Disclaimer :: This article contains sponsored content provided by Hilton Dallas/Southlake Town Square for tips for your next family staycation.
Sometimes we embrace the staycation to save money, and sometimes to save our sanity! With SO MANY AWESOME options right here in the DFW metroplex, a staycation is a GREAT IDEA no matter the travel season.
After polling our mom tribe, we have the BEST tips for making a staycation go as smooth as possible, so you can make memories with your fam.
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Tip #1 :: Hotel Is Better Than Home
The staycation has many perks. One could argue staying at home while staycationing could be one of them. However . . . to get that real vacation feel, consider a hotel. When you stay home, the lure temptation necessity to do laundry . . . or tidy up . . . or just get this one thing done . . . or even the home habits of “mom, do this” or “mom, do that” take over.
Booking a hotel is perhaps the best, most important tip. The hotel experience makes the staycation.
As you probably already know, Fort Worth Moms is a fan of the Hilton Southlake Town Square because of its central location, its pool, its on-site restaurant, its walkability to shops and activities.
Tip #2 :: Pick a Part of Town
Speaking of walkability, the secret sauce to staycations is hyper focusing on one part of town, one attraction, or one event. Don’t try to do it all. Instead, choose a destination with walkable activities to avoid traffic and parking headaches.
Here in Dallas-Fort Worth, Hilton Southlake Town Square is nestled in a plaza of restaurants, shops, and entertainment. Little legs can manage the walk to a park and restaurant in under 10 minutes.
Another idea is to plan your trip around a weekend festival. Read the festival’s event schedule ahead of time and plan your staycation accordingly. This takes the headache out of coordinating entertainment for everyone in the family.
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Tip #3 :: Snag the Package Deal
When it comes to staycations, prep work really pays off. Search for package deals for both the hotel and local excursions. Hotels like Hilton Southlake Town Square often offer packages that include free parking, free breakfast, or free welcome drinks at the bar.
It’s also worth it to find your city’s events pass — a pre-paid passport that gets you into local museums, exhibits, and experiences at a discount. The best part is most attractions are within walking distance of each other and your hotel.
You might already take advantage of your travel credit card’s points for hotels, car rentals, and even cash back, but do you know if your card offers free concierge services? If it does, you can make simple, time-saving requests in advance of your staycation. Here are some ideas to ask the concierge: “Book dinner for four at a Tex-Mex restaurant near my hotel,” or, “What are the best-rated attractions near my hotel that are family-friendly?” It’s worth a try!
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Tip #4 :: Bring Home with You
To help kiddos transition to a hotel environment, even though you’ve never left the metroplex, bring a bit of home with you. Familiar blankets and toys? Yes. Favorite night lights? You betcha. Games and crafts from home? Of course! A bike or skates? If you have the cargo space, definitely!
Definitely do not forget to pack your bathrobe, slippers, and the swimsuits.
Because you don’t have the travel constraints, you can pack a bit more in the car, like those cozy covers and family fun. If you’re like me, we have a stash of stuff we never get to play or make because of schedules and to-do lists. A staycation is the perfect opportunity to bring those items along and make memories right there in hotel home away from home.
Tip #5 :: Embrace Amenities
Staycation is a time to take a load off — in other words, it’s not your time to shine. It’s the hotel’s.
Let the hotel make up for any toiletries you forgot to pack — or don’t want to pack. Hilton Southlake Town Center offers Crabtree and Evelyn amenities in small bottles, hair dryers, and towels. You can even request makeup remover wipes and mouthwash.
Research those amenities before you go and plan making the most of them! Swimming pool? Pool towels? Exercise room? Family activities? Happy hour? Half the fun of a staycation is the hotel experience. Take advantage of everything it offers.
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Tip #6 :: Download the App
Digital check in and digital check out. Need we say more? What cramps the vacation vibe more than scrambling to vacate the room and scurry down the elevator to the front desk just to check out?
Download the app to check out digitally from your phone, and save yourself a few precious moments to gather all the night lights and loveys you brought from home. You wouldn’t want to forget those!
Tip #7 :: Extra Wind-Down Time
Vacations prove overstimulating for kids and parents alike, which is why we parents often feel the need for a vacation from vacation. To mitigate this stress, allow extra time to unwind each day.
At Hilton Southlake Town Square, this could look like watching the fountain on the steps outside the lobby. Or, taking an after-dinner walk in one of the nearby parks. McPherson Park, right next door, is a beautiful green space with a pond and loop trail. Frank Cornish Park is a paved plaza, great for wheeling around on scooters, striders, or bikes before bed.
Another plug for hotel apps — connect your room’s TV with your phone via the app to play music, videos, white noise, or whatever it takes to wind down for the night.
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Tip #8 :: Leave It to the Hotel
Here’s the thing. A staycation is all about the three Rs: Reconnect, recharge, and relax.
Take this precious time to reconnect with your family members by doing activities you love together. If the activities make a mess or dishevel your space, just leave it to housekeeping. The beauty of a hotel stay is you don’t have to clean up after everyone for once. Let someone else do that for a day.
You have our permission to build a fort, have a pillow fight, even play with your (room service) food. You’re off the hook for clean up.
Located minutes from Fort Worth, Hilton Dallas/Southlake Town Square is surrounded by over 150 high-end specialty shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues in the award-winning Southlake Town Square.
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