Extreme Wow Suite at the W Hotel Buckhead Atlanta, GA

Wondering what the Extreme Wow Suite looks like at the W Hotel Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia?

I’ve just checked in and yes, it an extreme WOW!

Here are the pics:

Extreme Wow Suite Living Areas:

 

 

 

Extreme Wow Suite Bedroom:

 

Extreme Wow Suite Bathroom

Check out all the nozzles on this shower… and there are two sets of these in there!

Toiletries from BLISS:

More toiletries, including a loofah mitt from BLISS in the shower:

And yes, the toilet seat is heated.

 

 

Extreme Wow Suite View

This is one of the views from the living room:

Not pictured is an additional bathroom, two closets, bar area and the electric blackout shades.

It’s pretty luxurious and no, not all that family-friendly. But I could get used to this for a getaway if I had to….

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Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa Hotel Room

Interested in what the hotel rooms at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio, Texas looks like?

I was just there with my family this weekend and stayed in a ADA-compliant Double room with a walk in shower. Here’s what it looked like:

You can see my husband walking out onto the balcony, where the kids were already checking out the surroundings and making bird calls (or something like that).

I ushered them all back into the room so I could take this picture:

The balcony looks smaller in this photo than it actually feels.

Here’s a view from the other side of the room:

This time my husband was lounging a bit.

You can see on the right side that this room has a bit of an entryway before you reach the room from the hotel hallway. That area features a closet and countertop vanity. The bathroom entrance is over there on the left side of the photo:

While we are at the hotel I was told that the property will be undergoing a major renovation this fall (2012) to update the rooms. They do have a bit of an older feel in terms of decoration, but nothing uncomfortable or obviously in need of change. I’m excited to see what they will do with the facelift, as I can only imagine it will be gorgeous!

The rooms already are quite spacious, which is perfect when you are lugging baby gear or even just kid gear!

Planning a trip to San Antonio? Check out Destination Snapshot: San Antonio for some insider tips.

Have you stayed at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country? What did you think of the hotel rooms there?

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Extra touches at Comfort Inn

Not too long ago I stayed at the Comfort Inn in Zillah, Washington.

Upon check in I was told the hotel offers hot chili and crackers as well as fresh-baked cookies and milk from 8- 11 p.m. each night.

I spied a hot air popcorn popcorn and popcorn flavoring powders in the lobby, alongside a stack of bowls.

Then, when I reached my room, I noticed a makeup remover towelette with the other toiletries. (You might think I’m obsessed with toiletries after seeing this plus my post mentioning the Peter Thomas Roth massaging soap bar and my advice on what to do when your luggage is delayed. I promise I’m really not obsessed. I just like it when the details are noticed.)

Comfort Inns everywhere include a hot breakfast as part of your stay with them and free wi-fi. (Why IS it that the pricier hotels always charge for wi-fi??)

I love all of these extra touches that make hotel stays even better and welcoming. And the fact that desk manager was cheerful, welcoming and helpful made the experience great from the start.

Thanks, Comfort Inn, for the extra touches and comforts. They DO make a difference!

And yes, in case you are wondering, I did take advantage of the fresh-baked cookies and milk before bedtime!

**This is not a sponsored post. I just happenned to stay there and liked it… and thought you might like to know, too.

What extra touches do you like in a hotel stay?

 

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Summer Fun at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center near Houston

Live near Houston and looking for a hassle free vacation?

Last weekend Houston hit its hottest day ever recorded, and even though we were outside most of the day, neither my kids nor I noticed the heat. We were too busy splashing around in the pool of The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center!

And what a pool it is! The resort calls it an “Oasis of Fun,’ and with two massive waterslides, a splash pad, gradual entry pool with tons of shallow water for the younger set to splash, play and swim in, as well as deeper spots for chasing dive toys and exploring fish on the bottom and sides, plus set ups for water volleyball and water basketball, it is exactly that. Oh, and did I mention the two waterfalls my kids liked to ‘hide’ behind or the music that plays underwater? SO fun!

