Holiday Inn Club Vacations - Pitstops for Kids

Family friendly Las Vegas: Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Desert Club Resort

Guest post written by Sisily Calvert.

While most think of Vegas as Sin City, my family loves to take the challenge of finding family friendly Las Vegas Nevada experiences, as the city is our home away from home. We recently tallied up our trips to Las Vegas and in just the last four years since my daughter was born, we came up with a staggering 30 plus times. Believe it or not that is a decline from the 12 times a year we visited up until I gave birth in ’08.

“What does Vegas possibly have that is family friendly?” That is the usual question I get when other families learn about our obsession with this desert town. While there are several things that fill up our days while in Vegas, I want to talk about a recent gem that my family and I were so lucky to experience.

Our last six years have been spent in luxurious hotels in rooms that are bigger than our house, which of course makes mom and dad happy. What I’m about to let you in on is happiness for the entire family. The Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Desert Club Resort is nothing less than family vacation perfection. What started out as “how bad could it be,” turned into both my husband and me saying that hands-down, this was the best Vegas vacation we have had. Let me remind you we are not amateurs at the Vegas vacation thing. The Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort exceeded our expectations and completely undermined our previous stays.

Villas:

The minute we walked in we felt the comforts of home. What immediately caught this mom’s eye was the full kitchen: no kitchenette here. What I had wished I’d known is how comprehensive this kitchen was. So I will do my best to list everything I can remember: full size refrigerator, full size stove, full size dishwasher with soap, coffee maker with coffee, microwave, toaster, dishes, silverware, pots and pans, tea kettle and tea, wine opener, can opener, sharp knives, dish soap, dish towels, and paper towels. If I would have known there was a toaster and full size coffee maker, I would have been more prepared. Another huge bonus is the full washer and dryer in every villa. It was so wonderful to come home with a suitcase full of clean laundry; this was a first! Our villa seemed newly upgraded, with beautiful furniture, flat screen T.V., the biggest bathtub I have ever seen, plus updated kitchen and bathrooms. There is one thing that needs improvement and it’s the pillows, they are so hard and thick it was more comfortable to sleep without one.

Service:

Checking in was almost fun! That might sound weird, but from the moment we arrived it really felt different than other hotels in Vegas (not to mention other hotels in general). Other hotels should take notice; the Holiday Inn Club Vacations staff is trained and hired for customer service. What I found to be even more astounding is when a small problem arose, from phone call to door knock was less than five minutes. That has never happened anywhere I have stayed. Bravo to you, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, for hiring and or training people correctly.

Restaurant:

Prospector Joe’s Gold Mind Bar & Grill is their on-sight restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food is reasonably priced and tasty. My husband enjoyed a chicken pesto Panini while I enjoyed an amazing beet veggie burger. Remember the incredible service that I was talking about; expect the same from the incredibly friendly and fun restaurant staff. It was 119 degrees the weekend we went and they threw in a complimentary frozen lemon-aid for my daughter!

Pool:

The pool is where we spent most of our time. The property has five pools spread out between the villas. We liked the pool closest to the restaurant because it had the waterfall and was a bit livelier. We also loved that if we got hungry or thirsty that we didn’t need to go far to get a quick bite or a cool drink.

Game room:

The Game Room was a really well equipped to entertain children and adults alike. Make sure you bring your quarters (they also have a change machine) and rack up a game of pool, air hockey, or video games. This was a great place to beat the heat and have a little friendly family competition.

Bottom line:

I would absolutely recommend Holiday Inn Club Vacations when traveling with kids. The atmosphere was so family friendly and fun. In some of the major hotels in Vegas people give you snarky looks when children tag along; not everyone loves the sound of children splashing in the pool when they’re nursing their hangover! Holiday Inn Club Vacations is a smart family choice considering all the amenities in the room as well.

Date last visited: June 2013

Distance from the interstate: near I-15

Room rates: Villas started at just $109 at the time of visit.

Directions: From I-15 North or South: Take the Flamingo Road East exit. Travel past the Strip (Las Vegas Blvd.) to Koval Lane. Turn left (north) on Koval Lane and the resort will be on your right.

Disclosure: My family and I received a complimentary stay to facilitate this write up. I was not told to express a certain point of view. All views are my own.

Photo credit: Sean McEntee, Sisily Calvert, Holiday Inn Club Vacations

Vacation clubs and timeshare rentals: right for your family?

We just got back from four days on Disney World property, which meant we heard a lot about the Disney Vacation Club. Everywhere we turned, it seemed, Disney was advertising about the merits of their timeshare rentals program. Is it a good a deal as Disney claims? How about all those other vacation clubs and timeshare programs? The answer depends on your vacation style and goals. Ask yourself the following questions to determine whether a vacation club or timeshare is right for your family, and if the answer is yes, read on for a list of top timeshare companies, timeshare properties, and holiday vacation clubs.

1. How far in advance do you plan your vacations?

Traditionally, buying a timeshare or investing in a timeshare vacation club involves purchasing a specific unit for a specific week per year…every year. In contrast, families buying into most vacation clubs purchase a set number of points instead of a physical property, which they can use during various times of the travel year within the boundaries of their point value. Either way, a timeshare family has to plan far ahead–at year one year in many cases–in order to use their points to the fullest or take advantage of their designated vacation week.

2. How important is flexibility in your vacation plans?

Do you vacation during the same week every year? If you’re hindered at all by revolving vacation weeks at work or need to shop various weeks for the lowest airfare, buying a timeshare can be a hindrance.

3. Are you a resort-only type of vacation family?

Many timeshare and vacation club buy-ins now offer the perk of using multiple properties in multiple locations within the company’s system. This means that even though you bought your timeshare at a resort in Bermuda, you can exchange your week at the beach for a week on the ski slopes at a partner property in Vail. This is good news; however, bear in mind that while the location may change, the type of vacation will not. Your family has to be committed to one experience: a resort stay, likely at the same resort brand every year.

If you answered in the negative to any of the above questions, consider renting a timeshare instead. Whereas owning a timeshare is only right for a very-specific type of traveling family, renting a timeshare or vacation club property can e a good option for many. Because timeshares depreciate soon after buying, many owner opt to rent their unused units and points instead of selling.

Where to find a timeshare to rent:

1. Timeshare buy/sell sites. On resort booking sites, you won’t find much evidence of timeshare rental options, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. After finding the resort you’d like to enjoy, cross-check timeshare sites to see if rental options are available. We’ve found deals at the DVC Rental Store for Disney rentals, at SellMyTimeshareNOW for traditional timeshare units, and even Ebay for everything in-between.

2. Pinterest. Find a timeshare rental the fun way by scrolling through photos of vacation rentals and units on Pinterest.

Best timeshare and vacation club programs for families:

1. Holiday Inn Club Vacations: We have first-hand experience with Holiday Inn Club Vacations, and love that each of their properties (across the US, but primarily in Florida and on the East Coast) offer a full array of family-friendly on-site activities such as swimming, golf, bicycling, kids’ clubs, and arcades. And each property is adjacent to family travel destinations like lakes, national parks, theme parks, or landmarks.

2. Disney Vacation Club: If your family plans to take a Disney vacation every year (and probably only a Disney vacation every year), DVC is probably a good deal for you. Plus, you get Disney perks and access to non-theme park properties, like Disney’s Aulani.

3. Marriott Vacation Club: Marriott’s vacation club properties are among the brand’s nicest, and is the most affordable way for families to stay in historic hotels such as Boston’s Custom House or high-end international hotels in Italy, France, and the U.K. Learn more about Marriott timeshare rentals!