We stayed overnight at the Best Western Inn on 121 Burgin Drive in Cobleskill. I was pleasantly surprised to see the Inn situated very near a shopping complex but up a hill where the views are gorgeous.

Best Western Inn graciously provided my large family two adjoining rooms to write this review of their facilities. I had no idea what to expect when we arrived, but I can now say that the place is phenomenal! First things first…

We arrived at check-in time, 3pm. The Inn is a one-story building, featuring a slew of rooms with double beds, a swimming pool, a fitness center, a restaurant, a bowling alley and a lovely lobby! I was wowed by all the amenities. Besides the typical free morning coffee, Best Western Inn gives free wireless Internet service and a complementary issue of USA Today for all guests.

Check in was prompt and I was very impressed with the ladies at the front desk. I’ve been to a number of hotels (my husband has even worked at a few) and we’ve had our share of bad experiences with front desk employees. The Best Western Inn ladies were a breath of fresh, hospitable air. We were all extremely delighted with the friendly, easy-going manner of the ladies. I’m always a little nervous meeting new people, but these ladies put me at ease. They quickly got us settled and made us feel very welcome.

The rooms are comfortable. Very clean (I checked, as I always do). The bathrooms are enormous and well insulated. With the door closed, you could not clearly hear the ventilation fan or other bathroom noises. The heat was comfortable, I didn’t have to adjust it at all. As a matter of fact, the rooms were so cozy and we were so tired after our excursion through Howe Caverns that we collapsed into the chairs and beds and just relaxed for a while.

I perused some of the typical hotel literature in the rooms. The Best Western Inn has a big binder on the table that is filled with information about the community: restaurants, things to do, grocery venues, etc. I was impressed with how comprehensive the information was. Some hotels only give you the bare minimum, but the Best Western binder offered choice after choice for things to do.

Later, we decided to go bowling. The Inn sports a few lanes at the back of the hotel. The hotel actually sprang up around the bowling alley, years ago. The lanes are clean and well-maintained. When we arrived, a large group of kids came in to play, so the place was busy.

After bowling, we wandered around a little, enjoying the peacefulness of the hotel. I love the swimming pool area. Since it was November and I hadn’t packed my bathing suit, I had to forego swimming. But I enjoyed gazing at the water.

The Best Western Inn has a restaurant, called B. W. Delaney’s. I had done some searching of local restaurants but found the menu at Delaney’s to be the most affordable for our large family. The restaurant is comfortable and the meals are good. They have a fine grilled salmon dish and my son loved his fish and chips. If you plan on eating out, I recommend B.W. Delaney’s. The food is good and the prices are the most reasonable around.

The Inn sees a lot of business from the local SUNY Cobleskill facility. There were a number of families and business men staying that night, I noticed. The rooms are well-insulated. I could hear nothing from the other rooms at all. I did hear muffled noises from outside, as our rooms were in the front of the hotel near the parking area. It didn’t bother me as the noises were barely noticeable. If you want a very quiet environment, however, I recommend that you ask for a room in the back of the hotel.

The beds are extremely comfortable and I felt spoiled with the feather pillows. My husband and I got up early the next morning and left to have some coffee at Delaney’s while the kids slept in. It was a beautiful morning.

The location of the hotel is so peaceful. The view outside the restaurant windows is breathtakingly beautiful. We watched the sun appear and the mist rise from the hills as we sipped our coffee. Later, the kids joined us for a big breakfast (waffles, pancakes, eggs, toast, bagels!). The service — everyone at the hotel — is just so friendly and pleasant.

The Best Western Inn touts itself as “your home away from home,” and we really felt that way. Everything was so relaxed! The hotel does a great job of making you feel comfortable and provides everything you need. I can’t believe how friendly everyone is! Even the cleaning lady was smiling and pleasant.

The rates are very affordable, much more than a hotel closer to Albany. Since the Best Western Inn is situated between Albany and Cooperstown, you can save quite a wad of money staying here and simply driving to the city. The drive itself is very lovely, as the views are superb.

Check out the Best Western Inn if you will be staying in the area. I highly recommend it!

