From sleepovers with dolls to getting wet and wild at the water park, here’s a handful of family vacations your clients will be speaking about for years to come.
I Found a Friend in You
Florida’s Rosen Shingle Creek, located in Orlando, has created a sleepover package with a little girl’s best friend—their American Girl doll. The American Girl Premium Sleepover package includes deluxe accommodations, breakfast buffet for two at Cafe Osceola (additional guests are $13.40 pp), turndown service with milk and cookies for two guests, no resort fee, complimentary WiFi, and complimentary shuttle service to Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, and Aquatica. But that’s not all, a few American Girl perks for the fab fan include a doll-sized travel bed, a hotel robe and slippers for the little diva and her doll, an American Girl movie on DVD, and a roundtrip Star Taxi service in a sedan for two guests to visit the American Girl store at the Florida Mall.
Let’s Make a Splash
At Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott, Maui—part of Marriot Hawaii Resorts collection—guests can enjoy family time through a variety of “old school”-type programs. “As part of our $100 million transformation,” says Alvin Wong, director of sales and marketing, Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott, Maui, “the resort features thoughtful design touches that are meant to encourage family interaction. Grandparents teach their grandkids the rules of chess on a life-sized chess set under our historic banyan tree. The 2-acre NALU Pool complex offers the longest resort waterslides in the state, and parents enjoy riding the slides just as much (if not more than) their kids.”
The pool complex Wong references is in fact new and features four water slides including the Wailea Wipeout measuring 240 ft. and the Big Kahuna coming in at 325 ft. with a five-and-a-half story drop. Rates start at $519 per night.
New Kids in Town
Next summer will see the opening of the first Great Wolf waterpark resort in Illinois, the Great Wolf Lodge Illinois, featuring an 80,000-sq.-ft. indoor waterpark.
“Chicago is the third largest market in the U.S. and while we are fortunate to have an established fan-base here, we believe the added convenience of having a resort in closer proximity to the metro-area will allow even more families the opportunity to experience a Great Wolf Lodge getaway,” says Ruben A. Rodriguez, CEO for Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. in press materials.
The new year-round destination will give guests unlimited access to the resort’s indoor waterpark available exclusively to resort guests. There’ll be fan favorites such as
Fort Mackenzie, a multi-level interactive water fort treehouse featuring a massive tipping water bucket and Totem Towers body slides, as well as a twisting-turning body slide, a tube slide, a lazy river, and a designated water play area for toddlers, among other attractions.
There’s also plenty of fun to be had out of the water, too with activities such as a kids spa; mini golf; an arcade; Yoga Trails, which blends storytelling with yoga positions; and Story Time, a nightly tradition around the fireplace where kids gather in their PJs.
In late 2018, Margaritaville Resort will be coming to Orlando with the development of the $750 million, 187 guestroom Margaritaville Orlando. This 300-acre resort will feature a 12-acre waterpark, a wellness center, miles of wooded fitness trails, a water taxi system, a 3-acre swimming area, a dining and entertainment district, plus 200,000 sq. ft. of retail space. The brand’s signature decor will also take center stage including the giant flip-flop sculpture and the upside-down margarita glass chandelier in the lobby.
Contact Information
Great Wolf Lodge Illinois: greatwolf.com
Margaritaville Orlando: margaritavilleresortorlando.com
Rosen Shingle Creek: rosenshinglecreek.com
Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott, Maui: marriott.com
