Marriott - Pitstops for Kids

Palm Springs with kids: Renaissance Hotel Palm Springs

March 11, 2019 By Amy Hagstrom

Ready to head to Palm Springs with kids? The Renaissance Hotel Palm Springs is a great pick for a reasonably priced, stylish hotel pick right near the downtown Palm Springs action. What the Renaissance lacks in extra amenities offered elsewhere in the Palm Springs area, such as a kids’ club, tennis courts, or on-site golf, it makes up for in location. Only two blocks from downtown Palm Springs, the Renaissance is in easy walking distance of dining and shopping, plus only a few miles from kid-friendly attractions such as the tramway and Wet ’n Wild.

We loved using the Renaissance’s ‘Navigator’ (onsite concierge desk and newsletter) to find local-favorite kid-friendly dining in Palm Springs, but their spacious lobby, lounge, and outdoor patio seating was just as inviting. Our kids loved sitting by the outdoor fire pits in the evenings after a swim.

Pools:

The Renaissance’s large outdoor pool is heated and open until 10 pm; our kids enjoyed nighttime swims. There’s also a large hot tub and kiddie pool, plus plenty of poolside seating and lounge chairs. An exercise facility is also on-site.

Room amenities:

Our standard room with pool view and balcony offered all the amenities you’d expect: coffee service, mini fridge, hair dryer, and the like, and beds were very comfortable. Wifi is an extra charge in room, though free in the lobby. I was actually able to connect to lobby wifi from my room, so that may be worth a try. The lobby is a very pleasing area in which to sit and get some work done if needed, however.

Dining onsite:

The Renaissance offers Rocks, a spacious lounge, and Date, a restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Poolside service is also on offer all day long, as is room service. Rooms feature mini fridges, making it easy to eat light meals in rooms, too.

Rates:

Standard room rates can be found as low as $150, and self parking is $12 per day (as low as I’ve found in the area). Suites are also available.

Directions:

The Renaissance Hotel is located at 888 Tahquitz Canyon Way, off I-10.

As I disclose whenever applicable, we stayed at Renaissance Hotel as guests of the resort, for the purpose of review. Without compensated stays, hotel reviews would not be possible on Pit Stops for Kids.

West Palm Beach vacation: Marriott’s Oceana Palms

November 17, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

Interested in a West Palm Beach vacation? I was curious about the Florida coastline, so for my first trip to Florida outside of Orlando, I checked out the Palm Beaches area north of Miami. Um, it’s kind of ok here. Maybe I should venture beyond Disney more often!

I stayed at Marriott Oceana Palms, which is a Marriott Vacation Club property. I knew I’d be happy with the resort, as I’d absolutely loved my stay at the Marriott Vacation Club in Boston, and recommend it every chance I get. However, when many parents see the words ‘vacation club’, they think it must not be for them…they either assume they can’t book if they’re not a member, or worry they’ll be pitched to once on site. I can assure you: Marriott Vacation Club isn’t your grandparents’ time share. This points-based vacation ownership program is completely different, with tons of flexibility. However— and this is the kicker —you don’t need to be a Marriott Vacation Club owner to book Marriott Vacation Club villas, anyway.

Quite honestly, this is one of the best ‘think outside the box’ alternatives to booking standard hotel rooms. For the cost of one beachfront hotel room (usually with a square footage of under 400), families can reserve an entire two-bedroom villa with over 1000 square feet of living space, including a kitchen and washer-dryer.

The Oceana Palms is a small, intimate resort right on the beach of Singer Island in West Palm Beach. It looks and feels like any other high-end Marriott resort: you get kids’ clubs, activities and programming, dining, pools and exercise rooms, and beach access. There are two towers in Oceana Palms: the Sunrise Tower and the Sunset Tower. At first glance, it appears that the Sunrise Tower, which is closest to the beach, is the obvious choice. However, thanks to great architectural design, both towers have ocean views. And some villas in the Sunset Tower have larger balconies.

What’s in your villa:

All villas at Oceana Palms are the same: two-bedroom units with everything you need, right down to the whisk in the kitchen. You’ll find laundry soap next to the washer, dish towels and plastic garbage bags, and hair dryers and shampoo. Sometimes, when families rent vacation homes or units, they don’t know what will be waiting for them. We had one unfortunate trip to a vacation home in which we discovered the ‘full kitchen’ lacked an oven! At Oceana Palms, everything is here. You also get two full bathrooms, one on which has a walk-in shower and the other of which has a large tub. Free wifi is available in the rooms and across the resort. The photo below shows a view from a Sunset Tower villa. Get up-to-date room rate information here.

