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Pleasing Kids At US Hotels

Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn
14500 Continental Gateway
Orlando, FL 32821
1877/NICK-KID
When it was Ms. Whaples' Holiday Inn Family Suites, families adored this convenient, all-suite Orlando property. Now that is has partnered with cable TV giant Nickelodeon to become the first Nick Hotel, children will have an even better time at the Lake Buena Vista resort. Nick Family Suites, now independently owned and operated, are wall-papered with themes from Nickelodeon cartoons like Jimmy Neutron, the Rugrats and SpongeBob SquarePants. The suites have either two or three bedrooms, a common area and a kitchenette. In addition to a master bedroom, the suite's kidsroom has bunk or twin beds, a junior pullout bed, a TV and in-room movies, PlayStation 2 and an activity table with chairs. Families can reserve a special Character Breakfast to get autographs, and children five and under eat free at all other meals. If you can get kids away from the two water parks with their Rube-Goldberg-like climbing structures at either side of the property, they'll find plenty of entertainment in the Mall, which offers fast food snackbars, interactive games, an arcade, and a Kids' Spa. Facilities include a basketball court, a mini-golf course, Studio Nick with nightly entertainment, Nick-After-Dark Kids Activity Program, and a Nick at Night lounge for the adults.

Hard Rock Hotel
5800 Universal Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32819
888/832-7155
Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida is already a great family destination, and the Hard Rock Hotel creates an even more family-friendly environment. The kids' section of the hotel's family suites has two twin-size beds, a small table and chairs, and a television, and the room is decorated in playful patterns. The rooms have a music-theme catering to the littlest rock'n'rollers in training. The hotel is located inside Universal Orlando, so all families have to do is walk outside to get to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks and the Universal Citywalk Entertainment Complex. Additionally, all guests of the hotel receive Express Pass Entrance to bypass waiting lines for rides -- priceless. Other amenities include priority seating at Universal restaurants, resort-wide charging privileges with your room key, and a kids camp. This hotel is a Loews Hotels property.

Portofino Bay Hotel
5601 Universal Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32819
407/503-1000
This deluxe Loews Universal Orlando property boasts 18 upscale Kid Suites that feature a master bedroom with a king-sized bed, plus a room with two child-size beds. Guests may choose between two twin beds or a bunk bed. Other room amenities include a small table and set of chairs, separate closet, TV/VCR, and a CD player. These rooms are just as tasteful as the elegant, adult-oriented public spaces resembling an Italian villa. Children really enjoy strolling around the hotel's piazza and watching gondolas ply the hotel's man-made lake, as well as playing in Campo Portofina, a supervised activity center. The family-friendly hotel also offers Loews' range of welcome gifts, special menus, supervised recreational programs, a game-lending library, three themed pools, and much more just for children.

Knott's Berry Farm Resort Hotel
7675 Crescent Avenue
Buena Park, CA 90620
714/995-1111 or 866/752-2444
Even though this hotel provides a free shuttle to Disneyland (10 minutes away), you won't ever need to use it---because this Buena Park, California resort has its own theme park, which boasts some of the world's best roller coasters for teens and adults. The Knott's Berry Farm theme park stretches across 160 acres of what used to be an actual berry farm, featuring rides, roller coasters, games, and live entertainment. For preschoolers, the Camp Snoopy section of the park, based on the famous "Peanuts" comic strip, has gentler rides and child-friendly shows and attractions. The property contains only one (out of 165 park rides) water ride, but that's because Knott's also owns a Soak City Water Park, located right next door! Family amenities within the hotel itself include Snoopy Rooms, which have two queen beds and Snoopy-themed décor. The innovative telephone system features six dial-up bedtime stories that the children can listen to from their beds. If families staying in these rooms plan ahead, Snoopy himself will stop by to tuck in the young ones.

Hotel Metropolis
25 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
800/553-1900 or 415/775-4600
Each floor of this unusual San Francisco, California boutique hotel is designed with the motif of earth, wind, fire or water. The Urban Explorers Kid's Suites sleep up to six adults and three kids. They feature bunk beds and child-sized furniture, and are connected to the parents' master bedroom. Some amenities include in-room refrigerators, televisions with Nintendo, an e-Mac computer and pay-per-view movies. All kid's suites come stocked with crayons, chalkboards, movies, a selection of books and a rubber ducky for bath time. Check their site for seasonal family specials, and look for Kid's Suites at the Hotel Diva and the Hotel Union Square, two of Personality Hotels' other properties in San Francisco.