Best Western Plus Inn of Cobleskill
website: BestWesternCobleskill.com
121 Burgin Drive
Cobleskill, New York 12043
Phone: (518) 234-4321
Toll Free: 1800-WESTERN

Note: I was given a free night’s stay at this hotel in exchange for this review. My opinion of this hotel and restaurant are 100% genuine and honest. Thanks for reading!

Review of Best Western Inn in Cobleskill, NY

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The establishment is owned and run by proprietors Lenny and Boka Baglieri. They have maintained a variety of hospitality businesses (Lenny is co-owner of Villa Baglieri in the Catskills area, and Boka has worked as a cook and caterer and ran her own cleaning business for a while). The couple combines their background in the hospitality industry to make Blue Mountain Rest a really, really enjoyable place. Lenny calls Blue Mountain Rest “your home away from home in the Adirondacks,” and we sure felt that way! We already miss the cabin and the glorious Adirondack scenery.

We stayed nearly a week here. I wish we could have stayed longer! Blue Mountain Rest is located on Route 30, a mere 1/2 mile from the intersection with Route 28. The Baglieris offer a variety of cabin sizes for every conceivable visitor. There’s an RV camper, two small cabins that can be expanded into larger units, and a small house that is the crown jewel of the retreat. We were blessed to stay in the small house cabin.

The cabin was INCREDIBLE and everyone felt right at home. This cabin features an entry hall, a full-sized kitchen with eat-in dining room, a good sized living room, two bedrooms and 1-1/2 baths. There’s plenty of closet space. Everything is so cozy. The kids really enjoyed relaxing in the living room with its warm pine paneling and the nice wood fireplace. The place was as clean as a whistle– pristine, actually.

Boka does most of the decorating, and she has a real gift. The decor is tactful and is done in an Adirondack theme. The cabin is so cozy.

The windows offer beautiful views of the forest in the back and Blue Mountain in the front. In the mornings, I sat on the couch watching the mist swirl around the mountain’s peak, slowly burned away by the rising sun. It was so peaceful.

In the backyard, the kids explored the pond and the forest while I sat on the deck. There’s a large area for outdoor cookouts. A barbecue grill was available to us, as well. At night, shimmering white lights lit up the deck railing. It was just so beautiful. The place has a lot of lovely small touches that made our stay very relaxing.

The boys liked looking for frogs and fish in the small pond.

The front yard is pretty.

We were actually scheduled to stay just 2 nights and 3 days, but we loved the cabin so much that we decided to stay another night and day, just to enjoy ourselves. I can’t rave about Blue Mountain Rest enough– it was so beautiful and relaxing.

Here are a few details about the place–

Blue Mountain Rest is open year round, one of the few accommodation places open during the winter in the Adirondacks. Winter sports are very popular in the Blue Mountain area, so Blue Mountain Rest hosts a lot of skiers, snowmobilers, fishermen, and other sportspeople.

The Baglieris offer a huge variety of special packages and deals throughout every season. Currently, there’s the Hiking & Biking package, Whitewater Rafting Special, Teacher Conference Week, a Veteran’s Day Special, off-season special rates and more. It pays to schedule accommodations during this time because you can save 10% to 20% off. Blue Mountain Rest also has a very special Gore Mountain Package for skiers, too. You can check out current specials and deals at the Blue Mountain Rest Specials & Packages page or contact Lenny for information (phone number is below).

Lenny and Boka have plans to expand Blue Mountain Rest. They want to offer small meals or snacks (Boka is from Germany and is a superb cook, says Lenny). I am heartily in favor of this. While we loved our stay at the cabin, it was difficult to find groceries and meals. The convenience store down the street closes at 5:30, and there are no restaurants in Blue Mountain Lake. If you expect to stay at the cabin for any length of time, bring your own groceries. I hope Boka has her food service open by the time we visit again– I’d love to try Boka’s cooking!

