hotel review - Pitstops for Kids

Idaho vacation pick: Hotel McCall review

July 29, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

We really enjoy vacationing in Idaho, both in summer and winter. Like Wyoming and Utah, this state continues to surprise us with awesomeness. Most recently, we took a six-day vacation rafting the Salmon River with O.A.R.S. rafting, which put us in scenic McCall, Idaho pre and post-trip. I’ve visited McCall many years ago while in college, and remembered a fun and lively lake town. McCall is still all that, but in addition to the energy that pumps through this vacation town in summer, there’s a dignified, peaceful side that will appeal to parents.

Hotel McCall Review:

We stayed at the Hotel McCall, located directly downtown one street from Payette Lake. While we were right in the heart of things at Hotel McCall, our suite itself (as well as the general hotel grounds) was quiet and spacious. We had a one-bedroom condo, which overlooked the lake and included a large master bedroom and bathroom with shower and jacuzzi tub, a full kitchen, and a living room with pull-out couch. The unexpected surprise: our rooms included a large outdoor balcony with table and chairs with a town and lake view; we were able to sit outside with a beverage or meal and see the tourist town at it’s best without being in the midst of it.

The layout of the Hotel McCall is unique: in addition to the main building with understated but upscale lobby area, another building is connected by a sky bridge and/or elevator. We stayed on this side, but it was an easy walk to the lobby. There’s a courtyard directly below and behind the hotel, which includes shops and dining, including a great bistro and wine bar, and green space where families can spread out and play a game of bocce ball.

There’s a saline pool for swimming year round (in summer, you’ll want to head to the lake, too), and included parking and WiFi. Our boys loved the DVD players in each room, with access to a long list of DVDs which could be checked out of the Hotel McCall library. For winter guests, ski lockers line the hallways, tucked away unnoticed in summer.

Onsite is a spa room where massages can be booked (if only I had time for this!) and a fitness facility. Nearby, Legacy Park is just across the street, with access to the lake, and there’s golf, hiking trails, and mountain biking within a few miles.

Dining:

We loved that Hotel McCall offered a continental breakfast set up from 7 am to 10 am each morning. This is such a value to busy and hungry families who don’t have time to cook in the kitchen or booked a room without one. There’s also Rupert’s, a casual dining restaurant with lake views and a bar. As noted above, additional restaurants are within very easy walking distance.

Room options:

We stayed in a one-bedroom condo which books for approximately $250-$300/night. Other options include regular 2-queen or king bed rooms for $149 to $160, a two-bedroom condo for $350, or a one-bedroom suite for $249. The condo we experienced was nicely decorated with a fresh, modern feel. We loved the deep tub!

This hotel is on the more expensive side, but for the amenities and location, we felt the value was there. Families wanting to be steps from everything, with space to settle in and make some meals, will be very happy here!

Directions:

Hotel McCall is located at 1101 N. 3rd Street, McCall Idaho. It’s easy to find on the main drag through town.

As I disclose whenever applicable, our stay at Hotel McCall was complimentary, for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

Branson Landing review: a stay at Hilton Promenade

June 22, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

Branson, Missouri is the 25th most visited family destination in the US. With wholesome shows rivaling Broadway quality, the natural attraction of the Ozarks, and lots of dining and shopping, we think it gets this top 25 distinction from it’s ability to offer something to almost everyone, and its drivable location in the lower midwest.

If you’re planning a trip to Branson, you won’t be short on hotel options. To be in the heart of Branson Landing, opt for Hilton Promenade. You’ll be right on the promenade, steps from the fountains, dining and bars, and shops, plus less than one block from Bass Pro Shop and the water.

As a newbie to Branson, I liked being in the center of things to get my bearings. On another trip, I might not mind being further afield (lakeside camping sounds pretty nice!) but if you’re looking for all the amenities you need along a pedestrian walkway at Lake Taneycomo, this is your hotel.

Room amenities:

I tried out a king room in the ‘deluxe room’ category (there are only deluxe or suites), and on the third floor, I had a fantastic view of the fountain light show on the Landing at Lake Taneycomo, yet the room was quiet enough at night, despite overlooking the pedestrian area. The room comes standard with a mini fridge, coffee service, and a very nice desk workstation with lots of convenient plug-ins for electronics. Wifi does cost about $10 per day, unless you’re a HiltonHonors member of certain standing. I can tell you that as a basic member, I didn’t make the cut. Like most travelers, this annoys me to no end, and it’s good to be aware of. There’s a spacious walk-in shower and a tub in the large bathroom, and everything is well decorated and new-looking.

