MOM KNOWS BEST: Traveling with Teenagers

Planning a family getaway is never easy, especially when you are traveling with a pre-teen and a teenager in one car and one hotel room!  That is why mom knows what is best! I recommend that you do your research on various hotels and plan exactly what you want to do each day and what meals you will have - will you be eating out each day? Will you be dining in?  Organization is the key!

As a hockey family, we travel often to hockey tournaments, especially in the South Florida area.  Not only do we travel for hockey, but during the summer time, we often travel to Orlando to meet our older kids because it is a midway point from where we live.

I know from experience that getting only one hotel room can be disastrous in terms of space, sleeping arrangements and privacy!  If you have the luxury of getting two rooms, one for you and one for your kids, that's great for you, but if you are a family traveling on a budget, like me, choosing the right place to stay is probably the most important aspect of a successful family trip, especially finding a place where you get plenty for your money.  The days of me reserving a simple hotel room are over!

During the course of my travels with my family, I have learned that one of the best ways to appease our teenager and to make the trip more bearable is to have our teen invite a friend, which equates to one more mouth to feed and to lodge, but if you choose the right place, it should be smooth sailing, especially at an "apartment hotel," where you can cook all of your meals.

This is why I LOVE choosing apartment-style hotels, like the one I found in Orlando, Florida by browsing on Trivago: Vista Cay Resort (by Casiola vacation homes) for our upcoming family get-a-way. It is so much better than getting a regular hotel room.  First of all, it has all the comforts of home.  They offer spacious condos or town homes. You can choose from 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms with a fully-equipped kitchen and washer and dryer inside, which makes it easier to keep the kids clothes clean, especially if you do the 3 to 5 day vacation trip, like my family usually does.

Vista Cay is located right on Universal Blvd and is only 2 miles from Sea World and 4 miles from Universal Studios.

Usually, we don't even do the parks (like Disney.) My kids actually love Universal, so being close to that is perfect, in case we do decide to do the one day trip.  Just driving to Orlando and having fun at the hotel/apartment pool and amenities is enough of a privilege! I am lucky that my kids are not really obsessed with the Disney parks.  This is also another reason why the lodging I choose has to be great in all aspects.



After we are done with the hockey tournament for the day, the place to unwind and have fun for my kids is our "hotel," so wherever I choose has be well-worth it!

Vista Cay has an outdoor pool, a hot tub, and a game room. My tween loves when there is a game room, wherever we stay. It just adds to the "fun factor." Vista Cay apartments are located in a gated residential area.  They also offer free WiFi, which is very convenient.

There are so many places to choose from when you  go on vacation, that making a decision is usually very personal for each family based upon their needs.  My family loves a spacious hotel, meaning there is plenty of privacy between the parents and the kids, they love a good pool area and if there are fun amenities, it is an even bigger plus.

I figured I would just list the amenities for you at Vista Cay, so you can see just why I chose this particular lodging.

Vista Cay Resort Amenities

• HEATED resort style pool
• Kiddie pool
• Hot spa (holds 17 people)
• Pool bar
• Concierge desk
• ATM machine
• Elevators in all buildings
• Business Center with computers, high speed internet & printing
• Flexible meeting rooms
• Fitness center 
• Surrounding Lake Cay is a 2 mile walking trail
• Children enclosed play area
• Basketball court for family fun
• Movie theater
• Game room with pool tables and video and arcade games
• BBQ pits
• Gated residential access
• Brand-new PUBLIX supermarket

When your hotel IS the "get-a-way", the resort you choose is important. As you may or may not know, teenagers can be moody, so it helps a lot to keep them happy and entertained, so they don't make your vacation difficult if they are bored, that is why having things like an indoor movie theater and a game room with pool tables and arcade games is a perfect choice for lodging! And in the case of Vista Cay, the security of being in a gated-residential area is also a nice touch.

Basically, I recommend finding a great place to stay like this one that offers plenty of amenities, has plenty of room in terms of bedrooms, kitchen and living area and a great pool!  Oh, and definitely try to plan your meals in the room (apartment) as much as possible, it will save you time and money at restaurants.

And if you can afford it, definitely try to bring a friend along for your teenager, that is if you are still lucky enough to convince them to go on a family vacation with you! 

Enjoy your vacation and remember to tell your family...Mom Knows Best! LOL!