Cabins are very reasonably priced. I did some comparative shopping for accommodations in the area and Blue Mountain Rest was the most reasonable, especially for our large family of six (and I even brought my cat with me!). Blue Mountain Rest is also in a great location. The public park on Route 28, with beach and lake access, is a 5 minute walk away. There’s a convenience store nearby. The Adirondack Museum (review of that coming soon!) is only a 3-minute drive down Route 28. The Blue Mountain NYSDEC Fire Tower Trail (see my review!) is only a few miles from the cabin. Nearby Long Lake and Indian Lake (10-11 miles away) have restaurants.

All in all, our stay was stellar and we can’t wait to go again! I highly recommend that you check out Blue Mountain Rest. Tell Lenny and Boka that NewYorkTraveler.net sent you!

Blue Mountain Rest
8821 NYS Rte. 30
Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812
Phone: (845) 236-4071

Note: In exchange for this review, I received a small discount on our stay at Blue Mountain Rest. Be assured that my review is 100% mine, and all opinions, photos, and claims are my honest opinion. We really loved Blue Mountain Rest and recommend it!

Our Stay at Blue Mountain Rest, Adirondacks Region

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The Sohotel New York is one of the oldest hotels in New York that is still in operation. Its location in lower Manhattan gives easy access to Little Italy, China Town, Manhattan’s most interesting neighborhoods and the hottest nightclubs, restaurants and entertainment venues. The name of the hotel has changed many times since its founding in 1822. It has been called the Westchester, the Occidental and the Pioneer at different points. The hotel has hosted billionaire businessmen and philanthropists William Waldorf Astor, John L. Sullivan, Gentleman Jim Corbet and politicians Big Tim Sullivan and Pat Forley and many other great and near-great personages.

Residential hotels in New York are sometimes palatial manors which encompass several floors and are served by staffs of butlers, maids and chefs trained to provide unsurpassed service to the guests. These suites often boast Persian rugs, classic furniture, impressive dining rooms, fireplaces, gardens and incredible vistas of the New York skyline. The concierge at a good residential hotel is part manager part magician. It is said a good New York concierge can get a guest anything, including an audience with the pope. Residence hotels provide world-class cuisine and easy access to the best entertainment New York has to offer.

There are also a number of excellent chain hotels in New York. These hotels provide consistently superior atmosphere and service. High quality linens, towel and robes, large comfortable beds, state of the art bathrooms, large flat-screen televisions, Wi-fi, Skype and all the other latest technologies come standard in many rooms. Rooftop pools offer respite from the hectic pace of life for which New York is known. Many of the hotels offer media centers where traveling business people can continue to transact international business while experiencing the quality of life only New York can provide.

If you are looking to have a truly unique hotel stay consider one of the New York boutique hotels. Boutique hotels generally host very few guests at one time. Some boutique hotels never serve more than a dozen guests a day. This allows them to provide an unmatchable level of personal service. Guest can call ahead and have special meals, linens, decorations, technology and anything else imaginable prepared for their arrival. These hotels are located in some of the best locales in the city.

Are you ready for a spectacular hotel experience? Take a trip to New York and relax at a New York hotel.

Click here for great deals and offers on hotels New York and city breaks.

New York Hotels

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The Soho is located in Manhattan’s trendiest neighborhood, intermingling with various row houses, studio lofts and apartments nearby. The hotel caters to the young professional with its straightlined chic appeal. The hotel is decorated in good taste, in neutral or natural colors with sparse whispers of utilitarianism about it.

I was greeted at the door by a very young lady who handled my check-in well. The young people at the front desk seemed a little distracted, or perhaps they were so accustomed to guests who knew what to do and where to go that they overlooked my hesitation and need for guidance. The girl handed me a small package of tea soap and a brochure about room service and nodded at me that I could go now. A young doorman intervened and escorted me to the elevator and my room. All very perfunctory.

The room is small. I had a room on the 7th floor, with a poor view. But hey- this is New York– few views are going to be rose gardens.

The bed was incredibly cozy– I took that photo the next morning after I’d enjoyed a sound slumber in it. The pillows were feather, and the down comforter was clean and fresh. There’s a television and DVD player, but I couldn’t get it to work. Maybe I had to pay for it? Alas, I wasn’t interested in watching movies– the Soho Grand has free Internet service, so I wired up my netbook and was online quickly.

