Top Hotels Make Special Plans For Younger Guests

The Carlyle Hotel Entrance

New York
The Carlyle – This legendary hotel is discreet and jewel-like, conveniently located in a tony neighborhood on the Upper East Side. It was the hotel of choice for President John F. Kennedy, Ingrid Bergman and Diana, Princess of Wales. It’s also been a focus of café society since Composer Richard Rodgers moved in when the hotel opened in 1930. The Café Carlyle has attracted music lovers for years with classy performers like Bobby Short, who headlined at the Carlyle for 37 years.

The Carlyle's Bemelmans Bar

Another of the Carlyle’s famous spaces is the Bemelmans Bar, named for the author and illustrator of the Madeline books, whose murals cover the walls. Children and their parents are invited to come for a Madeline-themed high tea afternoons from Wednesday through Sunday. Special snacks and desserts like Pepito’s crudités and Eiffel Tower Hot Fudge Sundaes help make the experience memorable. Kids may want to study the murals to find where Bemelmans included Madeline and her classmates. Oh, if your name is Madeline – the whole experience is on the house.

The Merrion Hotel's Georgian Door

Dublin
The Merrion – Topping every hotel guide for Dublin is this elegant hotel located between Merrion Square and St. Stephan’s Green. The Merrion is located in four elegant Georgian town homes, including Mornington House, birthplace of the Duke of Wellington. Providing more than luxury lodging, today The Merrion boasts Ireland’s most exclusive spa as well, The Tethra Spa.

Young Travelers can enjoy the comforts of The Merrion with the Miss & Master Merrion program that includes all manner of customized amenities for boys and girls of any age including Frette bathrobes! An exclusive kid’s menu has been created by the chef and a kids-only area is available during the Merrion’s famous Sunday brunch.

The Beverly Hills Hotel

Beverly Hills
The Beverly Hills Hotel – The Pink Palace of Beverly Hills is a grande dame who’s had a lot of work done – by top people. She retains the style and sophistication of a 1912 classic with all the latest comforts and luxuries. Located on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Beverly Hills and surrounded by gardens that give it a private feel, The Beverly Hills Hotel seems like a private estate.

You can bring your little mogul-in-training to The Beverly Hills Hotel, perhaps to do lunch at the Polo Lounge where you might see Nancy Reagan and Russell Crowe. The exclusive VYV (Very Young VIPs) Program will cater to all the needs of your tyke with hotel Teddy Bears, free drink cards and sports activities. If Mommy and Daddy need some alone time, you can count on the elite babysitting services offered.

The special services offered by these hotels require advance notice or reservations. Contact your travel professional (like me) to arrange them.

Photo Credits:
Carlyle Hotel - Rosewood Hotels
The Merrion - Leading Hotels of the World
Beverly Hills Hotel - Dorchester Group Hotels

Disney’s Magical Express Airport Service Saves the Day

The Rubik's Cube stair tower at Disney's Pop Century Resort.
Photo Credit: Christopher Gould

As a travel professional I have had plenty of opportunities to visit and learn about the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. I’ve been planning client trips there for years, but my latest trip to Disney was the most special, because it was my first as a parent.

I was excited to try out a new service that Disney recently began offering at Walt Disney World – Disney's Magical Express Service. The Magical Express is available to guests that are staying in one of Disney’s own resort hotels. The service is designed to make your arrival at Walt Disney World swift and carefree.

When your plane lands at Orlando Airport you can bypass baggage claim (your checked luggage will be delivered to your hotel room by Disney) and head directly to the Disney Welcome Center where you board luxury motor coaches that will take you to your Disney Resort hotel. During the ride, a short welcome and orientation video is played which really ramps up the excitement and anticipation for kids.

Disney’s Magical Express sounded great, but it turned out even better for my family. We took an afternoon flight from Raleigh to Orlando and arrived just as a thunderstorm began. As we left the aircraft by jetway, a crew member informed us that the airport had declared a “code red” weather alert, which meant that no personnel were allowed to work outside until the storm had passed. That meant no bags would be unloaded until the code red was over.

Our aircraft was a small 50 seat regional jet and we’d gate checked our stroller and our larger carry-on bag. Those items are unloaded first and delivered back to you right on the jetway; except during a code red. As we walked down the concourse towards the Disney Welcome Center, I wondered what would become of those items. Because I expected to handle them as carry-on items, they weren’t tagged with the special Disney tags that would speed them to our hotel room.

At the Welcome Center I gave some information about our gate-checked items to a friendly staff person who told me not to worry. We boarded our bus and were soon at Disney’s Pop Century Resort where we checked into a room in the Eighties-themed building. We had a nice dinner and we returned to our room. After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door, and all our luggage arrived – even the gate-checked stuff.

The next day, I overheard people talking about the previous night’s situation at the airport. The code red lasted for over two hours and huge crowds clogged the baggage claim and ground transportation areas afterwards. Thanks to the Magical Express, our experience was totally different.

Disney is offering Magical Express Service at no charge to Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests through 2006.

New Device to Make Flying Easier For Parents

If you’ve ever rushed to make a flight connection with bags, child seat, stroller and kid in tow you’d welcome some way to lighten your load, right? A new product called CARES (Child Aviation REStraint) may be just the thing. It’s a lightweight safety harness designed to replace rigid child safety seats on all aircraft types. The FAA approved the device, the first of its kind, last week.

CARES is designed to be used by children under 40 inches tall who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds. It weighs about one pound and can be packed into a six inch stuff sack. You can purchase CARES for $74.95 at the maker’s website.

Interestingly, kids aren’t required to use any safety devices. According to a recent FAA press release, “The agency encourages but does not mandate the use of child safety devices on airplanes because of the increased safety risk to families who, if forced to purchase an extra airline ticket, might choose to drive.”

Because my daughter weighs almost 44 pounds now, I won’t be able to benefit directly from CARES. I remember some trips where I would have paid a considerable amount of money to ensure my child’s safety if only I could have abandoned the car seat in an airport terminal somewhere. Parents with CARES will be able to check their car seats or arrange to reserve one with their rental car. I expect to see CARES in use onboard a flight very soon.