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    • North America
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        • Big Sur, Pebble Beach, Carmel
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Posts Tagged ‘carmel-by-the-sea’

The Ultimate Family Vacation Guide to Highway 1: Big Sur, Pebble Beach, Carmel

Big Sur Pebble Beach

So you want to take your family on a road-trip down the Pacific Coast Highway?ย  This ultimate family vacation guide along Highway 1 will help you plan for it โ€” focusing specifically on the areas of Pebble Beach, Big Sur, and Carmel-by-the-Sea.ย ย    Why should you zero in on this stretch of the PCH?ย  Even…

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5 QUESTIONS PARENTS NEED TO ASK BEFORE BOOKING A F 5 QUESTIONS PARENTS NEED TO ASK BEFORE BOOKING A FAMILY RESORT: 1. HOW IS THE ROOM CONFIGURED?โ€จโ€œSuiteโ€ doesnโ€™t always mean a separate living area. Check the floor plan onlineโ€”or call the hotel directly. Once, a hotel misled me, but since I had proof from an email, they upgraded us upon arrival. 2. HOW DO CONNECTING ROOMS โ€œCONNECT?โ€โ€จFamilies of 5+, listen up! Not all โ€œconnectingโ€ rooms connect internally. Sometimes, they share a small private hallway, but you have to technically exit one room before entering the other. This layout may work for older kids, but might be tricky with little onesโ€”ask ahead! 3. ARE KIDSโ€™ CLUBS COMPLIMENTARY?โ€จSome brands (like @fourseasons and @rosewoodhotels) offer free kidsโ€™ clubs, while others charge a fee or require reservations. Know the cost/age requirement before you book. 4. DO KIDS EAT FREE?โ€จMany hotels let kids eat free off the kidsโ€™ menuโ€”but servers might not know your kidsโ€™ ages. Weโ€™ve had surprise charges, so now I always mention it upfront. 5. DO YOU OFFER BABY/TODDLER AMENITIES?โ€จBeyond cribs and pack nโ€™ plays, some hotels provide extras like diaper pails, bed rails, and even bottle sanitizers. Always askโ€”you might be pleasantly surprised! ๐’๐ก๐š๐ซ๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐š ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐š๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š ๐Ÿ๐š๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐š๐œ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง FAMILY TRAVEL | LUXURY TRAVEL | TRAVEL WITH KIDS | FAMILY HOTELS | TRAVEL PLANNING TIPS
HOTELS WITH BATHROOMS/CLOSETS BIG ENOUGH FOR A PAC HOTELS WITH BATHROOMS/CLOSETS BIG ENOUGH FOR A PACK Nโ€™ PLAY ๐’๐ก๐š๐ซ๐ž ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐š ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐š ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐Ÿ๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐š๐œ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฌ Have you really traveled as a parent if you havenโ€™t put your kid to sleep in a hotel bathroom? Itโ€™s practically a rite of passage โ€” and one of the top questions I get from parents planning vacations. In fact, when I call a hotelโ€™s reservation team to ask them this about bathroom size, they almost ALWAYS know why Iโ€™m asking. ๐Ÿ˜‚ The truth is, room-sharing is tough with little ones. No parent wants to go to bed at 7 PM with the kids. So when planning my own trips, Iโ€™ll budget a bit more/night on a larger room, even if it means going for less time. It can make all the difference for a restful vacation with kids. SAFE SET UP TIPS: โ€จ๐Ÿผ Remove towels/gadgets from babyโ€™s reachโ€จ๐Ÿผ Leave the door slightly ajar for airflow Hereโ€™s my cheat sheet of luxury family hotels (and room type youโ€™ll want to book) where a Pack Nโ€™ Play fits comfortably in a bathroom/closet ๐Ÿ” @fschateauwhistlr โ€“ Fairmont Gold 1- or 2-bedroom suites have a spacious primary bath + 1/2 bath for parents. ๐Ÿ @seaisland โ€“ One-bedroom wing suites have a HUGE primary bath + a 1/2 bath in the living area. ๐ŸŒฟ @fscostarica โ€“ Canopy suites have a large closet for a Pack Nโ€™ Play + an extra bathroom! ๐ŸŒŠ @fsanguilla โ€“ One bedroom suites have a spacious primary