Residence Inn at Denver Tech - Denver, CO

It's not every day that you come across a two-story hotel room.

I have to admit this bad boy was pretty awesome.

Beautiful full kitchen with bar, fireplace and couch in a full-sized living room, two separate sleeping areas, and 2 full baths... The upstairs loft area was just too cool!

Sadly, there aren't a lot of these properties available, and they aren't usually in my price range when we do find them, but this particular location was quite modest for the amazing room and one of the largest full, FREE, continental breakfasts we've yet to see on any of our journeys.

Whenever we are in Denver, this will definitely be our go-to location.

And whenever we get the chance, I sure do hope to find more of these kinds of rooms!  

(Sorry I didn't take pics before we messed it all up! Pardon the unmade beds...)

Beachfront Balcony View - Daytona Beach, FL

Chilling for a few minutes on the hotel balcony before hitting the road again...

We enjoyed the solitude of a moonlit walk on the beach when we got in last night, and then we were able to appreciate a few moments of peaceful surf and sand before the hordes of beach-goers started pouring in for the day.

The Daytona area IS beautiful.

And the ability to drive on the beach is fun, unique, and convenient,

But beyond that, I'm not really a fan of Daytona.

If you're 21ish and looking for a good time boozing it up with scantily clad members of the opposite sex, then Daytona is the place for you. When you're 30somethingish with a mini-van full of kids, you can live without the beer cans, and the cat-calling, and the non-stop video-recording as people cruise incessantly up and down the shore in their vehicles with rims and stereo systems that cost more than your entire vacation...

If you are going to be in this particular area with your family, I would personally urge you to consider New Smyrna Beach, or even getting down in to my favorite spot, Canaveral National Seashore. Both places are far more family friendly. They are cleaner, quieter, more relaxed, and phenomenally beautiful to boot.

There is SO much to do at Canaveral if your family enjoys wildlife. (See additional post to be added with more information)

SpringHill Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port - Dania Beach, FL

This was our last swim of this vacation, and it was a great little pool on the property of the SpringHill Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port, located at a physical address in Dania Beach, Florida.

That's a long name for a hotel, but it's definitely worth looking up. It's located right off I-95, less than 4 miles from the Fort Lauderdale Airport and the Cruise Terminals.

The hotel was large and comfortable, with a cool, breezy modern decor. The free continental breakfast, like those offered in most SpringHill properties, was fantastic. We are big breakfast eaters, with some of us pickier than others, and we are most grateful that the Marriott Fairfield Inns & Suites, SpringHill Suites, and Residence Inn properties tend to offer some of the best complimentary breakfasts available of all hotel chains.

For most travels that call for hotel stays, we always start with scoping out Marriott properties, particularly in the SpringHill line because their standard room size includes 2 queen beds and a queen sleeper. It's a semi-divided suite, and most usually have two flat-screen televisions with a full range of family-friendly cable programming; as well as a wet bar with fridge, sink, coffee-making station; and a large desk and comfy chair.

We have mixed feelings on the bathroom being in the middle of the room in front of the beds. They are quite spacious, but overall, it's an odd layout that, at times, can feel like privacy is being compromised, depending upon who is in your party. If it's just you and the kids, it's no big deal; but when you have friends or extended family with you, it feels like the bathrooms are the center of the room's attention. But, even so, all the extra space is appreciated.

At the time of our stay, this hotel offered a free airport shuttle. I would certainly verify what they currently offer as far as shuttles and parking, as sometimes these things do change over the years.

The value for this hotel was great for the area. Fort Lauderdale isn't a cheap city, but we were pleased with our room rate. SpringHill Suites have all kinds of added values for families, figuring the large rooms, all the in-room amenities, and the free breakfast.  

And of course the awesome pool and fountains!

Fairfield Inn & Suites - Key West, FL

The Fairfield Inn & Suites in Key West was an excellent choice for our first evening back in society.

The property proudly boasts that bright, open, and airy Key West flavor. The rooms were just the right amount of tropical, yet cozy enough for relaxing after the last few nights of tent camping.

The gem of this property, though, is the pool area. With such a unique shape, and a large area with varying water depths, the kids were super excited to to take a plunge back into fresh water.

Surrounding the pool were assorted themed fountains that proved to be a great deal of fun in addition to the pool itself.

The other picture below shows the outdoor patio area, where the next morning we enjoyed a fantastic free continental breakfast overlooking the beautiful vegetation planted throughout the property.

We are long-time Marriott fans, and this property was a great value for everything that was included in the experience.  The rooms were certainly more practical than posh, but the amazing pool and fun fountains ensure this property's position as a great lodging choice for families visiting the Keys.   

 

Random Hotel Moments - Ocean City, MD