Travel with Children - Vacation with toddler - looking for recommendations (incl. specific properties)

Hi All

Looking for ideas as to where to go on vacation for 7-10 days in October with our then 20-month old. We have done a couple of trips over the last year since she was born, both involving multiple flights and hotels stays and she has been as good as gold (although I understand that past performance is not an indicator of future performance when it comes to toddlers!)

Our desires:


Somewhere warm and beachy (or, failing that, a nice desert resort. We did Phoenix last year so would like to try somewhere different).
Inside or outside of the US, but stopping short of traveling to Europe or Asia
Fly in premium cabin (toddler with own seat)
Accommodation that has 1 BR suites (so we can sleep in seperate rooms)
Fund majority (70%+) or all of trip using points/miles (so may help if the accommodation has 1BR as 'standard' to avoid expensive upgrade fees).


Approx point balances (to give an indicator of what we could stretch to):

BA - 750K
AA - 500K
US - 170K
UA - 95K
DL - 25K

Marriott - 180K
Hilton - 120K
SPG - 80K
PC - 100K


Any ideas anyone? (Particularly with specific property recommendations - this has been the difficult bit for me given our 1BR-using-points requirement).

Thanks for any inspiration anyone can provide.

I don't know about Marriott's redemption rates, but you're not going to get anywhere near 70% of your 7-10 day trip paid for with points with only 120K HHonors points. That's 2 nights at a fancy resort or hotel, 3 at a hotel that's nice but not top-of-the-line, and MAYBE 4 at a mid-level non-resort hotel.

This thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/intercontinental-hotels-priority-club-inter-continental-ambassador/407026-suite-redemption-alert.html) in the Priority Club forum talks about the sporadic ability to redeem PC points for suites/other room types. Most of it seems old, but some digging might turn something up.

I don't know about Marriott's redemption rates, but you're not going to get anywhere near 70% of your 7-10 day trip paid for with points with only 120K HHonors points. That's 2 nights at a fancy resort or hotel, 3 at a hotel that's nice but not top-of-the-line, and MAYBE 4 at a mid-level non-resort hotel.

We'd have plenty of points if the solution ended up being mixing and matching between a couple of different properties, and points and cash options help too. Thanks for the input you gave, but do you have anywhere in mind in relation to my question?

Thanks.

This thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/intercontinental-hotels-priority-club-inter-continental-ambassador/407026-suite-redemption-alert.html) in the Priority Club forum talks about the sporadic ability to redeem PC points for suites/other room types. Most of it seems old, but some digging might turn something up.

Thanks. I'll take a look.

We'd have plenty of points if the solution ended up being mixing and matching between a couple of different properties, and points and cash options help too. Thanks for the input you gave, but do you have anywhere in mind in relation to my question?

Thanks.

OK, if you don't mind moving around, then I think you can definitely make this work. Hang on and I will give you some suggestions in a little bit. I am rushing out the door right now

OK, if you don't mind moving around, then I think you can definitely make this work. Hang on and I will give you some suggestions in a little bit. I am rushing out the door right now

Thanks - I definately appreciate it. That 70% I threw out was just a going-in number. I don't mind sticking my hand deeper into my pocket, but I also want to maximize the use of my points where I can as they end up getting devalued one way or another if I hang onto them too long.

We just booked 5 days at the Sheraton Key West Suites using SPG points. Warm, beach, inside US, has suites (that was on my checklist, too!!) Your balance should cover more nights if you'd like--or you could do shoulders in FLL/MIA. We are going with a 2.5 yo.

Can't review the property or give any feedback, since we haven't been yet, but you might check out their website to see if you like the sound of it.

Currently at Trump Waikiki.. Great setup for families..

Full kitchen, washer/dryer, full service housekeeping daily.

For great rates try www.jetluxuryresorts.com

We loved the Renaissance Aruba when our daughter was 20 months - pool, lagoon beach, walk to town and suite style rooms. We would return, but much harder to get to Aruba from where we live now.....

Currently at Trump Waikiki.. Great setup for families..

Full kitchen, washer/dryer, full service housekeeping daily.

For great rates try www.jetluxuryresorts.com

Sounds nice, but a bit further than we'd intended to travel this time.

We loved the Renaissance Aruba when our daughter was 20 months - pool, lagoon beach, walk to town and suite style rooms. We would return, but much harder to get to Aruba from where we live now.....

We looked long and hard at this, but in the end opted against it as one goal was to fly wherever we're going for free, and the only sensible itinerary available to us would have used up all of our US Airways miles - whereas we have plenty of AA to burn but no convenient availability this October.

In the end we booked to go to the West Coast:

AA First from JFK-LAX (did I say we had AA miles to burn?) to keep overall travel time short (i.e. no changing anywhere).

5 nights at an all-suites Marriott at Newport Beach (points redemption).

4 nights at an MVCI in Palm Desert (managed to get a Friends & Family rate).

5 nights in a 1BR suite at a Residence Inn at Dana Point (points redemption).

So all in all a cheap vacation staying in minimum 1 BR suites throughout, and in one of the few remaining areas on the west coast that we've yet to explore - so very happy with the outcome.

Thanks all for your help! :)