bath + closet. Our 2-bedroom suite upgrade had a massive closet โ€” plenty of space for even a few cribs. ๐Ÿ›ถ @rwmayakoba โ€“ Deluxe lagoon suites have 2 large bathrooms. I love this hotel because you get great room value for the cost! ๐ŸŒ… @grandhyattbahamar โ€“The โ€œReserveโ€ 1-bedroom suites have a half bath thatโ€™s large enough to accommodate a pack an play. No need to sacrifice your nice en-suite bathroom. ๐Ÿฆž @cliffhousemaine โ€“ Best New England find! Sunrise & 2-bedroom suites offer great space + large bathrooms. ๐‚๐Ž๐Œ๐Œ๐„๐๐“ โ€œ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ž๐ž๐ฉโ€ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ž๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Ÿ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ƒ๐Œ๐ฌ! Need help booking a room with extra perks (like free breakfast)? DM me! FAMILY TRAVEL | LUXURY TRAVEL | TRAVEL WITH KIDS | BEST HOTELS FOR KIDS | BABY SLEEP
DID YOU KNOW THEREโ€™S A QUIET ESCAPE IN THE MIDDL DID YOU KNOW THEREโ€™S A QUIET ESCAPE IN THE MIDDLE OF ROCKEFELLER CENTER IN NYC? ๐Ÿ’Œ๐’๐ก๐š๐ซ๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐จ๐ง๐ž ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐๐˜๐‚ Welcome to the rooftop garden loccated at 620 5th Ave. To access it, you need to purchase the VIP Top of the Rock Ticket. COST: $285.00 per person (holiday edition) WAS IT WORTH THE SPLURGE? Yes! Experiencing the gardens alone made it very worth it as a unique NYC experience, PLUS the ticket gives access to even more VIP experiences GOOD FOR KIDS? Given the cost, I saved this as a special holiday date idea for myself + Niall, but yes, itโ€™s very kid friendly. Duration: 90-120 min WHAT DID THE TICKET INCLUDE? ๐ŸŽ„Private VIP welcome lounge (no waiting in long lines outside in cold NYC) ๐ŸŽ„Short (but really fascinating) historical tour/movie ๐ŸŽ„Up close and personal viewing of the Christmas tree. The crowds are required to stay 100 feet away behind gates, but we were escorted to the base for some spectacular photos ๐Ÿ˜ ๐ŸŽ„Access to the rooftop garden overlooking 5th Ave (Tip - a night time ticket means youโ€™ll see the holiday lights of Saks and 5th Ave shops illuminated!) ๐ŸŽ„Aerial views of the Christmas tree from a Rockefeller penthouse ๐ŸŽ„VIP pass to the Top of the Rock (No long lines) ๐ŸŽ„VIP Beam experience - You know that iconic beam photo of construction workers building the Top of the Rock from the 1930โ€™s? Well - youโ€™ll get to experience their views. Youโ€™ll be strapped on a beam, elevated above the viewing glass at the top of the building โ€” and rotated around to see the skyline. Iโ€™m very afraid of heights, but this was worth it. CAN YOU ACCESS THE TOUR YEAR ROUND? Yes, you can. Itโ€™s slightly less money at other times because it wonโ€™t include the tree viewing. ๐…๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ @๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐š๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ซ๐จ๐š๐ฆ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐š๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ. FAMILY TRAVEL | NYC CHRISTMAS | ROCKEFELLER CENTER | SECRET ROOFTOP GARDEN NYC | TOP OF THE ROCK | VIP TOUR | LUXURY TRAVEL
5 LUXURY FAMILY HOTELS/VILLAS THAT WOWED ME THE MO 5 LUXURY FAMILY HOTELS/VILLAS THAT WOWED ME THE MOMENT I SAW THEM ๐ฌ๐š๐ฏ๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐Ÿ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ Deciding where to go for a family trip ISNโ€™T easy. Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all the options โ€” and you just decide youโ€™ll โ€œget to it later?