reviews

My family are I just stayed at the Sheraton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel.

This hotel’s location was fabulous – its right on the beautiful beach that Virginia beach boasts with the boardwalk just in front. The hotel was gorgeous and not at all what I expected. Very posh, but still beachy inside. Plus it is surrounded by several great restaurants and activities, all within walking distance. And check out the pool: my kids deemed it “SUPER SUPER AWESOME!”

Our room was perfect for our family of five: we had a king oceanfront room. There was plenty of room for all five of us and our mountain of luggage. It had everything we needed including a fridge, microwave, huge couch (I hate when hotels have nowhere to sit) and a gorgeous balcony. Not to mention wi-fi and free parking. And it was all for a very reasonable price.

It is an older hotel, so the rooms are not huge (and the bathroom is a little small) but it is in excellent repair and completely modernized. Our room – actually the whole hotel – was spotless.

Every staff member I encountered at this hotel was just fantastic – very friendly and so eager to help. I was alone with my three kids while my husband was in meetings all day, and several employees were offering me extra help – one even insisted in carrying one of my three huge bags up to the room for me as I was also carrying an exhausted two-year-old. I was so impressed!

The only complaint I have is that there was no bathroom near the pool. So when your little one needs to go potty, you have to trek across the pools, up an elevator and through the hotel to the lobby. Of course, the kids hardly cared 😉 It would not stop me at all from staying here again.

The day we were there the fighter jets were flying right over the hotel. A bit loud, but they stopped by nightfall, so it didn’t disturb us at all. Actually, my son was totally jazzed.

I highly recommend the Sheraton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel and would definitely stay here again with my family! They’d love to come back – they loved it too:

watching a movie before bed after a long day at the beach and pool

Disclosure: i was not compensated financially for this review. pool photo is from sheraton.com.

On our recent trip to Orlando, we spent two nights at the Embassy Suites Orlando Airport.

This hotel’s convenience can not be beat – we got our luggage, called the hotel, and they sent the shuttle right over. Within 15 minutes, we were at the hotel checking in. The hotel was very nice and all you expect from a typical Embassy Suites: a huge lobby and gorgeous atrium with a fountain. It was located only 6 miles from the airport and is surrounded by several great restaurants, all within walking distance.

Our room was perfect for our family of five: two queen beds, a crib for the baby and a sofa bed. There was plenty of room for all five of us and our mountain of luggage. It had everything we needed including a fridge, microwave, two televisions (Disney Channel for kids, Olympics for mom and dad), a huge bathroom (big enough for three kids to take a bath!), and a full hot breakfast every morning. And it was all for a very reasonable price.

I highly recommend what we did: The first day we flew in to Orlando, we stayed at Embassy Suites for a night, then caught their airport shuttle back to the airport and hopped on Disney’s Magical Express. Our last night, we did the same – taking the Magical Express to the airport and transferring to to Embassy Suites for a night before flying out the next morning. It was so great with the kids – we were able to decompress and relax before and after the craziness of Disney. After 5 busy, tiring days at Disney, a relaxing night of ordering pizza in our room (and complimentary wine for mom and dad) was just what the doctor ordered!!

The staff at this hotel went above and beyond for our family. At the welcome reception the first evening, one employee – without our asking- found apple juice and a bowl of fresh fruit for my toddler. I was blown away by that little gesture. Then when it was pouring rain, we asked if the front desk had umbrellas we could borrow to walk to a nearby restaurant and they offered to drive us over in the shuttle. The second night we stayed, my husband went to check on the kids in the dark and walked into the coffee table, slicing his leg open. The staff at the front desk was so helpful and concerned for him, providing first aid supplies and even offering to drive him to the ER if he needed.  The staff made this hotel stand out from other Embassy Suites we’ve stayed at.

The only complaint I have is just a general hotel one: thin walls. We could hear the man in the room next to us having a phone conversation like he was in the room with us (which means everyone could probably hear my son’s crying at 1am loud and clear as well). And the open atrium – while gorgeous – was rather loud on the Saturday night we were there while our kids were going to sleep.

All in all, I highly recommend this hotel and would definitely stay here again! The two non-negotiables of a hotel are 1. comfy beds and 2. a great shower. And this hotel had both! (Seriously, very comfy beds and a terrific shower!) See how comfy:

(Baby not sleeping is no indication of how comfy beds are. He isn't a fan of sleep in general.)

Disclosure: i was not compensated financially for this review. photo is from hilton.com, since as soon as we enter a hotel room with our three kids, it no longer is picture-worthy.