now looks all set to reopen as a luxury hotel.

Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C.

The Watergate scandal brought down the Nixon Presidency, spawned a book and a movie and made the 12 story, 251-room Watergate Hotel one of the most well-known hotels in Washington DC.

Inspite of the fame, the hotel has fallen apart after being mothballed in 2007. The recession put a stop to an attempted renovation and conversion of the hotel into a hotel/residency complex, and the property has since fallen from owner to bankruptcy to the shame of an auction where no one made a bid to buy it.

But its troubles days seem to be over, with the hotel now under the clear ownership of Euro Watergate Hotel, a holding company of Euro Capital Properties. The company has offices in Paris and New York and apparently specializes in turning pre-WWII properties into upscale hotels.

Their plans for the new Watergate Hotel are just as upscale - Euro Capital is planning to spend $50 million on renovations and they expect to charge room rates in excess of $300 per night. The new hotel will likely keep the Watergate name. Planned facilities at the Watergate include a spa, restaurants and bars.

Given its landmark status as a bonafide tourist attraction, the location overloking the Potomac Rover and proximity to the Kennedy Center and the White House, $300 for a night at the Watergate Hotel doesn’t sound too shabby.

Photo – tvol

Info: 2650 Virginia Avenue NW Washington DC 20037; www.thewatergatehotel.com/

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