Group Travel Scoop - Groople.com

Hot Hotel Deals For Kids

Kids need a hotel too! Groople has parents of kids ask all the time for kid-friendly hotel rooms and kid friendly-hotel deals. Fear not for your Group Scoop gumshoe has ferreted out some exciting deals for families with kids:

Holiday Inn- has “Kids Suite” a nook that includes bunk beds and room to play and free meals for kids under 12

Hyatt- has “Family Plan” pricing that allows parents too book a second room for the kids at ½ price

Westin- has “Kids Club” which includes a kids cup with a beverage of choice at check-in, a bedtime story call-in line, and a safety kit for parents to make the room child proof

Loews Hotels- has “Loews Loves Kids” program that is a lending library of DVDs, games, and even necessities like cribs

Omni- has “Sensational Kids” program that treats kids to a four star experience including fun things like suitcases full of games

Remember, outside of kid-centric programs at hotels, other good advice for traveling with kids: swimming pool (as a kid might say, “duh”!) a hotel near a park, hotels with kitchenettes to save money and make kid favorites like grilled cheese sandwiches, and hotels with nearby attractions with-in walking distance (to make going out for fun less of a production).

Of Holidays, Dinner Conversations, and Family Vacation Advice

"No time like the present…"

Time with the family is upon you. Most of these lovely people will be those who are closest to you. Some of them will be practical strangers you never see but once every other other year. Some of them will only be family in the strongest friendship sort of way. We predict that there will be a large dinner served in the coming days and dinner conversation is looming.

Never fear. We here at the group scoop are masters of chit-chat with the gift of gab. We have the perfect dinner conversation topic for you. One can only talk about the merits of cranberries for so long. We suggest you talk about travel. A well told travel story can draw everybody’s interest. Travel stories can be tales of intrigue, mystery, with twists of love and adventure! Ok, this may be an embellishment, but be confident, tell your tale with gusto!

Who knows this may even lead to discussion of taking a family vacation trip. Plan a trip to celebrate the upcoming holidays or perhaps one just for the adventure of it. We’ll give you some advice WHERE to go in a future posting for now we have some advice HOW to go on your family vacation. This time we give our advice checklist style.

The Family Vacation Planning Checklist:

Plan Ahead- Make sure you have all the details and everyone on the same page. If it’s not going to be fun, why go?

Communicate- Use a travel planning tool like GroopVine and set up a family trip webpage. Keep everybody on the same page

Choose wisely- Pick a place to stay in the center of the action.

Hit the pavement- Walk, walk, walk everywhere including the restaurant. Walking will really connect you to your destination and give a chance for everyone to connect.

Near the park- What’s better than wiffle ball and BBQ with the family?

Pool- Make sure you have a nice pool. Never underestimate the importance of a good pool.

Hospitality / Concierge Desk- It’s best to plan ahead of time, but it’s always nice to have a knowledgeable helping hand available for questions

Outdoorsy- Choose at least one Activity involving animals, sea life, or nature. We hear all the time how the highlight of a family vacation was the hiking trip or zoo expedition. Kids love it.

Baby-time- If you’re traveling with babies make sure to bring along baby proofing items, and baby healthcare products like sunscreen and bug screen.

Kid-time- try to keep in mind what stage a kid is in their development and throw them a few bones on the trip that are age appropriate

Adult-time- Make sure the grown ups can have some alone time someway, somehow.

Summer Family Vacation Destinations

If you haven't already planned a late spring or summer trip for your family, now is the perfect time to start planning your family vacation. Maybe you want to jump in the car with your spouse and kids and head out for an adventure, or perhaps you want to call your brothers and sisters and get together with nieces and nephews for a larger gathering. Either way, summer is a fun time to take a family vacation. What are some of your favorite family vacation spots?

Below are some of my favorite family-friendly destinations that you may not have considered:

Hershey, Pennsylvania - Hershey, PA is a town built around fun and chocolate. This is an exciting family destination, just an hour and a half from Baltimore and about three hours from New York City. Hershey is a lot of fun for a weekend family trip. Hersheypark is a great amusement park with water rides and roller coasters. It is open daily from May 23 through September 8 with weekend hours in early May and late September. And there is also Hershey's Chocolate World, which is a tour ride through a chocolate factory, including samples. ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park features animals native to North America in "naturalized habitats". What started out as a home for a private animal collection in the early twentieth century was re-opened in 1978 as ZooAmerica and has become one of 50 accredited zoos and aquariums in the United States.

Wisconsin Dells - Less than 50 miles from Madison, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Dells is a popular regional destination. It is easily accessible from Chicago, Milwaukee, or Madison. Some call Wisconsin Dells the water park capital of the world. Wisconsin Dell is located along the Wisconsin River and the deep gorges the river cut over time. The area offers a beautiful setting for outdoor activities such as hiking and biking, amusement parks, and river cruises. Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park and Noah's Ark Water Park are among the favorites. In nearby Reedsburg, visit the Museum of Norman Rockwell Art, which is home to over 4,000 Rockwell creations. Ho-Chunk Casino in nearby Baraboo is a fun casino with lots of ways to play. The Casino offers great dining options, live entertainment, and resort amenities for their guests. The Ho-Chunk Wellness Center offers workout facilities, swimming pools, and more.

The Outer Banks - North Carolina's Outer Banks are a string of barrier islands that run along the Carolina Coast. The Outer Banks are more than 130 miles in length and are home to many incredible vacation spots for your family vacation. Visit towns such as Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, and Kill Devil Hills, or head for the rustic Hatteras Island. Be sure to visit Roanoake Island as well, England's first attempt to colonize the New World that ended in the mysterious disappearance of the would-be settlers in 1587. Ideally set along the Atlantic Coast and offering shelter most of the year, the Outer Banks offer lots of opportunities for beachcombing, swimming, watersports, sportfishing, birdwatching - the Outer Banks are a wonderful destination for outdoor enthusiasts. This is a fun place for your family vacation.

Find a hotel for your family vacation.

Other Resources:

Frommer's Top 2007 Travel Destinations

Holiday Gatherings - Start Planning Your Family Reunion or Family Vacation

When you get together with your friends and family over the holidays, remember this is the perfect time to plan a vacation with your extended family or that big reunion you've been wanting to arrange. When you plan a group trip, it is really nice to include as much of your group as possible in the planning and decision making.

People like to be included, and they appreciate when you get their input as part of the planning process. Group travel involves more than just the trip coordinator's preferences and needs. You are responsible for everyone's experience.

When you gather around the table for that wonderful meal, take a few minutes and start the discussion about where you want to meet up this spring or summer. If it is a family reunion trip, a really popular choice these days is an all-inclusive resort stay in Mexico or the Caribbean. It is nice to all agree on a destination and to be able to tell everyone exactly how much the trip will cost upfront, including airfare, meals, drinks, and accommodations.

Before you get together over the next week or so, search for some all-inclusive resorts to give your family some ideas.

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