Despite its smallness, the room was very quiet. I hear nothing of other guests, not even hallway doors opening. It was luscious.

The bathrooms are very small but clean.

I ordered room service that evening, not wishing to delve back onto the streets in search of food. The meal came very quickly and was tasty, but like all things in New York, it was very expensive: $50. I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet repose of the room after a busy day with advertisers, and slept soundly.

Next morning I ordered breakfast: eggs benedict and the complimentary New York Times. The meal was absolutely scrumptious (but expensive).

Checkout was very easy. I left my keycard at the front desk and said my goodbyes. Nice and simple.

This was a basic, one-night stay. Since it was just me and not the husband or kids, I was not as picky or attentive to details as I usually am. I didn’t take advantage of the luxurious, trendy dining room nor the various other hotel amenities available to me. In that respect, I don’t feel I got the full flavor of the Soho Grand.

But I came to Manhattan needing a clean, quiet place to rest while I was preoccupied with other things. Soho Grand fit the bill. A basic Superior Queen guest room runs over $400 per night; larger suites are anywhere from $500 to $2000. For a luxury hotel room in New York City, that’s not unreasonable.

A Review of the Soho Grand Hotel, Broadway, New York, NY

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When I was a young person, I wanted to do just that– travel the road, be a missionary. I never did become a “real” missionary, but I am more an “armchair” missionary and “backyard” traveler. I decided to start up this blog to keep a journal of all our homegrown travels. I could never be much of a world traveler, but I could still travel, even if I did travel only in New York State. Who knows, I still may travel the world. The most difficult part, I imagine, is finding accommodations. In your own country, you can rely on familiar brands… but how on earth do you go about finding, for example, reputable villas in France? How can you tell by saint topez pictures online that what you see is what you get?

This, I believe, is the beauty behind rental property providers. I have discovered quite a few myself, so should we decide to leave our native boundaries, I have an arsenal of reputable and reliable companies that can offer us good information and deals on lodging, food, and sightseeing. See– I’m all ready to go. I simply lack opportunity (and finances!).

If you own a home and would like to rent it to considerate travelers such as me you can also list your home for rent. I think that’s a great idea– renting your own home, earning a little money from it to enable you to travel further. I’d love to do that!

Anyway, rental properties are the creme de la creme when it comes to holiday accommodation. Make sure you make your plans with a reliable company that has a history of providing outstanding service and listings.

Home Away From Home

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That’s me. After staying at the Three Tree Inn Bed & Breakfast in Geneva, NY, I seriously doubt we will ever rent a hotel room again. Bed & breakfasts are phenomenal. They are even better when they are affordable. That’s the Three Tree Inn.

I heard about the Three Tree Inn on Twitter, following a number of people from the Finger Lakes region. The Inn is located in the beautiful village of Geneva, NY. We were last here a few years ago. Geneva sits atop a slight knoll overlooking the beautiful Seneca Lake. The city is lovely, with many well-preserved older homes and quiet neighborhoods.

The Three Tree Inn is a Tudor-style house, built in 1929. It’s not far from the lake and the commercial district (within walking distance), but the area is very secluded with magnificent trees, wide streets and sidewalks and rows of hedges. The area is very well maintained, and the Three Tree Inn seems like the jewel of the neighborhood.

It’s owned by Paul and Marcia Swenson, native New Yorkers who owned a larger inn in Missouri for a while. The couple has a unique talent for hospitality and decor. The Three Tree Inn is gorgeously decorated, yet the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed.

We got the Catalpa Room for one night. I was quietly glad that we were the only residents (our stay was on a weekday during the off-season; even so, Paul and Marcia had hosted a houseful just a few days previously). The room is very inviting.

As soon as we unloaded our gear, we plopped on the bed and fell asleep! The room was THAT relaxing.

Our hosts exhibited the perfect blend of checking in on us to see if we were happy, with leaving us alone to relax and unwind. I was pretty impressed with their panache. They were relaxed and friendly and offered suggestions on local dining and a few “off the beaten path” attractions (like the white deer along the lake– more on that later).