Hotel Helix
1430 Rhode Island Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20005
800/706-1202 or 202/462-9001
From its Magritte-esque mural on the outside to its outrageous color scheme on the inside, Washington, D.C.'s Hotel Helix promises a fun-filled stay. The hotel has Bunk Rooms -- large rooms with one king size bed, and one bunk bed (the bottom bunk is actually a clever sofa that transforms into a full size bed. ) The colorful modern furniture and the pop art adorning the walls make for an interesting environment. Rooms come equipped with high-speed Internet access, Sony CD stereos, in-room movies and 37-inch flat screen televisions with Nintendo and WebTV access. Hotel Felix's Bring the Kids Along package includes accommodations in a Bunk Room and all the supplies for a pizza party: two large pizzas, two one-liter soft drinks, two pints of Haagen-Dazs ice cream and a board game of your choice. When families get bored with the hotel, they can venture outside. Felix's downtown location is nearby all of D. C. 's free, family-friendly museums. They didn't forget about the pets either, as Hotel Helix offers pet-friendly accommodations.

Howard Johnson Crayola Kid's Rooms
800/446-4656
When booking a Howard Johnson property in the U.S. and Canada, inquire if the location is one offering the Crayola Kids Rooms. These are one-room junior suites with a partition wall separating sleeping areas for kids and parents. The kids' section features two twin beds, an art easel with crayons, stuffed animals, a kid-sized table and chairs, and a half-bathroom for emergencies. Crayola rooms feature some other value-added amenities to provide a fun and relaxing environment, such as a TV/VCR, a mini-fridge with complimentary beverages, a microwave, a nightlight, and primary colored bedspreads and drapes. (Editor's Note: These rooms are no longer offered at Howard Johnson locations).

The Omni Hotels' Texas Collection Kids' Sensory Suites
888/444-6664
Select Omni Hotel chain hotels in Texas offer Kids' Sensory Suites, which contain separate rooms that are "fit for a kid." Featuring twin beds with colorful sheets, beanbag chairs, board games, cozy bath robes, aquatic-themed bath accessories and even a Kids' Sensation Bar that is jam-packed with toys and snacks. An informal advisory board of 10-year old children that was set up by Omni helped the chain design these one-of-a-kind suites that have one goal in the mind: pure fun! Also all kids staying at the Omni's Texas Collection can participate in Sensational Kids, which includes a special kid's menu, milk and cookies every night before bed and a complimentary gift bag with gift items that correspond with each of the five senses.

Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts
323 East Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
312/565-0565 (Chicago Hotel)
Swissotels are located in cities around the world, ranging from Istanbul to Los Angeles and many of their properties contain Kids Suites. Their special Kids Suites are tailored for children between 2 and 12-years, and have child-friendly materials and furnishings, as well as a play area with a large selection of toys and a collection of CD's and DVD's. Children's coloring books, crayons, games, fun bedding, and child-size tables and chairs are provided, yet each hotel and family room is slightly tailored to its location. For instance, Swissôtel Chicago's Designed for Kids Room was developed with the celebrated Shedd Aquarium. A hotel stay includes an element of education through a fun exploration of marine life with books, movies, and puzzles provided by the aquarium. When families book a stay in Chicago, they also receive four complimentary tickets to the Aquarium. Other Swissotels have similar marketing promotions with local attractions. Additional amenities include Very Important Kids check-in, a special kids menu, babysitting, and a pool on the 42nd floor.

Best Western Great Northern
229 Great Northern Road
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada P6B 4Z2
800/563-7262 or 705/942-2500
Located in Upstate Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, this hotel doesn't rely on brand name characters to appeal to kids. Instead, their Family Suites have furniture and walls painted in themes such as Jungle Fun, Astronaut and Wildlife. These rooms have bunk beds, a TV with Sony PlayStation, a mini-fridge, and a pull-out sofabed in the common area. The parent's room offers a king-size bed. In the main hotel there is a 24-lane bowling alley, a 5 1/2-story indoor waterslide (the biggest in Ontario), a pool and a whirlpool. What's not for a kid to love here? The fun never stops! (Editor's Note: This hotel is under new management and is no longer a Best Western property. The new name of the hotel is Great Northern Resort & Conference Center).