If I could have gotten a dollar for each time someone said that to me over the past decade, I think that I’d have paid for my oldest child’s first year of university. About five years ago when my youngest was three, I was given a rude awakening at a hotel in Montreal, Quebec. A novice parent-of-three who happens to love to travel, we were visiting the city for a friend’s wedding and in the course of trying to book a hotel, found that all the online booking sites only allowed me to account for two of my three kids. Curious. So without any malice or fraud on my mind I booked the hotel with the best room (two queens and a pull out couch) for the best rate during a very busy weekend and we headed off.
As a matter of sanity, I asked my husband to keep the kids away while I registered us but in a manner of two minutes they all came charging at me, and being the friendly person I am I introduced them all to the lovely clerk checking us in. STOP right there! “Do you have THREE children Madame?” she asked while gesturing for her manager to come over. “Yes, they’re all mine,” I replied happily. And it was at that moment that I learned the very hard lesson that having a third child was going to limit the possibilities of where and how we travelled; the disproportionate costs we’d have to pay for that wee bundle of joy; and the smug asides I’d be hearing from those perfectly formed families of four, who could fit snugly and fire-marshal-approved into a standard hotel room, cruise cabin or resort suite.
The Montreal fiasco, well, that became a comedy of errors as we jumped from one place to the next, but I swore at moment that I would overcome this “large family” label and help others of my kind to travel without prejudice or consequence. For the past few years I’ve made it my mission to find and share places that are friendly and affordable for families of five or more – and that may include those who might bring along a step-child, a nanny, a grand-parent or a friend. There were many road-trips with my family back in day and I wanted to ensure that my kids got to experience the glory and the defeat of those long, long trips to anywhere and everywhere.
So for the past few years this has been a side hobby of mine, and interspersed with location reviews, eco-holidays, seasonal must-see’s and staycation options, I have been advocating for and promoting places that accommodate families of five or more.
Then it happened. A few days ago a facebook friend posted the following request: “I am completely done with this bitterly cold weather so I decided to look at some last minute deals for down south. Every resort has a max room capacity of 4 including max of 2 kids. Has anyone travelled south with 3 kids and was able to have just one room?” As expected, everyone jumped on board to offer their favorite resorts (most of which would NOT accommodate that request) or sincere condolences for their plight of having a third child.
So, I reached out to the good people of Florida and asked the simple question – where are some family-friendly and affordable locations that desperate snowbirds can come down for a getaway over the next few weeks for a break from the unrelenting cold?
And herein is an incomplete list of large-family-friendly places to consider if you want to head south over the March Break. For more specific locations you can always contact Visit Florida. Prices and amenities will vary and it’s always recommended you do your research and check out travel reviews to not only get a rating but get an idea of what you may like or need to account for when you go. And don’t discount chain hotels as many are now offering one and two bedroom suites for families.
- Sanibel Moorings www.sanibelmoorings.com – Sanibel
- Casa Ybel Resort www.casaybelresort.com – Sanibel
- Sanibel Arms West www.sanibelarmswest.com – Sanibel
- Bridgewater Inn www.bridgewaterinn.com – Pine Island/Matlacha
- Lighthouse Resort Inn and Suites www.lighthouseislandresort.com – Fort Myers Beach
- Gulf Breeze Cottages www.gbreeze.com – Sanibel
- Pelicans Roost www.pelicansroost.com – Sanibel
- Sandy Bend www.sandybendsanibel.com – Sanibel
- Steinhatch Landing Resort Cottages www.steinhatcheelanding.com – Steinhatchee (50% discount)
- Pirate Haus Inn. www.piratehaus.com – St. Augustine
- Holiday Isle Oceanfront Resort www.holidayisleoceanfront.com – St. Augustine
- Jaybird’s Inn www.JaybirdsInn.com – St. Augustine
- Summerwinds www.summerwindresort.com – Naverre (Fort Walton/Destin Area)
- Gulf Islands condos www.gulfislandcondominiums.com – Naverre (Fort Walton/Destin Area)
- Casa Del Sol www.sunny.org – Fort Lauderdale
- Carriage House Resort Motel www.carriagehouseresort.com– Deerfield Beach
- Caribbean Resort Florida www.caribbeanresortflorida.com– Hollywood Beach
- Hollywood Beach Suites, Hotel and Hostel www.hollywoodbeachhostel.com – Fort Lauderdale
- Star Islands www.star-island.com– Kissimmee
- Best Western Premier Saratoga Resort Villa’s bestwesternpremierkissimmee.com – Kissimmee
- Celebration Suites www.suitesatoldtown.com– Kissimmee/Orlando
- Quality Suites Royale Parc Suites www.royaleparcsuitesorlando.com– Kissimmee
- Clarion Suites Maingate clarionsuiteskissimmee.com– Kissimmee
- Encantada Resort www.encantadaflorida.com/encantada-resort – Kissimmee
Do you have any to add to the list? please share here or tweet to me @lrgfamilytravel
Stay warm and happy travels
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