Hotel amenities:

Great news for families: the Hilton Promenade has a nicely sized indoor pool and hot tub. The attached bathrooms even have showers, so kids can rise off or parents can shower downstairs after working out in the adjacent exercise room.

The restaurant in Hilton Promenade is currently closed for renovations (as of January 2015), but a shuttle does run to the adjacent Hilton Convention Center (a two minute walk), where families can dine at Level 2 Steakhouse. They also have a sleek bar with house-made cocktails. The lack of an on-site restaurant isn’t really a problem: even closer than Level 2 Steakhouse are the multitude of dining options on the promenade. There is also in-room dining should you need an early breakfast before promenade restaurants open.

Room rates:

Because Branson is such a family-friendly town, Hilton Promenade seems to run specials that package kid-friendly attractions with room rates quite often. Check here for the current deals. At the time of my visit in late spring, the rack room rate began at $159 for a two-queen room and $184 for the standard king room I had. Pet-friendly rooms are available.

Date last visited:

May 2015

Directions:

The Hilton Promenade is located at 3 Branson Landing, Branson Missouri.

As I disclose whenever applicable, my stay at Hilton Promenade was complimentary, for the purpose of review. Without these stays, extensive hotel reviews would not be possible.

Springfield Missouri lodging picks: Ramada Plaza Hotel and Hotel Vandivort

May 13, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

This post is truly a tale of two hotels. Families finding themselves in Springfield, Missouri can choose from a fairly standard array of motels and hotels, or they can pick between two unique choices: the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Oasis Convention Center for family-friendliness or the new Hotel Vandivort for boutique downtown chic. If I could, I’d squish together the best amenities and features at both to create the ultimate kid-friendly, upscale hotel experience, but alas, two reviews will have to do. Good luck choosing!

Option 1: indoor pool bliss for kids, lots of complimentary amenities for parents

While in Springfield, I spent two nights at the Ramada Plaza Hotel. A little bit of history: once upon a time, this Ramada, located at 2546 N. Glenstone, was the biggest Howard Johnson’s in the country. Now, it’s a fairly standard Ramada, with several upgrades and a big surprise in the center of the property.

The hotel building could appear retro in all the wrong ways (re, tired and outdated). Instead, refurbishments have rendered it bright, clean, airy, and stylish on the interior. Rooms are fairly standard, though certainly more stylish than most moderate hotel rooms, and common spaces are on-trend. Amenities parents will like include free parking, free wifi, an above-average free breakfast, and a large laundry room on-site. The Fire and Ice restaurant, located on property right off the lobby, is unique with its ice bar (set your drinks down and they’ll stay frosty cold) and carefully curated menu, but prices are a bit high to encourage family dining. If you can get away for an hour or so with your spouse, I recommend it; the food is fantastic and the wine list is extensive. If not, opt for more kid-friendly fare in Springfield.

The huge draw for kids lays in the heart of the property, in the huge indoor atrium. Here, families will find a huge free-form heated indoor swimming pool and hot tub, situated in a truly tropical atmosphere. The vegetation surrounding the pool area is the real deal; I was told the banana trees even bear fruit. There’s an outdoor pool as well, perfect for muggy summer nights.

If you bring kids here, you’ll want a poolside room. Ground floor rooms have garden patios that are truly ‘garden-ish’ and open onto the pool via pebblestone walkway (pictured above). Upper rooms have large balconies overlooking the pool. Yes, you can hear pool-related noise in your poolside room, but during my stay, it died down by 10 pm, even though the pool is open until 11 pm. Note: Ground floor rooms opening toward the parking lot instead of the pool seem like they’d be less desirable, but if you don’t care about a pool view (to watch kids), they actually feature a much more private and pretty patio that’s totally enclosed and lush with flowering plants.

Room amenities include all you’d expect, including standard coffee service (nothing to write home about), a mini-fridge, and a microwave (always a plus). In a nutshell, the Ramada ticks off all the ‘bring the kids’ boxes: great swimming pool complex, free breakfast, no nickel and diming on the extras. You’re within easy driving distance of all things Springfield. Room rates at the time of my visit were approximately $129 for a standard room mid-week.

Option 2: Urban stay, with a taste for downtown Springfield

Downtown Springfield, like many downtown districts in cities across the US, has been making a comeback in recent years, with more local dining, improvements in the works at the historical downtown plaza, and a growing artist and performance community.

The latest coup: the first boutique hotel is nearing completion. Hotel Vandivort repurposes the beautiful historic Masonic Temple at 305 E. Walnut, fully embodying the exposed brick, high ceilings, and chic charm of this 1906 building. Photos to come; click on the website above for artist renderings until June 2015.

