I’ve partnered with Candlewood Suites through ShopShare Network. All opinions, images, and content are my own, based on my travel experience with the brand.
In this loveliest of seasons may you find many reasons for happiness but one of them may not be staying with family and friends. You want your holiday to be fun and you want to remember the reason for the season. A hotel with suites is the key to survival, but wait there is more!
While many families might say, “let the spirit of love gently fill our hearts and homes”, the reality is staying elsewhere is amenable to all parties involved. Before you say, “yes” to Aunt Sally’s invite and lose your TV time, work time, fitness style and personal space, take a look at some other travel options. Holiday stress can bring on the crankiness, and suites do a great job at diffusing the difference. Lavishly live the holidays and travel out loud and enjoy these 5 hotel amenities that make holiday family travel survivable!
REALITY OF TRAVEL WITHOUT GOOD ACCOMMODATIONS
Whenever you ponder travel and lodging with relatives, do not ask your kids if they are happy to stay at grams! Kids love chaos and their cousins. Life is blissfully happy to a kid staying with their family no matter how the beds feel or the floor! Families piled up on families, uncomfortable beds, no space, no privacy, and some alcohol all are a brutal mix of unhappiness. Also, a point often overlooked are the hosts. The hosts of the holiday homes we visit need their rest too, after all, they are providing a party, food, and ambiance, so separation does tend to contribute to happiness.
CANDLEWOOD SUITES
All things considered, your best choice of gaining holiday sanity can be found at Candlewood Suites. In fact, Candlewood Suites I am about to provide you with happiness and all the trimmings and you can thank me later! May the holiday season bring only happiness and joy to you and your loved ones with the 5 hotel amenities you are about to uncover!
5 Hotel Amenities That Make Holiday Family Travel Survivable
#1 Stop Over Packing – Guest Laundry Is Free
Before the trip starts, there are small scuffles in every home as you all pack the car.
The over packing causes loading issues and before you know it the holidays are already going awry!
STOP over packing, and just bring what you truly need. Did you know that Candlewood Suites provides FREE guest laundry?
The area is spotless and free. So bring a few undergarments, your favorite sweats, the dress up clothing and stop right there.
Wash, Dry and repeat. It’s free, the ‘suite’ gift to your family! Less packing means more room for the kids!
#2 A Full Kitchen In-Suite
Families & Hunger
Replay this scene for the most compelling evidence of how important a Candlewood Suites room can be for your family.
Dinner was served a few hours ago, but the kids did not like what Aunt Beth prepared.
In all honesty, neither did you. Who’s hungry? No worries because every suite at Candlewood Suites has its own full kitchen.
Seriously, everything you need, from coffee for the coffee pot to paper towels, mugs, and bowls.
If you can’t find what you need, they have a universal cabinet you can access by asking the front desk.
In that cabinet: blenders (mixed drinks ole!) and crock pots in case you are so inclined to cook.
The microwave is perfect for popcorn and the fridge is huge, and clean, with an ice maker.
Stock up on juice, milk and wine (lol).
Let everyone kick back and relax and shove their face with food as soon as you get back to your well-appointed suite!
#3 Reality of Life – We All Work
What is most unnerving about the holidays is how to survive both family and your job.
The reality of life sadly is that during the holidays many of us still have to work.
A day off or 2 is fine, but when you travel a long distance you want to stay a while.
Here is the good news, you don’t need to explain your life to your family and take on their criticism, for fear that you will hear, “really Jack, it’s a holiday!”
Rather, love this amenity of Candlewood Suites- generous workspace, large desk chair, and free-WiFi so you can work whenever suits you!
As a result, you can get your work done when you are not around the family in the privacy of your suite.
#4 The Indoor Pool & Fitness Center
The 4th amenity plays well into work time.
If you are traveling as a family, chances are your partner will give you further relief and take the kids to the indoor pool.
You work, the kids don’t really notice, they swim off and play off that bottled up energy they could not run off at Aunt Gert’s!
Did I mention towels are already there, so don’t bother packing any! If you run out, just see the front desk manager!
