NEW YORK, July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Family travelers rule in the summertime as hotels and resorts embrace the family-friendly season. These properties are offering exciting new packages and stay-awhile rates that add up to value, diversion and extra space for mom, dad and the kids. So pack up your bags, bring your enthusiasm, and maybe even tip off a grandparent or two -- the summer season only lasts through September.
CAMP WATAPANA, WE HOLD YOU IN OUR HEARTS: Family happiness is just an island-hop away with the NEW Summer Sale at Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino, offering 30% off the daily rate. The authentically chic Aruban retreat offers a world of experiences for parents and kids alike, including several new island-inspired children's activities onsite at Camp Watapana. Slip away for some time together while your young ones, aged 3-12, are preoccupied with engaging activities such as Papiamento lessons, seashell hunts, story time (with Aruban tales), nature walks, sandcastle building, and star gazing. Summer Sale is valid from July 1 to September 30, 2009, starting at $221.00 per night. www.aruba.hyatt.com
MOUNTAIN MAMA, PAPA, & KIDS: For family togetherness, look no further than Topnotch Resort and Spa in Stowe, Vt. This summer, the mountain resort offers its Family Adventures Package for outdoorsy families who want a chance to get back to nature. Guests will get overnight accommodations, customized for any size family, as well as a guided hike, family picnic lunch and half-day bike rentals for the entire family -- even the littlest can ride in the back on baby seats. Topnotch will also make sure that families are well outfitted, offering a special Topnotch Adventure Backpack for all children and Topnotch baseball caps for the parents. Package from $440/night (based on a family of four), valid through September 8, 2009. www.topnotchresort.com
FAMILY WILDLIFE ADVENTURE: Families that want to learn and play together can join internationally renowned marine educator David Snow and his family on a week-long Newfoundland Family Wildlife Adventure in Newfoundland, Canada. The new family vacation program is designed to engage, enrich and entertain all generations. Join other traveling families and watch whales, measure giant squids, study puffins, walk through lighthouses, observe salmon jumping in wild rivers and visit science centers. Stay at the Delta hotel, located in the heart of downtown St. John's -- one of the city's finest hotels. Trip 1 is July 26 - August 1 and Trip 2 is August 2 - 8, 2009. Prices vary, based on the number of people booking per family. www.wildlands.com
WHO WANTS S'MORE?: Soak up summer with the whole family at Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa. The historic and gloriously refurbished destination in the Allegheny Mountains of central Pennsylvania has eight natural mineral springs and 2,200 acres of beauty to engage guests of every age. This summer, the S'more Fun for Kids package keeps everybody happy with 20% savings for families on a deluxe guest room, plus a $100 activity credit good toward horseback riding, fly-fishing, scavenger hunts, geocaching and dozens of other activities. You'll also enjoy complimentary meals for kids 12 and under, buffet breakfast daily for everybody, and a S'mores kit for roasting treats at the outdoor fire pit. Starting at $397 weekdays, $447 weekends (based on up to two adults and two children 12 and under). Available May 22 - October 31, 2009. www.omnibedfordsprings.com
THE MORE THE MERRIER: Family bonding will reach new heights this summer at The Curtis in Denver. A pop culture explosion in the heart of the city's Theatre District, The Curtis hotel is fun from the moment you walk in the front door, starting with a 5 & Dime store selling classic candies and games in the lobby, a Front Desk staff adept at "rock, paper, scissors," wake-up calls from Elvis and other kitschy luminaries, and complete with 13 themed floors (including the ominous Thirteenth Floor) decked out with pop art installations. The hotel's Grab Your Grandma package encourages extended family togetherness, offering two rooms for the price of one, free parking for up to two cars and a $50 food and beverage credit. $199 per night, Thursday - Sunday only (Thursday stays require two-night minimum), through September 7, 2009. www.thecurtis.com
ADD FAMILY, ENJOY: Like a well-made dessert, a family vacation needs all the right ingredients to be a success -- and the result can be just as sweet. Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel & Spa puts them together with the skill of a patissier with the Classic Family Vacation package. Count on a full breakfast daily for every member of the brood; 15% discount on dining at all onsite restaurants; a locally inspired kids snack served in-room; an exclusive 20% discount for purchases from the National Geographic online store; plus 50% off a second room, including full breakfast, for up to four kids. Starting at $244/night, for a savings of at least 20%; valid through September 7, 2009. www.newport.hyatt.com
BEACH BABY BINGO: Kennebunkport, Maine has long been a summer hotspot, with rocky beaches, lobster rolls, and boat rides along the Atlantic coast beckoning travelers for weekend getaways. This summer, the Yachtsman Lodge & Marina invites the whole family with the Family Fun package, including two nights in a king room with a queen sofa bed, private waterfront patio and breakfast daily, $100 voucher for Stripers Waterside Restaurant, tickets for the Kennebunkport Trolley, a spot at the Thursday Movies on the Lawn at Breakwater Inn & Spa, plus a beach parking permit, chairs and towels. From $360 per night, Sunday through Thursday, through August 31. www.yachtsmanlodge.com