My kids are five, eight and 10 years old, and each of them had a blast. Plus there was tons to do for toddlers and even babies. We’ve been to plenty of vacation spots but it is not often that we find a pool area that actually has something for every age group while letting the parents relax and enjoy their children without worry. This place has it… they were even smart enough to keep their baby pool well away from  the bigger pool so moms of the littler ones won’t constantly have to re-direct their crawlers and can instead just have fun with them. Brilliant!

But ‘just’ the pool wasn’t all there was to do. Roly the clown engaged the kids in his crazy juggling, unicycle and tiny tricycle riding as well as his lasso tricks. He helped kids spin plates on sticks and balls on their fingers. And he did it all without being intimidating, but instead completely welcoming and just a little goofy.

There was also another clown doing face and body painting and a master balloon bender! My daughter asked for princess stuff and ended up with an intricate crown and scepter. My younger son came back a fierce-looking blaster (great, I know) and I saw some crazy octopus, aliens and even light sabres that even Anakin would have enjoyed.

Something else that struck me about the pool area was that there was no shortage of lounge chairs both in the sun and the shade… and there were several cool water misters, so sun bathers could bake and those wanting to stay cool had plenty of options.

To cool things off even more, we were offered complimentary frozen orange slice and grapes throughout the day.

The adjacent Cool Water Cafe served burgers, hot dogs, wraps, appetizers and salads and a long list of refreshing drinks that you could order at the cafe or poolside.

I especially like that the kids meals were not only generous, but they came with a big serving of fruit and a massive chocolate chip cookie.

I skipped the chips that came with my wrap, and still had plenty to eat.

We arrived a bit before check in to enjoy the pool area and did exactly that until dinner time, when we opted to head back to the room and order room service.

 

The room was generous in size and had plenty of space for the rollaway bed we need. I also liked that the bathroom wasn’t cramped, either.

We had every intention of taking in the Dive In movie at dusk,

but the kids were happily wiped out after a day at the pool, so instead we watched the end of a movie on TV and slipped off to dreamland.

The next morning we made our way to the restaurant’s buffet breakfast which offered lots of your typical breakfast buffet fare (omelet station, waffles and pancakes, scramble eggs, sausages, bacon, cheese blintzes, cereal) but also some fantastic lighter options.

There was a whole table of fruit, which my kids loved, and some yogurt, granola and fruit parfaits in martini glasses that my kids said they would love to have for breakfast at home, too.

After breakfast we went back to the pool for a few more hours until it was time to get back to reality and head home.

Unlike most vacations, though, our trip home lasted only 30 minutes and we had just one bag to unpack upon arrival.

Aaaah. Perfect!

Why hadn’t we taken this vacation MUCH sooner?

Truth be told, my husband and I ‘won’ a stay at the resort months ago in a silent auction, but had never put it to use. We have had every intention to use it, but things just kept coming up. Then the resort contacted me at the beginning of the summer and invited us to experience the resort for one night on them. We wiggled the schedule a bit and made it happen. (And to make it even better, we visited on my son’s 10th birthday. I don’t think he will ever forget THIS birthday treat!)

After this past weekend, I can’t believe I haven’t cashed in on my other voucher yet! But I will be, soon.

This was a fantastic quick, hassle-free getaway. If you live nearby, or can add a day or two onto a trip to Houston to have some more fun, I strongly suggest you consider The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center. As you can see, we had a blast… and even stayed cool.

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One Ocean: Our experience at this luxury beach hotel in Jacksonville, FL for families

I’ve just finished up a 10 day trip with our three kids (and without my husband) to visit family and relax in Florida.

To break up time with my parents in Orlando and time with my brother and his family in Jacksonville, I took the kids to a luxury beach hotel near Jacksonville. It was the perfect dose of luxury, beach and ‘us time’ between our two family visits.

We stayed at One Ocean, an uber-cool-feeling hotel.

I was looking for a comfortable hotel right on the beach with a pool, where we would get a little pampering without feeling like we were in the way with kids.
Ocean One delivered.