The design and decor of the home just wowed me. This is the living room.

The husband and I spent a few hours here, in front of the fire, relaxing after a nice meal at the local Cobblestone Restaurant. Marcia directed us to the fridge and wine glasses and library of books if we wished any, then left us to relax in the room. It was SO GOOD to read together; we hadn’t done that in so long. No TV, no computers, no distractions. It reminded me of the “old” days when we just enjoyed each other’s company. I really regret staying only one night… a person could really unwind after a few days here.

Breakfast is served at 9am in the sun-drenched dining room.

Paul is the chef, and my husband exclaimed when he saw this:

Coffee was served from little French presses, and there was orange juice, too. The breakfast was extremely hearty, and the sauce was perfect. While we ate breakfast, Paul and Marcia hung out with us for a while and we got to know each other a little better. I really enjoyed this time. We discussed Twitter and social networking, the tourist and bed & breakfast industry, blogging, kids and travel. Paul and Marcia really made us feel at home. Our stay was especially important for my husband, who needed a little “down” time. I was glad we made the trip.

About the amenities and other details, here are some of the highlights:

• There are three rooms, each named for the trees in the yard: Catalpa, Mulberry, Mountain Ash. All rooms have their own bathrooms. Ours in the Catalpa Room was a little quirky– the sink and shower are in one room, and the toilet is in another. The fixtures were modern, squeaky clean, and operated beautifully.
• There is free wireless Internet, cable TV, and a DVD player. The TV screen is actually a widescreen computer monitor tucked into a little armoire cabinet.
• The rooms and the house and yard are marvelously decorated. I hope Marcia starts her blog because she has just GOT to reveal her secrets for decorating so well. And Paul should definitely write down his recipes. Yum.
• The bed is SPECTACULAR. I’m fussy about my mattress because of herniated disks and sciatica. The mattress is just right. The pillows are made of down, and there’s a down comforter, too. I LOVED the pillows, and there were loads of them (I am a pillow fanatic).
• The wooden floors are lovely, but a little squeaky. My house was built in 1855, so they have the ugly old pine plank floors (concealed by thick layers of paint and laminate and etc). I am jealous of the wood floors of the inn.
• Check in is at 3pm, check out at 11am.
• The Catalpa and Mulberry rooms can hold 1 to 2 guests; the Mountain Ash can hold up to 4 but will accommodate extra guests for an additional fee.

A little trivia:

• The Three Tree Inn was named for the three lovely trees that overlook the side yard: Catalpa, Mountain Ash, Mulberry. In 2009, the Mountain Ash died and had to be removed. Rather than rename the inn the “Two Tree” inn, Paul and Marcia located a replacement Mountain Ash, shipped from Vermont.
• The antique desk in the front entry was bestowed to Paul and Marcia by the previous owners. It holds a collection of movies that the guests can pick from to watch in their rooms.
• The rooms have a three-ring binder filled with local menus and information about the local restaurants and bistros. Paul and Marcia were very knowledgeable about the eateries, so if you need advice, you can ask them.

Contact information:
Three Tree Inn
Paul & Marcia Swenson
164 Washington St.
Geneva, NY 14456
Phone: (315) 759-5442

Note: I was given a reduced rate in exchange for a review for the Three Tree Inn. All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine. I personally recommend this inn as a great place to stay!

A Review of the Three Tree Inn in Geneva, NY

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About 20 miles south of all this activity, we we driving along the Thruway, and it looked like this:

Not a snowflake in the air. Absolutely frigid cold temperatures, and the wind was wicked. We could see the clouds to the north– the lake effect clouds blasting the area north of us. Lake effect is so strange and so fickle! As we continued to drive west, we could see dark blue clouds broiling in the horizon. They were white and puffy on the top, but underneath, they were gray and blurry and looked like they were shooting down toward the land. It was like someone with a great big thumb came and smudged the clouds down to the earth. It was the lake effect at work, far, far away to the west over Lake Ontario. We could see it forming and watch it crashing down, but we never experienced a snowflake. I so wished to get a photo of the clouds, but we were traveling too fast. We sped westward.

