• HOME
  • THE FAMILY TRAVELER’S HANDBOOK
  • ABOUT
  • WORK WITH MARA

Family Travel Blog | Family Vacation Inspiration |The Mother of all Trips

Bringing the world to your kids - and your kids to the world

  • destinations
  • travel tips
  • travel dreams
  • road food
  • ski vacations

A stay at the Colonial Williamsburg Residence Inn

By Mara 82 Comments

Congratulations to Liza, whose favorite family travel destination is Vermont for some skiing (smart lady)!

Can you believe we’re already into the second month of 2013? January was all about smarter family travel round these parts; in February I’m going to focus on sharing stories of the best family travel destinations I’ve visited recently. But today’s post is a happy intersection of both ideas with a chance to win a $250 Residence Inn gift card. 

If you’re a regular reader of my site, you may have noticed the Resident Mom Club banner in the sidebar; it’s there because Marriott invited me to stay in some of their Residence Inns and report back on my experiences. Although I’m generally a fan of Marriott properties, I’d never stayed in a Residence Inn and was curious to give the brand a whirl, which we did most recently in Williamsburg, Virginia.

I reserved us a two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite, which offered a bit more room than we actually needed, but was an absolute pleasure to spread out in nonetheless – you’ll certainly never hear me complaining about having my own bathroom. Chain hotels often lack in the style department, but I felt like the Williamsburg Residence Inn had some nice decorative touches (for one thing, our bedrooms were painted the same peacock shade as my office at home).

The walls of our bedrooms are my favorite color

Please click on photos for full-sized versions

Even though it was a warm January weekend when we visited, I had a terrible head cold and loved being able to read by the gas fireplace in the evenings. I also loved that the wifi was free.

Couldn't get enough of the gas fireplace

Having a full kitchen is always a bonus when traveling with kids, and we took full advantage of ours, bringing our own freshly ground coffee and snacks as well as lunch-making supplies. Not only did this save us money, it meant we were able to spend an uninterrupted day at the Jamestown Settlement Museum, which doesn’t have any great dining options nearby. The hotel offers a free grocery shopping service – fill out a list and they will pick up the items for you and stock your fridge.

Loved that I could make lunch for us in the full kitchen

We also loved the hotel’s breakfast buffet, which Teddy frequented in his pajamas and slippers. They offered a full hot breakfast including oatmeal, biscuits and gravy, and waffles with lots of toppings.

Teddy wore his pajamas to breakfast.

 

Wouldn't be Virginia without biscuits for breakfast Another plus: When I reserved online, I was able to request a room on the top floor and the hotel delivered. That meant we had no noise of anyone walking around overhead, and the layout of the suite put two doors between us and the hallway a night. It was very quiet in our room.

Colonial Williamsburg is on my list of best family travel destinations and makes for a fantastic family getaway. The Williamsburg Residence Inn is located less than ten minutes from the Williamsburg Visitor Center and is surrounded by family-friendly dining options, including Food for Thought right across the street. It has an outdoor pool for the warmer months and in the winter guests can use the indoor swimming pool at the Springhill Suites across the parking lot.

I definitely feel like the Williamsburg Residence Inn was a good value. We rented our suite for $159 a night. The sofa in the living room was also a pullout couch, meaning that the suite offered generous space for a family of five or six. And a one-bedroom suite which is identical to the one we stayed in minus one of the bedrooms and bathrooms, goes for $99 a night; this would be perfectly comfortable for a family of four.

There are Residence Inns around the country, including in downtown areas of many major cities (I once attended a meeting at the one that’s smack dab in the middle of Time Square – you really couldn’t find a location that’s more centralized in Manhattan). That means no matter where you’re going in the U.S., you’re likely to find one nearby.

Which is why I’m happy to announce that I have a $250 gift card for use at any Residence Inn to give away this week. Although prices vary according to location and season, that should be enough for a nice weekend getaway for you and your family.

To enter, leave a comment below sharing your top family travel destination by 5 p.m. EST Friday, Febaruary 8, 2013. Good luck!

This contest is not restricted by country of residence, but you must be 21 years old to enter. Find a list of Residence Inns here.