Check out the gorgeous lobby:

There is even a mini-art gallery off to one side with photographs appreciated by all four of us.:

Although the hotel was so beautiful, it still had a very welcoming and friendly feel and not once did I second guess my hotel choice.

When we went to our room, though, I was surprised by the lack of a view of the beach. I was under the impression that I had booked an ocean view room, but we had to lean back and stand on one side of the window to see it. The very polite bellman explained that they do have ocean front rooms, but there would be an up-charge for switching.

I contacted the front desk and decided to go ahead and spring for a balcony ocean front room and I am so glad I did. It cost us an extra $30 a night, and we really did enjoy the view.

While we were waiting for confirmation on our move, Curt, our personal docent, came by to show us the snacks and drinks which had already been placed in the room for us. He suggested we relax while the details of our move were sorted, so the kids celebrated our arrival with the Snickers bar, Sprite and waters left for us.

Once we moved down the hall, Curt explained that he was there to help in any way. He was happy to steam or iron clothes, shine shoes, bring coffee or tea or help with anything else. (The hotel doesn’t place irons or coffee makers in the room, as they want the guests to be pampered while visiting.)

Curt also came back with a extra snacks and drinks to be sure we had all we would want. He even asked what types of juices the kids might like.

It wasn’t long before we were in our bathing suits and out the door, exploring the ocean.
After digging in the sand and jumping over waves for awhile we made our way to the pool and splashed around there for a bit.

At dinnertime, we took Curt’s advice and hit a local restaurant nearby.

Overall it was a great stay.

Here are my lowlights and highlights of Ocean One:

Ocean One Lowlights:
Tiny bathroom.The bathroom didn’t have space to hang our bathing suits. Most beach hotels offer extra hooks or a string drying line but this one did not. (I did like the shower and its ledge, however. It made it easy to shave my legs. There was only a shower, though, no bathtub, which was fine with us, but might have been inconvenient with a baby.

Not enough towels. Although there were four of us, there were only three bath towels in our bathroom. On our second day we were only given two. I was surprised this detail was overlooked and we weren’t stocked with 4 clean bath towels each day.
Not enough toiletries. Again housekeeping didn’t take into account that there were four of us in the room and did not leave enough toiletries. They were quick to bring more when I requested them, though.

Ocean One Highlights:
Gorgeous and interesting decor. The kids even commented on the artwork and architecture.
Location. The hotel is right on the beach and within easy walking distance to restaurants and shops.
Pool. The pool isn’t huge, but it serves it purpose well and the lounge chairs around it are very comfortable. Plus, the pool is shaded the second half of the day which keeps the deck area from getting too hot in the summer.
Kid-friendly food. They offer all the typical kid-friendly food. Unfortunately you have to ask for it, but I’ll take that over not having the option any day! Plus, the prices for the food were quite reasonable for a hotel.
Azurea resturant. Azurea is a fine dining restaurant, so we opted to give it a try during lunch when it would be more casual. The food was fantastic and I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the prices. Plus it just feels cool in there.

Complimentary DVD players and a use of DVDs. Need I say more? And we ordered warm chocolate chip cookies and milk from room service while we watched the movies. Aaaaah.
Snacks and drinks. The resort fee covers more than enough snacks and drinks in the room which we took to the beach and enjoyed in our room. Perfect!

Staff. Every employee I came into contact with was friendly and accommodating. Even with three young children, I never felt like we were in anyone’s way or were a nuisance. Instead I felt welcomed.
Great overall feel without any stuffiness.

All in all our stay at Ocean One exceeded my expectations. This kids had a blast and I felt relaxed the whole time. The staff was nice, the hotel was beautiful and we enjoyed it all. I would definitely stay there again.

I am glad I decided to splurge on a luxury hotel, and I was pleasantly surprised as to how much ‘extra’ I got from the hotel in terms of service and extras. The hotel definitely had a more expensive feel to it than what I was paying.

Have you ever stayed at Ocean One or another luxury beach resort near Jacksonville? What do you look for in a beach resort stay?

 

 

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