A few years ago, our family took a day trip to a beachfront amusement park. We soon learned that it would be a lot more fun if we had a place to crash at night, rather than drive three hours home again when the park closed. And so, we booked a local hotel on our next visit. We had fun, but admittedly didn't spent much time in the hotel itself. The following time, the hotel was full, but a Holiday Inn Express about 15 minutes away was available and beckoning. Truth be told, we weren't sure what to expect. We mocked the Holiday Inn Express commercials a bit, and wondered what we were getting ourselves into by traveling to a small town, and to a "convenience hotel" priced lower than many of the competitors.
We shouldn't have been worried.
We are now frequent guests at that particular Holiday Inn. In fact, our kids call it our "other home." Last year when my husband's parents visited us from the opposite coast, we stayed two nights (or was it three?) at our "other home," the Holiday Inn Express. A good chunk of the time we spent at the hotel itself, in the indoor pool in particular. In fact, it was at the hotel pool that my oldest son finally became comfortable in the water. The hotel itself became a destination, not just the attractions nearby.
Meanwhile, my husband and I were able to keep up with our work because of the free internet access and comfortable suite area. (We later learned that even the single-rooms were spacious enough for the kids to fall asleep while we type away at our computers.)
Mom Central asked its interested members to give a shout-out to the Holiday Inn, and I immediately jumped at the chance because we're huge fans. Holiday Inn boasts more than 2,500 locations in the US, offering a fun and easy getaway in every state. Their website has been redesigned to highlight the various "state-cations" for your particular state. That means that you can drive close to home, but stay at a Holiday Inn and experience a "vacation" but without many of the associated costs.
In California, our family has stayed at Holiday Inns both at the beach and inland. Last January, my son decided that instead of having a party for his eighth birthday, he'd rather stay at a hotel with an indoor pool. We spent three days at a Holiday Inn while he swam in the hotel pool. We also went to a few hockey games while there, less than an hour from our house. Seemingly opposites, beach and hockey are both in California, and both accessible via Holiday Inn.
So far we've had great luck at our local Holiday Inn locations. We've had comfortable, clean, and spacious accommodations. The kids have had fun just being in the hotel - watching TV or swimming in the pool. Even though we're within driving distance of home, it definitely seems like we're on a "real vacation" when we're at the Holiday Inn. Plus, since we're so close to home, we can have a quick vacation over a weekend, even during the school year. Our travels haven't stopped just because school has started. In fact, I'm willing to bet we could create some mighty impressive weekend field trips by staying at local Holiday Inns.
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Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Holiday Inn. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.