Additional conditions applying to this drawing: Contest ends at 5 p.m. EST on Friday, February 8, 2013. One entry per person. No purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. Employees, partners, agents, vendors, or immediate family members of the Mother of all Trips are not eligible to enter. This is a random drawing from those who meet the entry requirements, so odds of winning will depend on number of entrants. The Mother of all Trips reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and or modify the promotion if any problem corrupts the administration, security or proper play of the promotion. In the event of a dispute as to the winner’s identity, entries will be deemed made by the holder of the email account associated with the entry. Entrants agree that The Mother of all Trips, or any of the other participating sites are not responsible and cannot be held liable for any unauthorized intervention, technical errors, printing errors, mail delays and any other errors in connection with the administration with this program.

As part of my participation in the Resident Mom Club, I received a gift card to give away and a gift card from Marriott to spend at any Residence Inn of my choosing in any manner I wanted. You can always count on me to share when I’ve been compensated along with my honest opinions. 

Share31
Tweet6
Pin
37 Shares

Filed Under: Colonial Williamsburg, Giveaways, MidAtlantic adventures, Virginia, We've been here

Previous Post Next Post

Comments

  1. Mami2jcn says

    February 4, 2013 at 10:54 am

    Ooh we definitely have Williamsburg on our must-see list! We just returned from Pigeon Forge, TN and that was a lot of fun for the kids!

    Reply
  2. Katie Collins says

    February 4, 2013 at 10:54 am

    Our top travel destinations are ANYWHERE there’s a great beach — from Maine to Cape Cod to the Outer Banks (where we will make our first trip this summer) to Florida (where i”m dying to explore the St. petersburg area!) If there’s a beach we are HAPPY!

    Reply
  3. Nina Warren says

    February 4, 2013 at 10:57 am

    Thank you for providing us w/your amazing website and all of your wonderful ideas of places to visit and stay! It’s great to have this wonderful reference when planning family travel. Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Tiffany Dodson says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:01 am

    We love going to Rehoboth Beach as a family…but Williamsburg is on our list for this year!

    Reply
  5. Lisa says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:02 am

    I would say that Dallas and the suburbs are our #1 travel destination. Headed there this summer to see family and show the girls the JFK history found there.

    Reply
  6. Linda says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:03 am

    St Louis has a lot of family friendly attractions and many of them are free. It’s one of our favorite destinations.

    Reply
  7. Lisa says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:07 am

    We stayed at a Residence Inn for the first time last summer in Moncton, New Brunswick and I was very impressed. The extra space is more than welcome for families – particularly when there’s a teenager involved. We love Atlantic Canada as a family destination but are keen to start seeing some of the US east coast – Williamsburg is very high on our list!

    Reply
  8. Claire says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:11 am

    $159 for a suite *is* a good deal. We’ve never been to Williamsburg, but I’d love to take my own boys soon, and the recommendation of a good, clean, reasonable hotel with a continental breakfast is worth its weight in gold.

    Reply
  9. Wild Orchid says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:32 am

    I love Williamsburg! Our top destination is probably Sanibel Island, FL.

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    wildorchid985 @ gmail dot com

    Reply
  10. Tina says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:32 am

    We lived near the Historic Triangle for 14 years and come back to visit often. I would love to move back to that area. I’m a single mom with 4 kids and we are hoping to do a cross-country trip soon. We’d love to travel west across the northern states and then back east across the southern states.

    Reply
  11. Michelle says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:33 am

    I second St Louis!! I’d love to stay at a RI!

    Reply
  12. Colleen Patel says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:33 am

    I love family travel. Have to say Charleston was one of our best family trips ever!!! Good history, awesome food, fun for kids of all ages and adults too.

    Reply
  13. Terumi says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:38 am

    We love staying at Residence Inn’s too when we travel: I love the one in Portland. It’s pretty convenient to the city and we have so much fun driving there from Seattle.

    Reply
  14. Sara Cleveland says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:41 am

    San Antonio, Tx. Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Sea World, the Alamo, the Riverwalk… All great!

    Reply
  15. Steph {confessions of a stay-at-home mom} says

    February 4, 2013 at 12:15 pm

    Wow. We just need to get AWAY! If we took the our daughters (who are 2 and 4), probably someplace local like Philadelphia, Baltimore or New York. If it was Hubby and I? Maybe florida!

    Reply
  16. Carolyn says

    February 4, 2013 at 12:22 pm

    Just about anywhere! Love going to the Caribbean but would enjoy a weekend getaway to a Residence Inn close to home – the Gravenhurst location in Ontario looks lovely!

    Reply
  17. Trish says

    February 4, 2013 at 12:23 pm

    Love places like this for family travel!