With LEED Gold certification, an upscale eatery and bar, and plenty of open space for socializing and mingling, it’s certainly the ‘grown up’ place to spend a few days in Springfield. However, we actually have found boutique hotels to be wonderful options for families with older kids. What parents give up in convenient amenities like free breakfast and parking, they gain in refinement, city character, and culture. Because we really enjoy getting to know the heart of a city instead of its suburbs, boutique hotels are often where we like to stay. At very least, it’s always a viable consideration.

At the time of this post, Hotel Vandivort is a few days away from opening. I enjoyed a hard-hat tour in mid-May 2015, during which I saw finished rooms. Amenities include everything parents could want in terms of techy extras: the window blinds are on remote, room ‘mood’ settings can be set, so that all lights can be dimmed, the TV turned off, and the nightlight turned on at bedtime, and personal music can be piped into the rooms’ audio systems with ease. The coffee service is top of the line, and each room has a fridge as well as snack basket with local products. Everything from tile in the bathrooms to linens on the beds are luxury. Note: if you have three kids or more, you may want a suite. The Master Suite may be worth the upgrade: I saw the fireplace, which faces both indoors and outdoors as it connects with a large outdoor balcony with lots of living space, and yes, that feature alone makes me want to stay here.

Room rates are surprisingly not much higher than the Ramada and other area hotels, though the suites will set you back more. You’ll still get free wifi, and while room service may add up for a hungry family, Springfield’s famous Hurts Donuts is within walking distance. The surrounding neighborhood looks a little downtrodden, but it’s changing by the day. Staying in the heart of Springfield, families will see the revitalization of this area for themselves.

Note: make a stop sometime during your stay to Springfield Hot Glass, located at 314 S. Campbell. This family-owned glass studio may not seem like a kid-friendly stop, but in fact features a fantastic open studio, where, if you’re lucky, you can watch glass blowing or other glass work in progress.

In downtown Springfield, families can also see the exact spot where Wild Bill Hickok has the honor of starting the first documented shootout of the American West. Look for the plaques in the city square.

Which Springfield hotel option would appeal more to your family?

Hotel Vintage Portland: Portland hotel review

April 10, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

I first visited Hotel Vintage Portland a few years ago, when it was known as the Hotel Vintage Plaza. If it was cool then, which it was, it’s even cooler now. This Kimpton hotel has undergone a major redesign, completely remodeling its common spaces and rooms.

On our visit to conduct a Portland hotel review a few days after the relaunch, the Vintage Portland was pleasantly busy on a Saturday night with a young, urban (dare I say hipster?) crowd, yet our family fit in perfectly as well. Maybe that’s the magic of Portland at work, where various crowds seem to blend with ease, but I think it’s also thanks to Kimpton hospitality and charm.

Where the new Vintage Portland shines: the lobby has always been hip and modern, sharing its space with the friendly Bacchus Bar attached to Pazzo Ristorante, but now, the second floor business meeting room spaces have been remodeled to offer leisure space filled with comfortable yet trendy couches, bean bag chairs, flatscreen TVs, and and shuffleboard and pool table.

Instantly deemed ‘way more cool’ than a teen club or kids’ play room by our kids, they spent a happy hour here, sharing the space with a few 20-somethings playing pool and sipping craft cocktails (the 20-somethings, not the kids). My husband and I settled ourselves right downstairs at the bar, where we could catch college basketball on the TV and still hear the kids, separated only by an open staircase.

As a family of five, we were put in a king suite, which features one bedroom with a king bed, plus a large living area with a corner couch that pull out to another bed. Due to the shape of the couch, it actually comfortably slept three (kids), which saved us from needing a rollaway (which was available should we have needed it). The bedroom was perfect for Mom and Dad, and in the spa king suite, the spa tub is big enough for most kids to swim in (seriously…young kids will scream with glee).

In true Kimpton style, our room was decorated in fun and trendy artwork that reflected the local area. It immediately said ‘Portland’ to me, which made me happy, even though we were in the city only one night before flying out of PDX in the morning. For families not needing a suite for five, standard rooms are also redecorated and roomier than most. All rooms feature the famous Kimpton bathrobes and free wifi for Kimpton members (join for free).

Room rates are in the higher range by Portland standards, around $375 for a room or $425 and up for suites. But a Vintage Portland stay is a value if you’re seeking a full immersion in Portland flare during your stay in the city. Most downtown venues are in walking distance, and MAX lines are available. For a special occasion or to earn Kimpton rewards, it’s absolutely a great pick.