What to do on site:

Oceana Palms boosts ideal beach access…the surf and sand is just steps away past the pool area. At the beach equipment stand, check in with Tony, who can hook you up with snorkel gear, boogie boards, and cabanas. Otherwise, lounge chairs are free for guest use. I split my time happily from beach to pool (which older kids could do on their own quite safely).

In the pool area, you’ll find a zero-depth entry area for young kids, plus a splash zone. On the other end, a lap pool is situated in a quiet corner, and additional pool space occupies the area in-between. Oceana Palms schedules quite a bit of daily activity, with DJs, movie nights, and lessons in everything from crocheting to guitar (a staff member actually learned guitar in order to teach it). If you’re an activities person, you’ll find as much here as you would in an all-inclusive resort. However, if you want a quieter environment, it is possible to escape it.

For additional entertainment, the resort has small details that go a long way. Throughout Oceana Palms, you’ll find ping pong tables, pool tables, lawn games, BBQs for guest use, and a large, fenced play area for young kids. My children spend hours at simple entertainment venues like this!

Oceana Palms has a drop-in dedicated kids’ club space and a teen space, both of which are fun and inviting…and casual, which is nice for families on vacation. There is a casual dining Marketplace, plus poolside Reflections, both good for burgers, sandwiches, and drinks. You won’t find upscale dining on site, but that’s what your full kitchen is for: I recommend shopping before arrival and making many meals in your villa.

What to do in Palm Beaches:

You’ll want to venture off-site while at Oceana Palms. We took a short drive off Singer Island to Jupiter Beach, where to toured the historic Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse. The guided tour includes a walk up the many spiral steps to the top of the lighthouse, where amazing views await, and a stop in the small but well-done museum. Pair your excursion to the lighthouse with lunch at Guanabanas, a waterfront bar and grill located adjacent. Guanabanas is more than a restaurant; it’s a full dining experience with the best ambiance I’ve seen for a classic Florida feel. The whole place is outdoors, with vegetation, overhangs, and straw roof shelter.

For another night out, consider heading to the Sailfish Marina on Palm Beach Shores. Part fish market, part marina, and part upscale seafood restaurant, Sailfish has something for everyone. The large building is fairly loud, which means kids will fit right in, and when they get squirrelly, take them outside to the marina, where they can purchase fish food to throw into the water. Wait for the feeding frenzy to begin!

How to get here:

Marriott’s Oceana Palms is located at 3200 North Ocean Drive, Riviera Beach, Florida. It’s just over the bridge on Singer Island, 15 minutes from the West Palm Beach airport.

Where do you stay in West Palm Beach? Would you consider trying a Marriott Vacation Club villa?

As I disclose whenever applicable, my stay with Oceana Palms was hosted, for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

Vacation clubs and timeshare rentals: right for your family?

May 24, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

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!

San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina

August 19, 2011 By Amy Hagstrom

The Marriott Marquis and Marina is located in the heart of San Diego, California’s Gaslamp Quarter, situated directly on the bay. It does not include beach access, but the water is in easy reach via the harbor, where kids can watch the boats and parents will appreciate the family-friendly dining.

A major convention hotel, families can count on plenty of business and conference traffic during their stay, but the hotel is large enough that it won’t matter. My stay was during the 3,000+ person BlogHer conference (for which I was an attendee), and the public spaces didn’t even feel crowded. Located within the hotel is a Starbucks, a large gift and necessity shop, a UPS store, pool and lobby bars, and full room service. The outdoor pool is large and kid-friendly, and opens out onto the marina. Within walking distance are Gaslamp District eateries and shopping, and within minutes by car is SeaWorld San Diego, the San Diego Zoo, and the Wild Animal Park.

Rooms are fairly spacious, but be aware that standard room beds are on the narrow side! If you’re sharing them with kids, you may prefer to order a roll-away bed. Wireless internet is free in all public areas, but guests are charged $12 a day for in-room wireless. As is standard in most downtown city hotels, parking is $26 a day for guests with cars, and unfortunately, in San Diego, you’ll probably need one.

Date last visited: August 2011

Distance from the interstate: Five minutes off I-5.

Room rates: Standard rates are between $215-240 per night.

Directions: The Marriott Marquis is located at 333 West Harbor. From I-5, take the Front Street exit straight to the hotel entrance.

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