    Reply
  18. Anne says

    February 4, 2013 at 12:29 pm

    We love the residence inn for its family-friendliness. We’d probably use it in North Conway on our way to Maine, where our fam loves playing on the beach!

    Reply
  19. Precia Barrett says

    February 4, 2013 at 12:30 pm

    Our top family destination is Colorado Springs, Colorado. In the summer, the weather is a perfect getaway from the 100+ temps in Oklahoma. So many things to do. Hike, swim, mountain bike, horseback ride, rock climb, Pikes Peak, River raft, Cheyenne Zoo, Patsy’s outdoor arcade, and the list goes on and on!! Even fine hotels with s’mores kids clubs and spas if you need that too:) There are so many great places to use that RI gift cert, it would be hard to choose!

    Reply
  20. Dominique says

    February 4, 2013 at 12:36 pm

    We recently stayed at a Residence Inn in Carmel, Indiana (as part of a fam trip). Very nice and quiet, yet conveniently located to where we had to be and a roomy, home-like atmosphere. As for favorite destinations, I definitely love northern Michigan, which has a lot of great family-friendly options…and we’re working on visiting several Midwestern destinations this year with an eye towards doing more stories for Midwest Guest 🙂

    Reply
  21. Christine says

    February 4, 2013 at 1:05 pm

    Sounds like a great trip. We will definitely take our boys there when they are a little older. Williamsburg is such a neat place. The hotel sounds great and there is nothing wrong with having two bathrooms and a small kitchen. It’s little things like that make travel that much better.

    Reply
  22. Susan Lynch Crow says

    February 4, 2013 at 1:15 pm

    The Residence Inn in the historic district is my favorite when we visit Savannah. I love that it’s convenient to all that Savannah has to offer, but in a nice quiet location. And the pool is beautiful. Already have reservations here for my daughter’s college graduation in June.

    Reply
  23. Sharon says

    February 4, 2013 at 1:29 pm

    We would love to try somewhere new! Loved Wmsburg, but Texas is sounding awesome now! Dallas or San Antonio might be up next on our agenda!

    Reply
  24. Sarah says

    February 4, 2013 at 1:59 pm

    How do you pick just one? How about four. New York City, Hilton Head Island, Williamsburg (and we are dying to get back “home” to play tourist with the kids), Seattle

    Reply
  25. Anuja says

    February 4, 2013 at 2:16 pm

    My favorite family destination is Newport Rhode Island. It is a great place at all times of the year. I took my son there when he was 6months last year.

    Reply
  26. Nicole Wiltrout says

    February 4, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    Our favorite weekend getaway as a family is Chicago… just 4 hours away! I’d love to stay at the Residence Inn there and not have to hide in the bathroom when we put our youngest to bed at 7 p.m. 😉

    Reply
  27. Jill says

    February 4, 2013 at 2:30 pm

    Your Williamsburg post got me thinking of all the cool travel opportunities open to us next year when we start homeschooling. Williamsburg is def at the top of the list!

    Reply
  28. Hillary says

    February 4, 2013 at 2:40 pm

    We had an amazing time in Chicago, and we love the Outer Banks, but this year our top picks for family travel are Rehoboth Beach and Boston. We already have Rehoboth planned, and need to figure out when we’ll go to Boston. That will be part of Eli’s quest to see baseball games in as many major league stadiums as possible.

    Reply
  29. Mandy says

    February 4, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    Our top family destination would be Carolina Beach. So much to do there! 🙂

    Reply
  30. Jen says

    February 4, 2013 at 2:58 pm

    We are in love with our new home as a favorite family destination. Denver has so many outdoor activities. There is a zoo, aquarium, wildlife refuge, children’s museum and just about every professional sport you can name!

    Reply
  31. Kelly D says

    February 4, 2013 at 3:05 pm

    My family enjoys going to Mystic/Groton Ct. My kids really enjoy the aquarium there and my mom and I always went to the casinos there before they built some nearby. And then of course there’s the pretty harbors.

    Reply
  32. Kat says

    February 4, 2013 at 3:18 pm

    Always wanted to go to Williamsburg! We had a great getaway to Erie PA. Lovely beach and an amusement park and beautiful state park. We’d love to go back soon!

