Orlando hotels

Nick Hotel’s Let It Snow Celebration is Full of Festive Fun

4 December 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

The Nick Hotel is a great place for families and kids to keep the fun and action going during their Orlando vacation – or a great place for locals to come experience a staycation nearby! Now Nick Hotel is offering their 3rd annual Let it Snow holiday event. My family was invited to check out the festivities and it was really a fun night. How fun is it to have it “snow” poolside in Florida? The shows are big hits with the kids too and of course, Santa was on hand for photos and wish list discussions. Here are some photos and the official info below:

Celebrate Florida’s winter at Nickelodeon Suites Resort’s one-of-a-kind LET IT SNOW holiday event – a free experience for all of our registered guests. Every weekend and on select nights between November 22 and December 30, 2013, the Oasis Pool Deck becomes a winter playground with thousands of lights, music, delicious treats and “SNOW”.

Get in the holiday spirit with bright holiday lights
Sip hot chocolate and snack on s’mores around fire pits
Soar down a two-story inflatable slide
Cozy up with Nickelodeon characters dressed in their holiday best or Santa for a family photo opportunity
Catch the “snowflakes” as the “snow” falls on the Oasis Pool Deck
Splash in the pool that’s always a comfortable 84 degrees

And head over to Studio Nick for our spectacular holiday show, Celebrate Nickmas, starring SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer! All of this is included in your stay when visiting select nights November 22, 2013 through December 30, 2013.

Nick Hotel character dinner at Let It Snow

Kids can pick an ornament from the “snow” and get a prize

SPECIAL: Readers can book now and receive 20% off using code SNOW13 for a suite booked now through December 30, for travel through April 1. Blackout dates apply, call 407-387-5438 to book.

About Nickelodeon Suites Resort

Located in the heart of Orlando’s tourism district, Nickelodeon Suites Resort, otherwise known as the Nick Hotel, is much more than a place for guests to lay their heads at night. From two over-the-top pool complexes with slides and flumes, to live entertainment and Character Breakfast featuring Nickelodeon’s beloved characters, to a multimillion dollar 4-D Theater, to the colorfully themed Kid Suites and gallons upon gallons of slime, Nick Hotel offers nonstop activity from dawn to dusk for the entire family any time of the year. For more information about the Nick Hotel, visit www.nickhotel.com or call (877) NICK-KID.

Gaylord Palms Purrrrrrfect Pajama Party with Puss in Boots and Friends

6 March 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Pack your favorite pajamas to party with the most darling swashbuckler and all around coolest cat in Central Florida! Gaylord Palms invites guests and their families to a brand new DreamWorks Experience, the Puss in Boots & Friends’ Purrrrrrfect Pajama Party. Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 16 because this exclusive event will take place one night only!

Guests have one chance to participate in this purrrrrrfect family friendly adventure. Clad in your party pjs enjoy an exclusive meet & greet with your most admired feline hero, Puss in Boots. Package guests will want to bring their DreamWorks autograph book amenity for this one – and don’t forget a camera! Tap into your creative genius by decorating and customizing your very own Puss in Boots pillowcase while snacking on cookies and leche (milk). The party continues outside at Gaylord Palms’ Cypress Springs Family Fun Water Park as you settle in for a Splash ‘N’ Screen viewing of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.’s Academy Award® nominated film, Puss in Boots.

Upon check-in, children will get their paws on some special gifts including their very own magic beans and a memento from DreamWorks’ most recent film, Rise of the Guardians. Additionally, package guests will embark on an adventure like no other in the Rise of the Guardians Adventure Scavenger Hunt. Join forces with Jack Frost and the legendary Guardians to solve exciting puzzles, crack codes and find the clues needed to defeat the evil spirit, Pitch, and his devious plan to engulf the world in darkness and fear. Are you brave enough to take the challenge?

Why let the fun stop there? For an additional charge, guests can start the next day with a ShrekFeast Interactive Character Breakfast. Kids will love becoming an honorary Ogre and joining Shrek and friends for a fairytale feast fit for a king. Tableside hugs included! This experience features a Magic Fountain bubbling over with intoxicating chocolate potions and Shrek-shaped waffles with syrup.

The feline fiesta is part of The DreamWorks Experience and takes place at Gaylord Palms on Saturday, March 16. Visit www.gaylordpalms.com today to book your Puss in Boots & Friends’ Purrrrrrfect Pajama Party package. Package rates start at $189 per night for a family of four (exclusive of tax, resort fees and parking).

Gaylord Palms Resort is located five minutes from the gates of Walt Disney World at 6000 W. Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34746. For more information, visit www.gaylordpalms.com or call 407-586-2000.

