My mom and I like to go on vacations together and lately my daughter has been coming along too. Typically, I do all the planning and they are very happy to come along for the ride.  To celebrate my mom’s recent birthday, I decided to plan a family vacation in Charleston, South Carolina since I knew we would all love the area’s southern charm, warm hospitality, historic sights and great restaurants.

I had heard so much about this region, and I was super excited to check it out. Since it would be too cold for the beach, I decided we would stay in Charleston’s Historic District so we could explore the area’s many attractions without needing a car. I’m a big fan of suite hotels for a number of reasons, the biggest being my five-year old daughter is typically in bed between 7-8 pm and having a separate bedroom means her sleep schedule can stay relatively early and I can have a few hours to myself. Win-win! And, if you’re wondering if she sleeps later when she goes to bed later, the answer is NO…

I booked the Embassy Suites Charleston, South Carolina in Historic Charleston, which is not only centrally located but also boasts a number of family friendly amenities like two-room suites (each with its own TV), complimentary made-to-order breakfast each morning, free WIFI (a must for me), evening receptions with snacks and drinks for everyone and an outdoor pool and patio area. The location was ideal as it was very close to the Charleston Visitor Center, several museums, a major trolley stop and King Street’s shops and restaurants.

The staff could not have been more welcoming and I was happy that our room was ready since we arrived well before check-in time.  Our bedroom faced Marion Square (home to the weekly farmer’s market and annual events) and had basic furnishings including two double (very comfortable) beds, an armoire, TV, desk and chair. The living room had a sofa, arm chair, TV, small dining table and chairs and kitchen area with a sink and small fridge. The bathroom was spacious with Crabtree & Evelyn amenities,  fluffy towels, a large countertop and good lighting which is always nice.

As we explored each day (more about that later), it was so nice to come home and have some room to spread out. My daughter loves to do arts and crafts so I brought along some projects and she really loved having her own desk area.  On afternoons when we came back early, we all enjoyed stopping in the lobby lounge for a snack and beverage at the evening reception.  I was glad to see veggies and dip along with some home made sweet potato chips (delish!) and my daughter loved getting to serve herself in the grown-up lounge area.

Having complimentary breakfast included in a hotel stay is a huge bonus for me and anyone else with kids who wake up early. My daughter is usually up by 7 am at the latest so she especially enjoyed having breakfast nearby.  I don’t know about you but listening to “I’m hungry” for a one-minute elevator ride is about all I can handle.

Most complimentary hotel breakfasts are basic buffets so I was really happy that our Embassy Suites’ breakfast options included all the usual foods (hot and cold cereals, yogurts, fruit, muffins and breads) along with hot foods like bacon, eggs, potatoes, pancakes and biscuits as well as an option to order something made-to-order. My mom and I were happy having someone make our eggs just like we wanted while my daughter was thrilled with the cereal options.  At home she eats healthy cereals but she has learned about Fruit Loops on vacation and seeing them at the cereal bar was one of her favorite parts of our hotel stay. “This hotel has the bestest cereals in the whole world,” according to my daughter.

Traveling with a kid can be tricky at breakfast buffets because by the time you carry all of their bowls and plates and drinks and silverware to the table, your meal is cold. Embassy Suites has the food spread around the dining room which meant I could set my daughter and her breakfast at the table and then get my meal without losing sight of her. I’m not sure if this was intentional or not but it was a nice plus.  The breakfast waitstaff (especially Kia and William) were so sweet and greeted my daughter by name each morning. Our waiter William promised to bring her candy on our last morning (we visited right after Halloween) and she was beyond thrilled when he remembered.

“I loved it being in the South” pretty much sums it up our trip. Stay tuned to read about the family friendly things we enjoyed in Charleston.

 

Special thanks to Embassy Suites Charleston for hosting us and providing us with a gift card to explore Charleston. As always, all opinions are my own.

If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to Globetrotting Mommy for daily updates!