Vacation Mavens Travel Podcast

What should you look for when choosing a hotel, and what are some pitfalls you can try to avoid? Get ready for summer travel with this week's episode full of tips and laughs. Episode Highlights Pay attention to the bathroom layouts when viewing photos and reviews as a new hotel trend has been for more open bathroom layouts or glass doors/walls which may not be great for families or friend groups Hotels are getting better at sustainability initiatives but many are just paying lip service so if this is important to you, look for companies truly dedicated to environmental issues and offer things like bottle refill stations If you want to check out the location of the hotel, look at the Google Street view to see more what the area is like Keep in mind that suburban hotels off the highway are more likely to offer free parking, laundry facilities, and free breakfast When booking city hotels, make sure that it is located near public transportation but avoid hotels near train stations or bus stations When selecting a room, look at the square footage to compare the various room categories Keep in mind that when you are traveling internationally, it is hard to find rooms with two queens or doubles. It is even harder to find rooms that sleep five. Typically the rooms will have a double/king or two twins Sofa beds are not always clean so always ask for clean linens, just keep in mind that you will need to make them up yourself Accessible rooms sometimes have lower closets, which might not be great for longer dresses, and the showers might have roll in showers and the floor of the bathroom can get really wet Request a room location away from the elevator / ice machine and a higher floor if near a loud highway Connecting rooms have thin doors and there is a lot of noise that comes through so put in your special request "no connecting room door" Be sure to read reviews and look out for red flags about noise, cleanliness, location, and service Bring a sleep mask or something to cover the glowing appliances and lights in the room Travel with a white noise machine Look out for daily resort fees and high city taxes Some brands or boutique hotels offer happy hours or cookies throughout the day Don't expect upgrades - book the category that you want Check out what the parking situation is and whether or not it is indoors or outdoors. Parking garages will sometimes list the clearance height Tipping housekeeping for good service is appreciated so it helps to carry some smaller bills

Tamara is just back from a multi-generational trip to the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. If you have ever wondered what it is like to stay at one of the popular Baha Mar Resorts, now is your chance to get the scoop and see if it is really the vacation of your dreams or not. Episode Highlights: This was a multi-generational trip with 14 people ages 17-83. There were a lot of considerations when choosing a destination including budget, activities, direct flights, and mobility issues. Tamara also considered the Hyatt in Aruba, the Hilton Zemi Beach House in Anguilla, and the Westin or Kimpton Seafire in Grand Cayman. There are three hotels within one resort at the Baha Mar and it has multiple restaurants, making it possible to stay for a week and eat somewhere different every night without taking cabs into town. The food is really expensive at the Baha Mar so you need to build that into the budget as it is inline with going out for a nice dinner in a big city, which is similar to many other island resorts. The three hotels are: Rosewood Baha Mar - luxury property SLS Baha Mar - good for couples, friends, and more of a party scene Grand Hyatt Baha Mar - good for families and more affordable There is also a "Reserve" section of the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar with suites and lounge access that is a hotel within a hotel You fly into Nassau and you fill out a form on arrival and then the immigration line was quite short. They pre-arranged hotel transfers through the concierge. There are many pools within the Grand Hyatt but if you don't reserve a cabana, sunbed or premium lounge chair it could be hard to find chairs, especially if you want a larger group to be together. They rented a cabana at the Nexus Club, which has an indoor section with a couch, television, fridge, and a full bathroom. It also had a sun bed, a table and chairs with an umbrella, and use of two in-pool loungers. It was a private pool just for those renting cabanas or staying at a certain room category that included a hot tub. It also had its own bar and food service. The beach isn't deep but it is longed and it is lined with 4-6 rows of lounge chairs packed in together and the beach was quite busy even in June. There is also a waterpark that is included for guests with some big slides and a lazy river, as well as a good restaurant. You can do paddle boarding and snorkeling and there are also paid motorized water sports and there is an activities desk that arranges excursions and day trips. The Baha Mar also has a kids club with daily activities and there are flamingos that do a "parade" every morning. The food at Baha Mar was very good and even Tamara was impressed. Regatta is where they serve a huge breakfast buffet but it costs about $44 per person. Because Tamara is a preferred partner with Hyatt Prive, she was able to get the following perks and amenities: Free breakfast for 2 people per day per room $100 per room resort credit $50 per room beverage credit automatic upgrade within 24 hours of booking There are many pool bars serving food for lunch and there are also food trucks by the beach. You need to pre-book dinner reservations and they cover the gamut from Italian, Asian, Chinese, Steak, Mediterranean, and some celebrity chef restaurants like Cafe Boulud and Marcus Fish and Chop House (from Marcus Samuelson) In Tamara's opinion, the Baha Mar is better suited for families with teens or adults versus with younger kids as the casino is really the center point of the resort. Related Episodes: Where to stay in the Turks & Caicos Everything you need to know about Beaches Turks & Caicos Sonesta Maho Beach St. Maarten Caribbean cruise Where to go in the Caribbean Planning a Barbados vacation Planning a Grand Cayman vacation

