Mommy and Daddy burnout--need a vacation--Marriott/Hilton suggestions?

[Anonymous]

We are a family of 4--2 exhausted working parents of a 3.5 y.o. and a 1 y.o.--looking for vacation suggestions. We have almost no discretionary funds but we do have 450,000 Marriott points and 550,000 Hilton points. Any ideas?


Here are my thoughts but I'm open to anything:
1. An all inclusive resort where all I have to do is get up in the morning to walk to the beach and go back to sleep or play with the kids;
2. A hotel near some sort of amusement area or natural beauty for the kids (preferrably not to expense for the amusement b/c of the lack of pocket money);
3. A resort style hotel with spa

I'm thinking March or April for at least 4 nights.

TIA for your suggestions!

[Anonymous]

We stayed at the Mariott Grande Vista in Orlando in November and it was great (DS is 3, DD 15 months). They have a heated outdoor pool, a little beach, golf course, spa...it's 1 mile away from Sea World which is great for little ones.

[Anonymous]

Marriott Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona. Check out the website to see if the resort kid's activities and area activities would work for you.

The Spa is excellent! We have gone several years around Easter. Lots of families.

[Anonymous]

Second the Camelback inn--I was there last year and the spa is awesome. March would be a great time of year but would avoid getting too far into April since it starts getting really hot.

[Anonymous]

Other thought. Would these points be good for the Ritz Carlton since the Ritz is owned by Marriot now? If so there is a beautiful Ritz property on Puerto Rico.

[Anonymous]

DH and I stayed at the Ritz in PR when we got engaged. Beautiful but much better suited for families with kids. Don't get a manicure there though. I ended up with some crazy infection under my nailbed and ended up wearing a fake nail to my wedding. It took over a year with antibiotics to finally heal.

[Anonymous]

I used to work for Marriott Vacation Club (the timeshare resorts), and can strongly recommend most of them (I stayed at quite a few while I worked there, which was several years ago). Most offer activities for kids, and the rooms are all suites (from one to three bedrooms) with a kitchen and a washer/dryer, which can help you save money. If you're trying to avoid spending too much on airfare but want to be near the beach or an amusement park, Florida is probably your best bet. I've stayed at all the Marriott timeshares in Orlando, and I thought the best one was Grande Vista. The others are good but older. They have similar properties in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Palm Beach as well, if you prefer to be near the beach.

[Anonymous]

We just got back from a trip to the Hilton timeshare property in Orlando at Sea World and have also stayed at the Marriott Grande Vista. Both are nice, have children activities, spas, etc. The Marriott was a bit nicer in my opinion. Have fun!

[Anonymous]

Another vote for the Marriott Camelback Inn in Arizona. We loved it!!

[Anonymous]

OP here. The points are good at the Ritz as well. We have some relatives in PR so that might be fun. The Marriott Camelback looks amazing. I was sitting at my desk trying to keep my eyes open when I remembered I hadn't checked this post in a while. Just THINKING about a vacation is enough to get me through the rest of the day. THANK YOU! Next break I'll call DH and see if I can get him to commit to a vacation date!