Plenty of space for everyone

If you’re tired of fighting the kids -- and maybe Grandpa too -- for elbow room and privacy on family trips, consider this solution: a three-bedroom hotel suite with nearly 1,000 square feet.

The 800-room Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort in Orlando, Fla., has created 11 Mega Kidsuites and plans to nearly triple that number by the end of the year, said Terry Whaples, president and operating partner with the Holiday Inn Family Suites franchise.

The suites, which can sleep 10 people, go for $225 to $350 per night, depending on the season. They include two private king bedrooms; a children’s suite with bunk beds and a third bed; two parlor areas; a full kitchen with dining table; and two bathrooms.

Did we mention the five TV sets?

“No more fighting about which channel to watch,” Whaples said.

The suites aim to address needs of three-generation travel and “blended families,” giving adults, teens and small children their own space, she added.

Many of the hotel’s suites have playrooms with commercial icons, such as Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger and Coca-Cola’s polar bear. But this will change after the hotel completes a $20-million renovation and changes its name to Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn, expected by early 2005, Whaples said. Then rooms will be themed on Nickelodeon characters.

The hotel, about a mile from Walt Disney World Resort at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., is open during renovation. Construction, expected to begin in April, will be done only 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Whaples added.

Besides the Mega Kidsuites, the hotel has two-bedroom Kidsuites with rates from $109 to $169 per night, depending on the season. (877) 387-5437, www.hifamilysuites.com.