Be sure to “Like” Gaylord Palms on Facebook to get the most up-to-date information and promotions!

Orlando’s Gaylord Palms Wants You to Get Scared Shrekless and Prepare for a Merry Madagascar!

21 September 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

I always love any chance I get to hang out at the Gaylord Palms Resort – it is like another little self-contained world. Actually, there isn’t anything little about Gaylord Palms. From the moment you walk in the lobby, the space is awe-inspiring and the attention to detail and theming just gorgeous. I think I could spend all day just wandering around and exploring the Florida-themed sections of the hotel (and they realize this and offer kids scavenger hunts as a result!). The rooms and dining are just as fabulous, making it a place a family or couple could truly escape and never leave the grounds for a mini-vacation.

Gaylord Palms knows how to entertain families as well. They have two holiday packages coming up, one for Halloween featuring Shrek and Kung Fu Panda – who wouldn’t want to trick-or-treat around 4.5 acres of hotel gardens?! Of course, their amazing Christmas experiences such as ICE!, decorations, shows and more! The official information follows – I can’t recommend the Gaylord Palms Resort enough, it’s just beautiful!

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Gaylord Palms Resort invites guests to come out and experience Halloween a little early this year during Scared Shrekless Family Fun, an interactive experience featuring beloved characters from DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.’s Madagascar franchise and this summer’s hit film Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, along with friends from the Shrek and Kung Fu Panda franchises.

Package guests can dress up in their most spooktacular costumes; trick-or-treat around the resort’s 4.5 acres of gardens; participate in a kids’costume contest with prizes; make ooey, gooey Swamp Sludge; dive into fun at the Madagascar Crack-A-Lackin’ Pool Party and much more ghoulish fun!

Scared Shrekless Family Fun at Gaylord Palms offers families a safe and weather controlled environment to celebrate the Halloween holiday. Overnight packages begin at $179 and are available on October 13 and October 27. For more information visit www.DreamWorksExperienceatGaylordPalms.com or call 407-586-2000.

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ICE! featuring DreamWorks’ Merry Madagascar

Celebrating its 10th year, ICE! is back and features an all-new awe-inspiring tribute to the unforgettable DreamWorks’ Animation TV classic Merry Madagascar. Guests can relive the story of how Alex the Lion and his friends saved Christmas after Santa and his reindeer crash onto the island of Madagascar.

Thrill-seekers can take a trip down one of four, two-story ice slides. With more than 20,000 square feet of exciting hand-carved sculptures made of 2 million pounds of ice, the frosty 9-degree bliss of ICE! is Florida’s favorite frigid Christmas tradition. A team of 40 talented artisans from Harbin, China, spend more than a month in Kissimmee creating this one-of-a-kind attraction.

While visiting Gaylord Palms to take in the excitement of ICE!, guests can also amplify their Christmas experience with one of these special events available FREE of charge:

Majestic Christmas Tree Lighting — Guests looking for a more traditional treat can enjoy Gaylord Palms’ famous tree-lighting ceremony, complete with singers, carols, lights and the star of the show, a massive 54-foot-tall majestic Christmas tree! It towers over the St. Augustine atrium, waiting for the special moment to light up and cast holiday cheer on guests.
LIVE Stage Shows — As part of the holiday lineup, Gaylord Palms offers live stage entertainment, including the spirited Luminescence Christmas show, throughout the Christmas season. Shows take place in the Emerald Bay Plaza, and guests are welcome to attend, free of charge!
Polar Bear Pursuit Scavenger Hunt — Guests can take a joyful jaunt throughout the indoor atriums to spot cleverly hidden polar bears. Answers are entered online to be eligible to win a grand prize.

The festivities don’t stop there! Guests can also participate in a few of their favorite things (additional charges apply):

ShrekFeast Interactive Character Breakfast — Kids will love becoming an honorary Ogre and joining Shrek and friends for a fairytale feast fit for a king. Tableside hugs and photos included! This experience features a Magic Fountain bubbling over with delicious chocolate potions and Shrek-shaped waffles with syrup.
Gingy’s Gingerbread Decorating — This fun, sticky, interactive decorating tradition just got a whole lot sweeter! Hosted by Gingy, the most famous of all Gingerbread men, you can choose from several different design options. After you’ve decorated to your heart’s content (don’t forget the gum drop buttons!), make your way to meet Gingy for a heartwarming hug that you can capture with your own camera.

The best way to benefit from all that Gaylord Palms has to offer is to book a room and become immersed in the splendor of Christmas. Guests seeking to jingle all the way into their holiday hoopla can purchase special “Christmassy DreamWorks Experience” packages starting at $189 per room per night!

