A Vacation in my Own Backyard

When you have children, the word “vacation” takes on an entirely new meaning. The days of light packing are over while you quickly learn there is no such thing as being “too prepared.”

We’ve stayed in many hotel rooms with Harlan since she was born {having a husband that lives 1000 miles away means a lot of frequent flyer miles and hotel points.} My priorities for booking a hotel room have changed since having Harlan too. No longer am I looking for the luxurious, serene hotel with a great spa. Now I have to look for family friendly accommodations that will make Harlan comfortable and the transition smooth.

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to become a tourist in my own backyard at the Residence Inn Times Square with other fellow “Resident Moms.” We had the chance to check out the hotel’s family accommodations while also giving them a chance to listen to our ideas for how to make the Marriott brand’s family packages even more appealing to families.

I must admit, I was super excited to spend a night by myself and after seeing the room I was staying in, it made the night experience even better. The hotel room looked similar to a studio apartment with a full kitchen {with a full size refrigerator!}, couch/sitting area and bathroom. The room was probably twice the size of most studio apartments in New York City.

The extended stay hotel is also adorned with complimentary wireless internet, hot buffet breakfast {which was delicious!}, laundry room, fitness center, studio bar with billiards, an on-call doctor, and is pet friendly! The accomodations alone made me want to stay there forever, let alone the amazing views from my hotel room!

After a great night’s sleep in the VERY comfortable bed, the “Resident Moms” headed down to the West Village for the Foods of NY Tour.

I’ve always wanted to do this tour because I love food and NYC has some of the best restaurants in the world. Since I’ve moved to the city, I found that I only go to the places that I am familiar with and leave the “touristy” things to the tourists.

I am so glad that I was a “tourist” for the day because this is a tour that is now a “must do” for all of my out of town guests.

Our first stop on the tour was Joe’s Pizza. One of NYC’s oldest pizzerias and had the best slice of pizza I’d ever tasted!

Another favorite stop was Centro Vinoteca, an italian restaurant and wine bar. The deviled egg made with truffle oil was out of this world!

As a sweets lover, this was probably my most favorite stop of the entire tour. Milk and Cookies Bakery had the cookies warm and just out of the oven waiting for us. It was the best chocolate chip cookie I had ever tasted! So good, that I bought a few to take home to Har!

Our last stop on the tour is a staple in NYC. Murray’s Cheese Shop is the best cheese shop in NYC. They have over 350 cheeses from around the world, including a truffle oil cheese {which was SO delicious.}

Residence Inn is now my “must stay” hotel when I am traveling. It will also be the hotel that I recommend to friends traveling into the city. Residence Inn is a brand that celebrates moms and aims to make our lives easier {which is what we need when on vacation,} helps with the prep work by offering a variety of family packages to bring summer travel planning, and the entire family, together!

Here are some of the highlighted family packages Residence In has to offer:

San Diego, CA: Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Residence Inn San Diego Downtown/Gaslamp Quarter Families can enjoy a night on the town with the Major League Baseball team San Diego Padres. Package includes nightly accommodations, a $50 San Diego Padres gift card per night, valet parking for one vehicle and two cocktails in Bar Vie nightly. Rates start at $219 per night and are valid through September 30, 2011.

For more information, additional packages or to book, please visit: www.residenceinn.com; www.marriott.com or call 1-800-MARRIOTT

To learn more about the NY Food Tours, visit their website www.foodsofny.com

For more photos from my Residence Inn Times Square trip, visit A Mommy in the City on Facebook.

{Disclosure: A Mommy in the City was not compensated for this post. All travel accommodations were complimentary. All opinions expressed are my own.}