Some Suite Deals for Families

Val Van Kooten got a rude shock when she tried to book a motel room for her family.

Not only couldn’t the five of them bunk in one room for the night--against fire regulations, the Iowa teacher was told by more than one reservations clerk--but there weren’t even connecting rooms available.

“Everything seems set up for the two-parent, two-child family,” lamented Van Kooten. She now stashes an air mattress and a sleeping bag in the trunk of her car to slip into a hotel room for her 6-year-old to sleep on when the family has no alternative.

“I don’t like to do it,” she said. “But my kids are too young to be in a room by themselves down the hall. I don’t want to have to pay for two rooms, either. Are we doomed to sneaking our youngest child into hotel rooms?”

Not if Terry Whaples has anything to say about it. Whaples, long an innovator on the family hotel scene, is spearheading the new Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort that’s set to open next month a mile from Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

After taking a tour of it recently, I believe families like the Van Kootens will think they’ve stumbled into hotel nirvana here--especially when they realize they’re paying $129 or less a night, including a hot breakfast for the entire gang. I hope other hoteliers take notice.

What’s different at Holiday Inn Family Suites--the hotel chain’s first foray into the all-suite format--”is the way we’ve allocated the space for every member of the family,” Whaples said. “Kids don’t share a bed or sleep on the couch at home. They shouldn’t on vacation either.”

Unlike other suite hotels, this one offers kids and parents separate bedrooms in a 500-square-foot unit. They also get their own TVs. Anyone who has endured the bickering over which channel to watch in a cramped hotel room can appreciate that amenity. The kids have their own VCR, a Nintendo 64 video game player and CD player.

There’s also a comfy parlor area with fridge, microwave, TV, a rocking chair and a game table (kids are handed checkers when they check in). And though there’s only one bathroom, there’s a makeup area and extra hair dryer in the bedroom.

Just as much thought has been given to pleasing traveling families outside their rooms. There’s a huge water playground, where games and arts and crafts projects will be offered during the day. Young children will gravitate to the kids’ check-in and indoor playground in the lobby, older kids to the arcade and library with hundreds of children’s titles.

Suite hotels already represent one of the fastest-growing segments of the hotel industry, reports Smith Travel Research, the independent Nashville-based firm that tracks trends in the industry. The number of suite hotels has more than tripled in the last decade--to 1,647 suite and extended-stay hotels around the country, with nearly 220,000 rooms.

They range from the decidedly upscale Embassy Suites with free hot breakfast and cocktails--even kids’ programs at some locales--to the new, more modest SpringHill Suites by Marriott and Comfort Suites (offering free continental breakfasts), to bare-bones options where there isn’t even daily maid service.

“Absolutely, suites are better than a hotel room,” said Maria Hicks-Langlois, a New Hampshire mom who stayed in a suite hotel on her family’s recent trip to Orlando. “Instead of the children in a double bed next to you, you have a little privacy.”

Originally targeting business travelers who need a home away from home for days or weeks at a stretch, suites proved a big hit for parents and kids who crave the space, mini-kitchens and free breakfasts that can easily save a traveling family $30 to $40 a day. And the suite rates are comparable to a single hotel room.

In fact, for the first time, Marriott’s 300-plus Residence Inn chain is targeting families with a special national summer promotion touting rates from $90 for apartment-like units that have full kitchens. Some offer special weekend rates starting Thursdays, or family rates.

Just remember when you book your room that all suites are not created equal, warns Consumer Reports Travel Letter, which recently surveyed 36 suite hotels.

Some so-called suites don’t have separate bedrooms with a door. Others might not be as large as you expect. We recently stayed in a suite where the kids’ room was the size of a closet. What’s even worse is to arrive and discover the hotel doesn’t offer the amenities you want, like a pool, restaurant or kids’ program. It’s important to do your homework before you book.

Holiday Inn Family Suites, telephone (877) 387-KIDS, Internet https://www.hifamilysuites.com. Introductory rates for the rest of 1999 start at $115.

Embassy Suites, tel. (800) EMBASSY, Internet https://www.embassy-suites.com. Rates start at $89 and average $129.

SpringHill Suites or Residence Inn, tel. (800) 228-9290, Internet https://www.marriott.com. Rates start at $75 for SpringHill, $85 for Residence Inn.

Comfort Suites, tel. (800) 228-5150, Internet https://www.hotelchoice.com. Rates start at $60.