SmarterKids in NYC

Conrad New York Midtown in Manhattan recently converted two of their family-friendly suites into Little Conrad Suites featuring SmarterKids toys for a limited time through December 31.  The suites have been infused with $10,000 worth of toys, activities, and decor with creative corners, reading nooks, STEM zones, art areas, and more that are ideal for families with children aged three to 10.  Before arrival, you can choose what you want in the room from the complimentary SmarterKids Toy Menu.  Choose from a two-night stay package in either a Park View One-Bedroom Apartment or a City View 2-Bedroom Suite.  A complimentary Bedside Reading program with both adult and child-friendly books available in print and digital formats is a regular guest benefit.  The 562-room luxury hotel is located in Midtown Manhattan and includes a spa, restaurant, gym, and an impressive art collection.

Family Fun in Ojai

Looking for a late summer or fall family getaway? The Ojai Valley Inn in Southern California is now offering its Summer or Fall Family Fun package.  Your rate will include luxury accommodations, breakfast for two adults and two children daily for up to $100/day, two s’mores roasting kits, and a picnic lunch from Libbey’s (the resort’s fresh artisan market) for up to $70. This upscale family resort sits on 220 acres and is located 50 minutes east of the Santa Barbara airport. Amenities and recreation include tennis, golf, several pools, bikes, a children’s camp, spa, gym, and plenty of dining options. Your family can also enjoy a nice array of daily activities that indulge in the arts, wellness, and nature such as jewelry making, aerial yoga, and beekeeping. There are 305 spacious rooms and suites for families of all sizes to enjoy a relaxing California getaway.

Utah Yonder

Looking for unique accommodation options while traveling through Utah’s national parks?  Check out Yonder Escalante which opened last April near Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and within reach of Bryce Canyon National Park. Set amongst the towering rock cliffs of Southern Utah, the 20-acre hybrid and Instagram- worthy resort offers renovated Airstreams with kitchens and 22 modern and spacious cabins along with RV pull-in sites.  The family-friendly property has amenities galore with a pool, hot tub, drive-in movie theater with nightly showings, fire pits with campfire storytelling and other daily activities, a food truck, self-service laundry, an open-air lounge, a European-style bathhouse, hiking trails, and a general store. The owners describe their concept as rooted in the spirit of the American road trip, with the goal of connecting travelers to timeless Americana.

Theater Camp at Cliff House

Attention theater-loving children and teens!  Cliff House Maine is partnering with the renowned Ogunquit Playhouse to offer an Arts Academy Theater Camp right at the resort. The program includes professional instruction in acting, voice skills, and dance with the goal of added self-confidence, collaborative skills, goal orientation, and professional etiquette. The camp is available on the following dates: June 17 and 18, June 24 and 25, and from July 1 through Labor Day.  It runs from 10:30-11:30am for children ages 7-12 and 10:30am-12:00pm for teens age 13-17.  There is no cost to hotel guests to attend and all sessions take place at the Cliff House Maine Hartwig Theatre. These private classes are sure to fill up quickly and spots must be reserved in advance!  Cliff House offers a great family getaway with a spa, gym with fitness classes, pool, lawn games, several dining options, movie theater, photography lessons, stargazing, golf tee boxes, artist programs, several dining options, and more.    

Mohonk Inclusiveness

Mohonk Mountain House has recently updated its inclusive pricing to ensure your stay is free of unexpected, added costs.  Rates with tax now include:

• Three meals per day
• Afternoon tea and cookies  
• Access to more than 85 miles of scenic hiking trails
• Yoga, meditation, and fitness classes
• Indoor heated pool
• Guided trail hikes
• Most outdoor activities
• All lake activities
• All winter activities
• Golf
• Tennis
• Nightly evening entertainment
• Special events
• Access to the Barn Museum, greenhouse, and more!

There are some activities at an additional expense (spa services, private fitness or sports instruction, alcohol, specialty coffee, babysitting, guided rock climbing, carriage/horseback rides, and select equipment rentals), but there is no expectation of tipping.  Mohonk offers a variety of discounts and specials throughout the year. The best values are for midweek stays.

