If you are traveling to a city by yourself or with kids, you need to know that you have booked in to the right hotel. There is nothing worse than checking in to a hotel that has seen better days. Or what about the hotel that says it is kid-friendly, but in actuality only offers a 5-star restaurant for patrons. What if you use a wheelchair and discover that the hotel is not as wheelchair friendly as you thought.
As a seasoned traveler, I rely on hotel websites, word-of-mouth, and recommendations from friends. All of these resources work for me, but wouldn’t it be helpful to have a central location for finding the right hotel to suit your needs?
Yesterday, I discovered Oyster through a post written by Leticia. Oyster is a comprehensive website listing hotel reviews for D.C., Hawaii, Las Vegas, Orlando, New York, and many other cities. Wow! I know just where I will look the next time I need a hotel!
As an example, I recently returned from Orlando. I was part of a mom and kid blogging trip sponsored by the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau. Our group toured Disney Studios, Gatorland, Sea World, and Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. After long days of walking and touring each park, we returned to our hotel exhausted each night.
The Royal Pacific Hotel was chosen not by me, but by the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau. In its review of the Loews Royal Pacific Hotel, Oyster focuses on the free water taxi from the hotel to Universal Studios, the VIP access to rides at Universal with your room card key, the large pool with many kid-friendly features, and the up-to-date guest rooms. I would add that the Loews Royal Pacific Hotel has character dining in the Islands Dining Room (my son had his photo taken with Fiona, Shrek, and Scooby Doo), lathery shampoo, comfy beds, and two bath robes in each room.
Need a kid-friendly hotel? A hotel for Spring Break suitable for your family, not a bunch of college students? Check out Oyster.com.
My son and I were provided with a trip to Orlando by the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau. The opinions expressed in this article are my own (and my son’s!).