Specially designed with all of the activities above, packages include tickets to ICE! and the exciting adventures of DreamWorks Animation’s latest feature film, in theaters November 21^st, Rise of the Guardians Scavenger Hunt, in which the whole family will search throughout Gaylord Palms’ spectacular indoor atriums and enter their answers online to win a grand prize. Enthusiasts can then meet the whole DreamWorks gang with a “Character Passport” that allows them to stroll through Shrek’s beloved swamp for a face-to-face encounter with the green ogre himself; explore the island of Madagascar; discover China’s ancient Valley of Peace where Po, the Kung Fu Panda, has become a true kung fu master; and greet Gingy in a giant gingerbread house.

A DreamWorks welcome amenity package, character wake-up calls and a family photo are also included in overnight packages for guests to commemorate their unforgettable visit. Additionally, they can enjoy special holiday menus at the expansive dining outlets and attractive holiday merchandise at the myriad specialty shops.

ICE! is open daily from Nov. 10, 2012 through Jan. 1, 2013, including holidays. Ticket prices range from $13.99 to $29.99. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.ChristmasAtGaylordPalms.com.

Be sure to “Like” Gaylord Palms on Facebook to get the most up-to-date information and promotions!

New 50’s-Themed Family Suite and Value Hotel Announced at Universal Orlando

9 July 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Check out the interesting news out of Universal Orlando Resort this morning – an all-new uniquely-themed value resort will be built on-site, opening in 2014. The resort will be half family-suites, half traditional rooms, offering both value and moderate-priced experiences. I do love mid-century design so I’m excited to see how this unfolds before us! Here’s the official news and some artist renderings below:

ORLANDO, Fla. (July 9, 2012) – Universal Parks & Resorts and Loews Hotels & Resorts will build a new hotel development at Universal Orlando that will add high-quality, high-value options for families wanting an affordable on-site experience.

Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort will offer two distinct experiences within the development’s multiple buildings: 900 family suites, capable of sleeping six, that include kitchen areas and 900 standard guest rooms – offering both moderate- and value-priced accommodations. It will be operated by Loews Hotels & Resorts and is scheduled to open in 2014.

Cabana Bay Beach Resort Exterior – scheduled to open in 2014

The hotel will be themed differently than anything else currently available at Universal Orlando. It will evoke the driving vacations so many Americans grew up enjoying with their families – spending time at sweeping motor courts just off the highway, where families relaxed and played after a long day’s drive. The new hotel’s hip, vintage look will be accented with bold design, dramatic, clean lines, bright, period colors and touches of neon. Inside areas including the lobby, dining areas and large, comfortable rooms will follow suit. The hotel will have two themed pool areas.

“Our new hotel will give guests an affordable, incredibly themed on-site hotel experience unlike anything else at our resort,” said Tom Williams, chairman and chief executive officer, Universal Parks & Resorts. “Our new family suites and family-value pricing will give our guests on-site options they’ve never had before.”

The hotel will be built on a 37-acre site within Universal Orlando Resort and adjacent to Universal’s Islands of Adventure – just off Hollywood Way and Turkey Lake Road. Site work will begin soon. Pricing information, opening timeframes and room on-sale dates will be released over time.

Artist rendering of the new Cabana Bay Beach Resort Suite

The new hotel will allow families to choose between value pricing or the higher level of benefits and service that come with staying at other on-site Universal Orlando hotels – Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort. It will provide early park admission, proximity to Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios and resort-wide charging privileges – but will not offer complimentary Universal Express Unlimited Access.

“The Cabana Bay Beach Resort furthers our goal of operating special and distinct properties in important markets,” said Paul Whetsell, Loews Hotels & Resorts president and CEO. “This is another important step in our plan to expand the Loews system in major markets across the United States.”

CoCo Key Water Resort Splashes into Orlando

4 May 2010 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

A few weeks back I was invited to the grand opening of a brand new hotel trying to make its mark on the Orlando tourism map. In actuality, this brand has been quite successful in other areas of the country, and is making its new home in a spot with quite an established bit of Orlando and even Walt Disney World history.

Originally the Hilton Inn South, this location was the very spot that cast members were trained before the opening of Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort! It’s hard to imagine an I-Drive back then, before the rest of the theme parks and surrounding tourist attractions moved into town.

The Key West-themed CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort opened April 22nd and offers rates through June 15th for as little as $89 per night*. CoCo Key combines a casual tropical hotel setting with a whimsical water park that features slides, rides and fun amplified with four pools, 14 water slides, poolside entertainment, and splashing good times all specially designed for kids in a safe and friendly environment.