Get ready for your summer vacation and future travel with these expert packing tips! From carry-on to checked bags, here are some things to keep in mind when packing for your next trip. Episode Highlights: Use a packing list! It helps you not forget critical items. Start creating your packing list early in your Notes app Kim has an outfit planner that you can sign up for on Stuffed Suitcase Pay attention to your itinerary to figure out what you need to bring for each activity Also pay attention to the weather forecast for your destination Try to minimize the number of shoes that you bring on a trip Try on your outfits while packing and take a picture of yourself so that you remember what you put together (with shoes, accessories, etc.) You can also put the picture into your notes app with notes about what day you were going to wear it to remember Packing cubes with compression can be great for saving space You can pack the cubes by destination/stop on the trip or daily outfits or just pack all your pants together, all your shirts together, etc. If you are flying on an international carrier, make sure to look up their baggage rules to understand the size and weight of carry on and personal items Even domestic carriers have different weight limits If you are buying new luggage, buy the matching packing cubes that fit perfectly Look for packing cubes that zip to a rectangle and not lumpy Gonex and Eagle Creek can be great brands to try Lay flat bags are great for toiletry bags Travelon makes a good organizer for your electronics Vodka in a spray bottle can help refresh clothes Bring a travel scale to check baggage weights Related Episodes Packing tips for family travel

It is summer road trip season so it is time to recap some of our best road trip tips from preparing, planning, packing, and more. Plus, we share some of our favorite road trips. Episode Highlights Before you head out on a road trip, make sure your car has been serviced recently and check the tires to make sure the pressure is correct. You may also want to top off your fluids and use the bug windshield washer fluid. Bring a go-to kit with wipes, sanitizer, tissues, lip balm, moisturizer, sun screen, and eye drops. Also bring a couple of extra baggies or ziploc bags. Bring a trash bag for the front and back (or for each kid) and empty the trash at each stop. Bring a small cooler and ice pack that you can refreeze each night for left overs and snacks. Have a specific spot for your snacks that can be refilled when needed. Use a car freshener or car air purifier to help keep food smells away. You may want to consider a AAA membership and bring your card with you. For longer road trips, consider bringing a carry on bag with a duffle bag instead of a larger checked bag. Use a duffle bag to transport what you need in and out each night. It is good to have one overnight bag for toiletries and pajamas for everyone that always goes in. Bring a laundry bag that you can put your dirty clothes in each day in your car or larger suitcase. Plan an overnight stay at a place that has laundry facilities. When choosing where to stay, consider staying just off the highway where you are more likely to find a chain hotel that has free breakfast and free parking (and laundry facilities). Plus it is easy to get on and off the highway. Some of the chains like Best Western have summer promotions for multiple stays. Some apps to have are Gas Buddy, Road Trippers, and of course Google or Apple Maps. Google Maps is also good at showing you how busy attractions are at different times of the day. For road trips in less-populated areas, bring a road atlas or paper maps (you can get free maps at AAA if you are a member) Maine Coast road trip - read the full post here: https://we3travel.com/boston-to-bar-harbor-a-maine-coast-road-trip-itinerary/ Florida Keys road trip - read more here: https://yourtimetofly.com/key-west-girls-trip/ Canadian Rockies road trip - read more here: https://we3travel.com/canadian-rockies-vacation-itinerary/ West Coast road trip - read more here: https://stuffedsuitcase.com/west-coast-road-trip/ Road trip packing list: https://stuffedsuitcase.com/pack-car-road-trip/ Related Episodes West Coast road trip Southwest Grand Circle road trip Oregon Coast road trip California road trip Midwest road trip Family road trip tips