    Reply
  33. Just Vegas says

    February 4, 2013 at 3:23 pm

    I’m really looking forward to taking the girls to Colonial Williamsburg one day! I’d like to stay with family and visit DC for a couple of days and then go over to Williamsburg and stay there for two days. Perfect!
    We don’t do much traveling (not nearly enough!) but we like to go to the Outer Banks and are planning to hit Orlando eventually. I’m really glad you posted about Residence Inn, I’ve never stayed in one before and those prices are better than I thought they’d be!

    Reply
  34. Solducky says

    February 4, 2013 at 3:30 pm

    We’d like to go to St. Louis this year. They have some really neat museums and such for kids.
    soluckyducky at gmail dot com

    Reply
  35. Elizabeth says

    February 4, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    Our favorite summer destination is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. It’s beautiful! http://www.nps.gov/slbe/index.htm

    Reply
  36. Beth says

    February 4, 2013 at 3:54 pm

    Our favorite summer destination is San Francisco where we split our time between visiting relatives and exploring the city’s great museums, etc.

    Reply
  37. Kelly Moran says

    February 4, 2013 at 4:33 pm

    My family and I love traveling to the Jersey shore – especially Wildwood NJ. It’s close enough to drive in under 2 hours and we enjoy our days trips there as much as our full week vacations!

    Reply
  38. Tonja says

    February 4, 2013 at 6:54 pm

    We’d love to do Toronto – we’re thinking of a Toronto/Niagara Falls trip this summer.

    Reply
  39. nancy vecchione says

    February 4, 2013 at 7:07 pm

    Would love to do Niagra Falls and then head up to Canada. My daughters have never been there.

    Reply
  40. Beth says

    February 4, 2013 at 7:24 pm

    We have yet to make it Colonial Williamsburg but have it on the must do list! We love Washington D.C and this summer we discovered Pittsburgh is delightfully kid friendly.

    Reply
  41. Fives OnTheFly says

    February 4, 2013 at 8:06 pm

    For our 10-year anniversary, we are revisiting the places in Nova Scotia we saw on our honeymoon (this time with the kids). The Halifax Downtown Residence Inn would be some wonderful luxury in the middle of camping 🙂

    Reply
  42. Lauryn says

    February 4, 2013 at 9:17 pm

    We LOVE Lake Placid and New England, but our parents just moved out to Colorado so I have a feeling we will be spending lots more time there!

    Reply
  43. Holly B says

    February 4, 2013 at 9:56 pm

    We absolutely loved Disneyland, and found plenty to do in the area as well. It’s funny, I remember going to Williamsburg with my parents as a kid, and I don’t think I had nearly as much fun as you guys seem to have!

    Reply
  44. Travel with Teens and Tweens says

    February 4, 2013 at 10:46 pm

    There is a great Residence Inn at the Jersey Shore that we visit often!

    Reply
  45. Jessie C. says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:24 pm

    We would really love to visit St. Louis

    Reply
  46. Janina says

    February 4, 2013 at 11:29 pm

    Anywhere there’s a beach! We’d love a weekend getaway on the Oregon Coast.

    Reply
  47. Abigail says

    February 5, 2013 at 12:29 am

    We love our hometown, Southern California where there are plenty of beaches, sun and snow…yes, snow in the San Bernardino Mountains (2 hrs. south of Los Angeles).

    Reply
  48. Jill says

    February 5, 2013 at 6:30 am

    After getting back to the Twin Cities last summer and having too much to do to fit it all in, I’ll say that Minneapolis is our favorite destination. 🙂 If I won I might use the card for a place we’ve never been (together): Chicago, Colorado, or maybe even San Diego.

    Reply
  49. Liza Glick says

    February 5, 2013 at 9:29 am

    We love going to Vermont, especially to ski!

    Reply
  50. Livivua Chandler says

    February 5, 2013 at 9:41 am

    i love destin, florida!

    Reply
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I'm a family travel expert & award-winning writer who loves to eat. Explore this site and you'll find lots of stories about my adventures, and family travel tips. More about Mara

The Family Traveler's Handbook: Inspiring Families to See the World

Buy the book that is
"packed with enough tips and vacation ideas that even a veteran traveler can learn how to plan, pack, or book their next trip smarter." Jen Leo, LA Times Travel Web Buzz columnist

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Instagram Slider

No images found!
Try some other hashtag or username

As seen in

As seen in

Award-winning travel writing

>

© 2008–2021 Mara Gorman/Mother of all Trips | All Rights Reserved | Terms of Service & Privacy Policy

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.