Quiet Room at Universal

A new quiet room for guests with autism and other cognitive disabilities recently opened at Universal Orlando Resort.  Located near the front of Universal Studios Florida to the right of the Studio Audience Center and Lost and Found, this safe and low stimulating environment will be open when the park is open. The park’s first designated space for a safe, quiet and low-stimulation environment has rubber floor tiles, an activity wall panel and two hiding tunnels.  You don’t need to reserve the room but you may need to wait until it is vacant to use. A 30-minute time limit is encouraged.  If there is a queue to use the room and your party requires assistance quickly, guests will be invited to Health Services or Guest Services to use the calmer spaces these offices can provide. Universal Orlando Resort’s Guide for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities also lists other quiet areas within the theme parks that typically have less foot traffic for those who need a break from the park action.

Cliff House Goodies

Our families enjoy Cliff House Maine for family reunions, couples’ getaways, solo retreats, camp visiting weekends, and other fun getaways.  The 70-acre resort showcases amazing sea and coastline views from atop majestic Bald Head Cliff along with 226 rooms and suites, several dining options, a spa, gym, indoor and outdoor pools, artist in residence programs, family activities, and more.  And we have recently been invited by the resort to offer you some nice, added amenities for your next stay (which are available for most room categories)! 

• Daily breakfast credit of $60.00 (available at The Tiller restaurant)
• Welcome Gift (Maine Made Gift valued at over $100)
• Preferred access to Cliff House Volvo drive program
• Upgrade upon arrival based on availability
• Priority guest access to special events
• Personalized welcome card from travel consultant and Cliff House

Happy Families in Beverly Hills

Ready for a pampered California getaway?  Throughout the year, the Maybourne Beverly Hills is offering a Happy Families package. This luxury hotel is the former Montage that in 2020 became Maybourne’s first hotel outside of London (they also operate Claridge’s and others).  Just stay at least 2-nights to receive:

• A 50% discount on a second bedroom with children under age 16
• $95 daily breakfast credit for two guests per room
• Welcome bottle of champagne on arrival for parents and smoothies and cookies for your children
• Complimentary noon check-in and 3:00 pm check out if available
• Bring up to two dogs with no pet fee

Contemporary luxury radiates throughout the hotel that is steps from Rodeo Drive and offers a rooftop pool, spa, several dining options, and 202 rooms and suites.

New Tours at Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is offering new and cool opportunities to get closer to space and history with two new bus tours:

Cape Canaveral Early Space Tour (Available Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday):  The American spirit comes to life.  Hear stories of the early days of space exploration while your family visits the very places where history was made. The journey begins at the Air Force Space & Missile Museum at Pad 26 on Cape Canaveral, famously the home of the first successful launch of a manmade satellite in the US. You will visit the site of the Mercury and Gemini launches, the launch pads along the ocean shore, John Glenn’s launch pad at Pad 14 Blockhouse, and the memorial site for the Apollo 1 crew.

Cape Canaveral Rise to Space Tour (Available Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday for ages 14 and up): Access restricted and historic areas of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. During this tour, a space expert will lead you to historic launch sites, the Sands Space History Center, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, and Hangar C – the first permanent and oldest surviving structure at the Cape built and used for missile assembly. Inside Hangar C, you will view artifacts like Atlas, America’s first intercontinental ballistic missile; the only known Firebird missile still in existence; and early space artifacts like Gemini and Apollo “boiler plates” that were used during simulations for training.

Tour tickets must be purchased at least 72 hours prior and you also need an entry ticket into the Space Center.  For security purposes, pre-registration is also required.

Broadmoor Holiday

The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs is offering long holiday weekend packages for a fun family getaway.  Choose from Memorial Day (May 27-31), July Fourth (July 1-6), and Labor Day (September 2-6) for 3 or 4 nights.  Inclusions are:

• Classic accommodations (upgrade options available and suites are 25% off)
• One time dining credit ($200-$300 depending on dates and number of nights)
• One (1 hour) horseback trail ride OR one Garden of the Gods Jeep tour for each person on the package
• One time admission to Seven Falls for each person in the package
• Special Family Activities

You may want to stay longer as the resort offers an endless amount of recreation and amenities!  Your family can enjoy great golf, spa, gym, pools, waterslides, children’s programs for ages 3-12, tennis, pickleball, biking, indoor and outdoor pools, bowling, ziplines, horseback riding, movie theater, and their own cog railway with brand new trains for a ride to Pikes Peak! A plethora of other outdoor adventures is nearby.