Geneva, situated at the northern tip of Seneca Lake, is a lovely little city. It reminds me somewhat of Little Falls, but the buildings and streets aren’t as crowded. Population is under 15,000. Geneva is the original site of an old Seneca Indian village. The site is beautiful. The city sits on a slope, and the houses and roads clamber up the hill from the lake. Between buildings, you can see the lake glittering below.

Geneva is part of an area renowned for its great political and social movements. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to graduate from a medical school, studied in Geneva, because it was the only place that would allow a woman to study medicine. Seneca Falls (haven of the suffrage movement, teetotalers, and abolitionists) is nearby.

Geneva is a well-established, wealthy city. I love the architecture. Here are some photos of the local rowhouses.

They are painted so vibrantly and have been maintained so well.

Below is the old Geneva Hotel, established in 1796. The street is brick.

Here’s the Presbyterian Church. It’s newer than many of the buildings, but the architecture is so clean and pristine.

Seneca State Park runs along the northern brim of the lake. I thought it would be great to venture out on the pier and take some photos out toward the center of the lake. Everyone else was silent and looked at me strangely. The temperature had risen to a balmy 11 degrees, and the wind was whipping wildly. I begged the boys to come with me, and, being the devoted boys that they are (plus risking being grounded for life), they came along.

It was f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g. Almost unbearable. My camera was freezing up and my hands were red and painful. We did run out to the pier to snap a few photos, and ran right back to the waiting van. Brr! See what the New York Traveler does for a blog photo-op?

The photos turned out rather nice, considering the overcast skies.

Here, the Episcopal Church towers over this section of the city. It looks like a castle, doesn’t it?

Geneva was beautiful. We’d wanted to see some of the historical homes in the area, but they were all closed for the winter. I guess heating those old beasts is too difficult. I wouldn’t have minded walking around in them without heat. Oh, well. Maybe someday.

We drove out of Geneva down Route 14 south. This route runs parallel to the western side of Seneca Lake, and the views are beautiful.

Seneca Lake is one of New York’s Finger Lakes– so named because they are long and thin and stretch across the state like fingers of a hand. Seneca Lake is the second-longest Finger Lake. Trout are abundant here. Because the lake is so deep, it has been used for submarine testing!

The Seneca nation of the Iroquois Indians lived here, until they made the mistake of siding with the British during the Revolutionary War (they lost). They were driven from their lands. The fertile land is now home to dozens of vineyards and wineries. The Seneca Wine Trail (something the Mr. and I hope to experience someday) is one of the larger tourist attractions in the area. The views of the vineyards drifting down toward the glassy blue water was exhilarating and left me breathless and trembling. Or, it might have been because it was 10 degrees. Whatever.

One of the finest views of the lake is at the Glenora Winery on Route 14.

None of the lake that we could see was frozen at all (save a tiny portion we saw in Geneva around some rocks and pamphas grass). The lake looked just as fresh and perky as if it was June. There was really no snow in the area from Harmony Beach (just south of Geneva) until Watkins Glen, and the southernmost tip of the lake. These slightly warmer conditions are favorable for grape-growing.

We drove to Corning (south of Watkins Glen), to a little hotel that I’d found on TripAdvisor. As you regular readers know, we do not stay overnight anywhere very frequently, as we prefer daytrips. However, we got a terrific deal on accommodations and sightseeing in Corning, so we made a night of it.

We stayed at the America’s Best Value Inn: Lodge on the Green in Painted Post, NY. I have my full review at my page on TripAdvisor.com. It was a wonderful place and the cost just couldn’t be beat– it was a fraction of what other places were asking. We enjoyed our stay and wish it could have been longer! If we decide to return to this area (no doubt we will), we’ll reserve another room at the Lodge.

I’ll be posting about our jaunts around the Corning, NY, area soon. I’m preparing photos and a few videos, so stay tuned!

