Great Hotel = Simple Fun

May 4 2009 by Bryson Forbes

Happy-Swimmer.jpgIf you are a parent like me you likely had this experience when your kids were toddlers. You research the best, must-have gift, only to realize your child invariably plays and enjoys the colourful box it came in, while the actual toy remains untouched. We had a similar experience while traveling on a quick getaway this past weekend.

Saturday morning we packed up the SUV and hit the road for a quick one-nighter in London, Ontario. It's less than 150 kilometres from home and a very easy straight forward drive, especially when you have a GPS (dads - this is a great investment and you'll only ever have to stop at a gas stations for gas)! Our original plan was to check in to The Best Western Lamplighter Inn by lunch, hit a local theme park for the afternoon, have an early dinner and then go see Monster and Aliens, a movie we been eyeing for weeks.

Then our plan changed. Shortly after we checked in and dropped our bags in the room, we decided to cruise by the heated indoor pool to get the kids excited for some swim time Sunday morning. This was no ordinary run-of-the-mill indoor pool; it was a tropical oasis of pure bliss. A waterside, waterfall and hot tub, all surrounded by real palm trees and plants greeted us. There was a fish pool (with some serious fish) and a raised Caribbean-style circular bar, with the NHL pregame playing on two flat screen TVs. The four of us stood, jaws dangling, quickly realizing that our plans just changed.

After thoroughly enjoying the entire afternoon without leaving the hotel, my wife and I laughed and remembered how much fun it is as a child to just actually stay in a hotel. Granted this hotel made that glaringly obvious with the pool and amenities, but my kids also enjoyed riding on an elevator, running down the hall, trying to find our room number and having us sleep in two beds in one room.

I think most of us work so hard to plan the perfect trip that we lose sight of the simplicity and great family time that can happen without much effort. This was a fantastic experience and one that we will do again.

Do you have any good hotel stories with kids?

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