Fitness Center
The famed Yule Logs that Aunt Suzie created were amazing until you realize you ate one by yourself. Hello Candlewood Suites Fitness Center.
Walk it off, run it off, or bike it off, just don’t let it set in your middle. Free access with your room key.
24-hour, fully equipped gyms with lots of aerobic and cardio equipment. Did I mention there’s a huge TV?
#5 The Suite Life In A Room 
Don’t forget about the spacious living room, it’s there for you to kick back and relax.
The couch opens into a bed, the recliner is perfect for a nap.
To put it another way: you are not stuck watching games with your family.
Cousin Ned can make all the stupid side-cracking remarks about the teams you love, without you being there.
Get under your covers in your room away from the crazy and enjoy the holiday with your immediate family.
Comfortable Beds
There you are, a place to let visions of lollipops and sugarplums dance in your head.
A comfortable set of beds for families to share. Couple that with the living room couch and recliner and it is like a mini apartment.
May peace be your gift this holiday season, as you rest blissfully.
Coffee & The Candlewood Cupboard
When you wake, head on down to the Candlewood Cupboard and get a free cup of coffee, it’s already ready!
You can brew your own coffee in-suite as well in that lovely full kitchen, but if kids are sleeping just go grab a cup!
The Candlewood Cupboard offers breakfast, lunch and dinner items 24-hours a day (for purchase).
To sum up a bit more about Candlewood Suites, I want to make sure you know that you can also bring FIDO along, which is something that many relatives don’t want in their home.
Additionally, you can book your suite with your IHG Rewards or AAA/CAA membership card for discounts!
Who is ready to lavishly live holiday travel out loud and indulge in the 5 hotel amenities?
You can! Book your stay at Candlewood Suites and feel like you never left home!
Now go grab your own Candlewood Suites experience and enjoy holiday family travel!
Hi Dana,
we always stay and hotels rather than family. Our family deserves a holiday from us too. 🙂
Great post. thank you.
Cheers Sharon…
Glad to hear, it is truly an easier stay:) —
They all look cozy and amazing.
This hotel looks very full of all the things you need for a trip. I love your blog and thanks for the post!!
The only thing on this list that I never follow is over packing. Regardless of how far away I’m going or how long I will be gone, I take many bags. Multiple outfit choices per day because you never know what the weather will be like.
First of all, this hotel looks absolutely amazing! Secondly, I definitely need to start remembering to take advantage of these hotel amenities, because I always end up stressing about handling all these different aspects of travel. Thanks so much for sharing!
My BFF solves the overpacking issue by using her underwear as a swimsuit. Does that count as a travel hack?
Anyway, I have to agree that kitchenettes are my favorite thing while traveling (aforementioned BFF has allergy problems, so being able to cook is important).
LMAO #TRAVELHACK
My favorite on this list is the free laundry! If I ever have to stay somewhere for a long time, I’m going to remember Candlewood suites. I love the free laundry option.
Comfortable beds and indoor pools are my must-haves when I travel! Great post, thank you for sharing your experience!
I really enjoyed this post! A pool is a must-have when I Vacation with my kiddos. And, I love that there’s free laundry. My kids get their kids so dirty so quickly. With the laundromat I don’t have to overpack or find a million quarters for the machines.
I know that a lot of hotels offer free laundry for guests, but yet I’ve never used it! Candlewood Suites looks like a fantastic place to stay – I’ll have to bear it in mind if I’m ever over that way in the future x
I love that the laundry is FREE! That is a huge! Plus, I’ve never been to a place where it was offered for free!
Travelling is made so much easier with a family when hotels offer amenities like this. It is so frustrating to try and stay anywhere with a big family when there is not a kitchen!
This is so true! There are certain amenities that a hotel should have to accommodate families. It makes life so much easier if they offer at very least a kitchenette.
My family and I enjoy staying at suites whenever we travel. The amenities are great. This seems like the prefect place. I was hooked st free laundry
I like that you bring up that overpacking is common, which it shouldn’t be because so many hotels and vacation rentals have laundry services! It can be a lot of work traveling over the holidays and being with family. It’s good to do some research beforehand to make sure that where ever your stay will work well for you and your family to make the trip better.