Tamara recently took a travel agent FAM trip to Turks and Caicos and spent two nights at The Palms and two nights at The Shore Club. She also visited many other properties and today she shares her insights into each to help you decide where to stay in Turks and Caicos. Episode Highlights Turks and Caicos is known for its beautiful beaches and not for all-inclusives or as a party island Most of the hotels have great accommodations for families with 1, 2, 3-bedroom accommodations and up (including villa rentals) When arriving, be prepared for a long wait at passport control/immigration. Expect about an hour and longer on the weekends. When departing, leave 2-3 hours to get checked in and wait in the security line. There isn't a lot of room in the gate area but there is an area upstairs that has more space. To save time at the airport, you can pay for Fast Track access starting at $75 per person, each way. Private transfers from the airport are about $150 each way, but cabs can be $30+ per person for shared taxis. Taxis throughout the island are priced per person and are pricey. It is about a 15-20 minute drive from the PLS (Providenciales) to most of the hotels The Palms is on Grace Bay Beach (the most famous beach on the island). It is a luxury hotel with a lush, garden-like setting right on the beach. The style and decor is similar to Sandy Lane in Barbados, a colonial or plantation style. Tamara stayed in a one-bedroom suite oceanfront, which was huge with a full kitchen, living room, laundry, dining room, large balcony, bedroom with tons of closet space, and one and one-half bathrooms. They recently did a renovation at The Palms of rooms but also of the pool area and added a new pool/beach restaurant and pool bar (including a swim-up bar). The restaurants at The Palms were very good. Parallel 23 is fine dining and Sisi is modern Mexican. The Palms also has one of the best spas in the Caribbean The high season is during Festive (winter holidays) and President's Day weekend. The low season would be July-September Pricing in the Caribbean is quite high. The Shore Club is across the island on Long Bay Beach. There is a beach-to-beach package so that you can split your week vacation between the two properties. Long Bay Beach is breezy and very popular for kite surfing. The beach itself is narrow but long and The Shore Club has plenty of space to spread out. The water here is very calm and you can walk out very far, especially at low tide. Shore Club is also a luxury hotel and it has a sophisticated feel. There are villas and multi-bedroom accommodations that would be amazing for a girls' trip or multi-generational vacation. The one-bedroom oceanfront suite is huge and great for families with teens because there is a study that has a pull-out couch, full bathroom, and closets and a door that closes off from the rest of the space. There is another pull out couch in the living room. There is a sushi restaurant and a comfort food restaurant, plus pool bars and restaurants. There is a shuttle between the properties and also the four-star Sands property and guests have signing privileges for all the restaurants. The Alexandra Resort is a four-star, all-inclusive on Grace Bay next to The Palms with multi-bedroom suites and restaurants The Wymara Resort has a South Beach, sexy vibe that would be great for couples and honeymooners but the rooms are a bit smaller The Ritz-Carlton is a high-rise hotel with a smaller beach. The second tower is for Ritz-Carlton Residences and you can't use or earn points for the Residences. They are building an Andaz and St. Regis on Turks and Caicos now too. The H20 Resort on Long Bay Beach is a small boutique hotel that is good for people that are independent travelers and enjoy watersports as they have a kite surfing school and tons of rentals. Tamara is going back to Turks and Caicos in the fall for a Family Travel Association conference at Beaches Turks and Caicos (stay tuned!!) On Thursday nights there is a fish fry with food trucks, music, and artisans/souvenir vendors. The Junkanoo band performs and it is such a lot of fun. You can island hop by ferry or plane (but there is a separate terminal for domestic flights) You can also go scuba diving, snorkeling, charter a boat for fishing or island hopping, or boat out to the tiki bar off Long Bay Beach.

Kim recently took a quick trip to her happy place, Disneyland, to attend a special media preview of its 70th anniversary celebration. This yearlong celebration features new entertainment from fireworks to parades, special celebratory food items, decorations throughout the park, and fun interactive activations. There are also promotional package deals available through Kim's partner Getaway Today. Learn more here and use code 'Stuffed Suitcase" when purchasing to save an additional $10 off a 2+ night vacation package. Learn more about Disneyland's 70th celebration foods here: https://disneyparksblog.com/dlr/disney-eats-disneyland-70th-celebration-foodie-guide/ See more of the special events and decorations on Kim’s Insta post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJskA7ZJRKD/ Related Episodes: Girls' trip to Oceanside, California and Disneyland Disneyland and Irvine, California Disneyland Holidays Planning a trip to Disneyland Disneyland travel tips

If you like culinary or wine travel, you need to put the Chilean Winelands on your travel bucket list. Tamara just came back from a two-week trip to Chile including the Atacama Desert and the Winelands. Episode Highlights: The wine regions are south and west of Santiago It is easy to drive through these regions but it is still recommended to get a driver for days when you are doing wine tasting Two hours south of Santiago is the Colchagua Region that is known for its red wine including Malbec, Bordeaux blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carmenere. One hour west of Santiago is the Casablanca Region, which is closer to the coast, and is more known for its white wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. She stayed at the Vibo Wine Lodge in Colchagua. This is a small boutique property on the Viu Manent Vineyards near Santa Cruz. It has individual lofts or tiny homes spread out throughout the vineyards. Another popular place to stay in this region is Clos Apalta, which is a Relais & Chateaux luxury property. Vibo Wine Lodge includes breakfast in the coffee shop on property and they also have two other restaurants, the Rayuela Restaurant and the Vibo Wine and Food Studio. On property you can hike, borrow bikes, enjoy the pool, go wine tasting or set up horseback riding. They also did a wine tour with Colchagua Wine Tours, which was only $125 for a day with a private driver (you pay for the tasting separately.) Tamara enjoyed wine tasting at Montgras Winery and Maquis Winery. They had a nice lunch at Fuego Apalta on the Montes Winery (but she didn't like the wine at Montes.) Tastings of the "icon" wines, which are the top wines, are about $40-50 per person. Clos Apalta Residence is also an excellent place to go for lunch or dinner and you can go wine tasting at the winery. In Casablance, they stayed at La Casona, which is a hacienda which has been converted to a hotel on the grounds of the Matetic Vineyards. This was all-inclusive because there isn't a lot nearby to eat. But the menu doesn't change so it gets repetitive if you are there for any length of time. The package also includes excursions and they did a biodynamic wine tour and tasting, mountain biking, and hiking. They also offer horseback riding and excursions to towns. They took a day trip to the coast and visited Pablo Neruda's house. Related Episodes: Chile's Atacama Desert Wine tasting in Northern Italy