Seneca Lake and Geneva, NY

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Octopus Travel is well organized. Every listing has multiple photos of hotels, and in an instant you can view amenities, location, ratings, reviews, and more. Prices are up front, and Octopus Travel says there are no hidden costs. Octopus Travel operates out of London, and is partnered with TripAdvisor® and uses their ratings and reviews, which I think is is a great feature (I always go to TripAdvisor® when researching a hotel).

I found quite a few possibilities at the website, results I could not find elsewhere (most other websites predominately showcase only the more expensive resorts). I am basically looking for a tiny, clean little place to dump my bags and sleep in– I don’t want swimming pools, spas, gourmet cuisine, etc. I fully expect to be out and about all day when visiting the UK. Octopus Travel is the only hotel website I have seen that presents the smaller “mum and pop” hotels beside the Big Box hotels (like Radisson and Marriott). I’m very impressed.

Of course, Octopus Travel doesn’t just cater to the city of London– they showcase hotels around the world, including tons of listings for New York hotels, everything from the Ritz Carlton to the Vanderbilt YMCA. The descriptions are very detailed (and I found the description of the Soho Grand very accurate).

If you’re looking for a good deal on hotel rates, or just looking for a vast listing of hotels from which to choose, take a peek at Octopus Travel. They are a member of the ABTA Travel Booking Association and Travelport. I think I will make my hotel plans through Octopus Travel!

Note: Please be aware that while I am compensated for reviewing this website, all opinions are completely mine and are truthful to the best of my ability. Thanks for reading!

Review of Octopus Travel Hotel Search Site

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What IS the perfect family vacation? I would think that the perfect vacation would be affordable, offer something fun for every member of the family, and be in a place where everyone could completely relax. Also, it would be great to find a hotel that is pet-friendly, too, so that the furry members of the family could go along (I would HAVE to travel with my tabby-point Siamese, Livvy– she loves to travel with us and is like one of the kids!).

Guess what I found! A hotel in a part of the country that fulfils everything for a perfect vacation, and more! It’s Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing. We really, really hope to go there sometime soon. I just found out that Branson Hilton is a pet-friendly place, too! I am thrilled!

In case you don’t know, Branson, Missouri is the mecca of midwest entertainment. We are familiar with the name because the kids’ favorite Christian music artists and comedians hold concerts and conferences at the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel. Branson is a VERY family-friendly area. They have something for every member. We have come up with a *small* itinerary of things to do there. One of our big travel dreams is to drive across the country, with stops at various places. Branson is definitely one of them.

There’s Silver Dollar City in Branson. It’s a “wild west” historical town, very similar to Erie Canal Village in Rome, NY. We love places like that. There’s the Titanic Museum. I am a Titanic trivia buff, and would love to see the museum. There’s also Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum– we’d spend ALL day here! We are KOOKs, you see (Keepers of Odd Knowledge, lol). I also love the building design, haha!

There’s also Marvel Cave nearby. We have GOT to see it. It was discovered by the Osage Indians around 1500 AD, and remained virtually unexplored until 1869. The kids have never been to caverns, and I know they would love it. 

Besides all the adventurous, historical, and cultural things to do in the area, the entire area around Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing is filled with shops, restaurants, theme parks and dozens of shows at the live entertainment theaters. During holidays and summers, there are parades and special events for chidren and families. It’s a really, really nice place to go. Rates are very good– check out the links for more information. Branson promises to be a perfect family vacation!

The Perfect Family Vacation

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If staying mainland is more palatable now that we are nearing the end of the summer vacation season, there are some really nice Florida villas that have that warm, Mediterranean feel (and you don’t have to learn a foreign language to visit, either!).

Hot right now are self catering villas and cottages. Since it’s the end of the season, prices have been dwindling, and it’s a good time to take advantage of the deals. Moreover, the villas and rental units are DEFINITELY more convenient. I prefer them much more to a hotel room. They are usually cleaner, roomier, and there’s more of a family-friendly atmosphere with them. Owners Direct specializes in connecting traveling families with clean, relaxing, enjoyable accommodations worldwide.

Someday I may get a chance to enjoy an Italian villa, or maybe even one in Greece…

Last Chance of Season for Luxury Vacation

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