I have never been to the Candlewood Suites, they seem like they have it all! Will try to book my next hotel stay there!
I definitely agree with you about OVERpacking. I’m so guilty of this lol… I will remember your advice and also will book a hotel that offers a laundry facility (preferably for free).
I can be a bit picky about m room, especially if I’m paying quite a lot for the fees. Your article is spot on!
Is there is one thing that is important in a hotel, it is the beds, as long as the beds are fine, I’m fine. The other things are just meh for me.
It’s a nice place for vacation this Christmas season. I love being treated nice when am on holidays and this seems the perfect place.
When you’re on a trip and need to do laundry, this is really nice. It’s my one problem when on a long trip – laundry!
Laundry is the hardest on a trip and having the ability to do it with no charge is ONE Great amenity.
A home away from home is what we call this. Plus getting a separate accommodation from your host allows them time to freshen up away from the guests and get them ready to receive you over and over.
Spot on! #HomeAwayFromHome #CandlewoodSuites
This is so sick!!! I imagine it will also be a toll on the wallet but who cares. Just look that view its majestic.
From the way the title was placed I was expecting a Doomsday thing ha ha. You can do more than survive. I can live here.
This place is amazing! I wish me and my family can go there one day. The place seems really nice and wonderful since all the things that you need are there. Thanks for the tips and great article!
This looks like a great place for a staycation as well. The free guest laundry, workplace and kitchen are nice touches for those who wouldn’t be leaving the hotel much during their stay..
These amenities will make a vacation A REAL VACATION! My daughter and I love swimming so the indoor pool is really the best for me. Also, the kitchen which allows the guests to cook their meals (if they want to) is also good although I don’t really want to cook and wash the dishes while I’m vacationing. The laundry will work best for those who are staying for a long period of time. This is a really awesome please I’d like to stay in. Thanks!
This is the first time I am seeing about this suite and they are absolutely beautiful. The one main important thing to keep in mind is that to travel light as carrying heavy luggage will be super annoying and you will get bored of it. The best part of staying in hotels are heir large and comfortable beds because as soon as I enter a hotel after checking thoroughly I will just jump on the bed. Amazing. Thanks, for sharing.
Oh wow! It’s like your home away from home! I like the idea of having a kitchen inside the suite. I love to cook and it’s more convenient if you’re on a tight budget and couldn’t afford to go and dine everytime outside.
Candlewood Suites look very cozy and homey. They really thought about how to make their guests’ lives easier. I mean they can even bring their own dog! Not all places offer that.
The most useful for me is the free laundry. If I could avoid bringing home dirty laundry, I would.
“May the holiday season bring only happiness and joy to you and your loved ones with the 5 hotel amenities you are about to uncover” What I think that, if you like a memorial holiday, you might enjoy a good condition accommodation.
I totally agree with your list. My favorite is having a wonderful kitchen because it truly makes me feel at home.
We travel and my son has food allergies, so this is perfect.
I agree with your number 1. Free laundry is very important to enjoy your Family travel. I will rate a hotel with 5 stars if they’ll do the laundry for Free.
Laundry is so important to a family and a journey.
This is so great. The place is cool and moreover beautiful. Its a nice retreat for a family
Yes it is a great family destination for rest.
That free laundry will be great for people like me. I don’t bring many clothes on my trip.
These 5 hotel amenities look so great. and this is my first time to hear an FREE LAUNDRY in the hotel. and
Candlewood Suites is absolutely a good choice.
Right. I have 3 kids and free laundry was a bonus!
I have never stayed at a Candlewood Suite before, I haven’t seen any of them in the last places that I have been to. But the next time I go on a vacation I’ll have to look one because they look so nice.
I love the Candlewood Suites.
I’ve been married for over 10+ years and it’s the 1st time we decided to stay at a hotel during the holidays. Can’t tell you what a different experience it is!! All the points you made above apply & I’m checking out the hotel next time I travel . Thanks!