โ€ Let me save you a lot of time. Hereโ€™s 5 luxury family hotels and villas where I felt love at first sight. ๐Ÿ“Four Seasons Papagayo Where: Costa Rica Why it wowed: The scenery and views are out of this world. This resort is where to go if youโ€™re searching for adventure travel meets luxury travel. There is so much wildlife, outdoor activities, and relaxation all in one spot. ๐Ÿ“Rosewood Mayakoba Where: Riviera Maya, Mexico Why it wowed: When you pull up to @rwmayakoba, you (yes YOU mom and dad) instantly feel like royalty. The service is a 15/10 โ€” they are there to help you make your trip with kids easy and fun. The rooms are also very spacious. ๐Ÿ“Four Seasons Anguilla Where: Anguilla Why it wowed: The white sand beaches, crystal clear blue waters, and SPECTACULAR sunsets are postcard perfect. Head here if youโ€™re looking for a โ€œchill-by-the-beachโ€ long weekend away. ๐Ÿ“Domaine du Lys: Where: Provence, France Why it wowed: The gardens, the grounds, the pool, and the 360 views are all for your exclusive use with this @only.provence villa. There are 9 bedrooms that fit up to 14 people, making it perfect for a multigen trip ๐Ÿ“Lโ€™argentiera Where: Puglia, Italy Why it wowed: This is another fantastic villa (@thethinkingtravller), great for a multigenerational or group vacation. You have your own private pool along the Apuglian coast, with the Adriatic Sea right at your feet. Did you know I can reserve a room for you at the hotels with enhanced perks to VIP you stay? Free breakfast, upgrades, welcome amenities, 100-200 hotel spend credits, and early check in/late check out. ๐‚๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ โ€œ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฐโ€ ๐ข๐Ÿ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎโ€™๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ž๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐š๐ซ๐ญ๐ž๐ LUXURY TRAVEL | FAMILY TRAVEL | BEST RESORTS | BEST FAMILY HOTELS | BEST LUXURY VILLAS
3 DAYS IN COPENHAGEN ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฐ ๐’๐š๐ฏ๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐š ๐Ÿ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ Copenhagen is a magical European city to visit in December โ€” and the best part is โ€” you can fit it into a long weekend trip from NYC. The Christmas markets are filled with people enjoy glogg (a warm mulled cider), and the boutiques are brimming with holiday shoppers. The โ€œhyggeโ€ spirit is alive and well. Two years ago, I met my mom and brother there for a little โ€œthrow backโ€ vacation. We used to travel a lot together when it was just the 3 of us โ€” pre marriages and kids โ€” and it was really fun to experience a mini reunion overseas. Hereโ€™s what we did in 3 days. DAY 1: โ„๏ธArrive from overnight flight from the U.S. โ„๏ธWe stayed at Skt Petri Hotel which has reopening as @1hotelcophenhagen โ„๏ธYou may be jet lagged, so keep it simple today - explore the old town and take it easy. โ„๏ธWander down to Nyvhan Harbor. The salmon sandwich (slow roasted over fires) is a must-try in the market. โ„๏ธDinner - keep it light and try one of the eateries at TorvehallerneKBH (indoor market) DAY 2: โ„๏ธMorning - bike tour with @segwaytourscopenhagen โ„๏ธAfternoon - go shopping in the streets of Strรธget. Explore the Christmas markets at Kingsโ€™ New Square and HIghbridge Square. Grab a pastry from Buka bakery. โ„๏ธDinner @restaurantalouette - one of the best restaurants Iโ€™ve visited in my travels. Reservations are a must! Day 3: โ„๏ธMorning- Explore the neighborhood of Christianshavn โ€” the canals here may remind you of Amesterdam โ„๏ธClimb to the top of The Church of Our Saviour โ„๏ธAt night - a MUST SEE is Tivoli Gardens. Tivoli is an amusement park, so itโ€™s great place to bring kids too. But, itโ€™s also wonderful for adults to stroll through, as itโ€™s not the typical amusement park. Each ride looked like a work of art. ๐…๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ @๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐š๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ซ๐จ๐š๐ฆ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐š๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅ ๐๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐๐ž๐š๐ฌ COPENHAGEN CHRISTMAS MARKETS | EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS MARKETS | TRAVEL PLANNING TIPS | LUXURY TRAVEL | FAMILY TRAVEL
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