I am so glad to hear these aligned with what you do, there is truth in the brand flat out. Experience is everything. Here are is another travel article to check out.
I’ve actually stayed with my family in a few of their hotels. We were always very happy with our room and the service. A great family place to stay for sure!
am so glad to hear you love it too!
I had never heard of Candlewood but I am sold because of the ability to bring the dog. There are not very many places that allow pets and when we do travel to see family I love to bring him along. My kids, who were looking over my shoulder, were sold on the pool and we realized we have never stayed anywhere with a pool. I think it is about time.
Candlewood is perfect for pet travel.
I agree with all of these. The comfortable beds are the number one must have for me. I also would prefer a room that’s not so tiny that we are all trying to walk around each other.
It’s hard not to overpack but i live that theres a kitchen in the suite.
I always prefer hotels with indoor pools and fitness centers! Candlewood Suites looks like an amazing place!
http://www.thebookblvd.net
This looks like a great place and theses are good tips. Chaos before a trip is a regular at our home!
Alright tonthe indoor pool. I love that even in the coldest of days, you can still. Comfortably swim if you want. That desk area is calling my name. Very nice!
This place looks amazing – a real home away from home. It would be the perfect place for me and my family to stay.
A #HomeAwayFromHome it is
Getting right kind of accommodation is the foremost need during travels. Well displayed accommodations with multiple choices.
That sounds like a really lovely place. I have never stayed in a hotel over the holidays so this was really useful information.
OH say NO to the inlaws and yes to the comfort:) #HomeAwayFromHome
Wow! so beautiful and amazing hotel, free laundry is such a great idea. I would love to stay on a hotel like this with my family.
It is nice to have time as a family when traveling. Downtime and a #HomeAwayfromHome
Loving everything you’ve pointed out here. Candlewood Suites is definitely a good choice.
This suite is really nice. Free laundry is a plus especially when you have kids with you.
This looks like a really nice place, and the amenities are indeed the important ones that can make a whole difference in the stay and experience. I like the kitchen area and the work desk, so practical for a family as well as work visit.
Honestly, it works so well. #HomeAwayFromHome
This place looks beautiful and like a bit of everything to suit everyone and everyone’s situations. I like that they have a laundry facility, that really does help with laundry and especially if travelling with little ones. Very nice!
Oh I am so glad I found this post, it will definitely make my travels a little more comfortable.
If I went here I am not too sure I would ever want to leave! It sounds amazing.
That is what happens you don’t want to leave:) #HomeAwayfromHome
I wish I had known this for the last trip we made! I am sold, just from the free laundry room!!! Having 4 kids makes travel a messy affair. Indoor pools are amazing, but adding the fitness center?! YES!
I stay at Candlewood Suites whenever I can because of these very same amenities and I’m not traveling with family. T
It’s a great place and all of the ones I’ve stayed at I have enjoyed.
Having a fitness room is a must when I travel among other things. It’s just my husband and I so we don’t have requirements for children friendly things.
The kitchenette area looks amazing! I’ve never considered staying at Candlewood, but you’ve opened my eyes to a new brand!
Candlewood Suites is amazing
I had no idea that laundry was free. NO CLUE! Thank you for this. I’m an overpacker, so this is something that I’ll be keeping in mind in the futre.
Free laundry is perfect when traveling right?
The free laundry and dryer is definitely a plus, especially if you are on the road for longer. We all know how expensive laundry in a hotel can be and it’s great when you find one that does it for you for free. The indoor pool is a nice touch as well, especially for the little ones.
Free laundry is a great perk for our family as well. 5x the laundry with 5 people
What a great idea! I’d never thought of staying in a hotel while visiting family, but this makes perfect sense. Free laundry is such a bonus too!
That sounds perfect – especially the laundry room as my kids always seem to get covered in extra levels of gross when we stay away!
Great hotel Information.
Thanks for sharing this article.
Candlewood Suites is a great place to stay:)
Eats fab place to stay! One of the things I love about travelling and staying in hotels is the big comfy beds x
Candlewood Suites do have some dreamy beds