If Hawai'i is on your bucket list, you need to listen to this episode with Hawaii travel expert Marcie Cheung. Marcie is a family travel blogger and mom of two who's been to Hawaii more than 40 times, staying everywhere from luxury resorts to budget-friendly condos. She helps parents plan unforgettable Hawaii vacations with kids by sharing expert tips, honest reviews, and stress-free itineraries. You can learn more on her website hawaiitravelwithkids.com or follow Marcie on Facebook and Instagram. You can also listen to her podcast, Hawaii Travel Made Easy. Episode Highlights: The most popular tourist islands are: Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii (The Big Island) Oahu is best if you can only visit one island and are looking for a mix of experiences and attractions from Pearl Harbor to the Dole Plantation and also city life, nightlife and beaches on the North Shore or Waikiki Maui is also popular for luxury resorts, a quieter vacation, the famous Road to Hana, and also great restaurants and activities Kauai is even more laid back The Big Island is good for those that are looking to be adventurous and take road trips, plus this is where you will find Volcanoes National Park A first time visitor coming from the U.S. should look at least one week and spend it on Oahu because it has such a range of experiences. If you have two weeks, then you can island hop from Oahu to Maui or Kauai. Be active on Oahu and then relax on Maui or Kauai. Keep in mind that when you island hop you still need to fly and deal with all of the airport security, rental car lines, etc. that eats up a lot of a day in travel. The Big Island is really large and you need at least five to seven days. It takes several hours to drive from the beach area to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Expect to spend about $12,000 or more for a family vacation to Hawaii. Airfare from the West Coast is about $500 and closer to $900 from the East Coast. You can use a Southwest Companion Pass or Alaska Companion Pass if you have them. Accommodations keep getting more and more expensive. Midrange hotels are $350-500 and luxury resorts can easily go over $1000 per night. You need to beware about vacation rentals because they are being closely regulated in Honolulu and often they will be cancelled last minute as there are a lot of illegal vacation rentals. If you go with a vacation rental, go with something reputable. Food is also expensive because so much needs to be shipped in on the islands. Plan on spending about $100 a day on food if you are able to mix up going to restaurants and buying groceries or eating at food trucks. Rental car prices are high and you need a rental car for at least a few days on each island. Keep in mind that hotel parking can be $40-60 per night. Activities are also quite pricey, at $300-500 per person. Luaus are at least $200-350 per person. Narrow down your wish list to 2-3 activities and have beach or pool days or exploring on your own for the rest of the time. Minimum stays during winter break can be 7-14 days and this is the most expensive time to visit. When planning road trips or hikes, be sure to map them out to see how far they are and how long it will take to get there. Don't overpack your itinerary. Related Episodes: Insider tips for visiting the Disney Aulani Planning a Hawaiian vacation

Kim just wrapped up round two of college tours and her daughter Mia has committed to UCLA's School of Engineering! We thought we would share some of our college search experience to help others that are just getting to this phase of parenting. Episode Highlights It is important to visit various college campuses before you begin the college application process to help your student understand the style and size of campus that they feel most comfortable in It helps to start early during their sophomore or junior year Before you look at a particular school, make sure it is a school that you can afford by researching their tuition, merit scholarship opportunities, and the financial aid calculator Join the Parent Facebook group for the schools they are interested in and this is a great source of information but make sure they are run by the school or parents and not just a data-mining company Try to find hotels that are near the college campus for campus visits because it will give you a better sense of what it would like to be on campus. Graduate Hotels is a great chain to look at as their properties are always close to college campuses and it is now part of Hilton Make sure you drive around the campus and the surrounding neighborhood and think about how they would get to campus if they are flying in from out of state If you want to tour campus, you need to make a reservation to join a group tour and these can fill up far in advance Try to time your visit to when students are on campus and not during their spring break Be prepared to ask questions about food, class size, how hard it is to get into the classes they need, dorms, and campus life You can find dorm room tours on YouTube Be sure to check out the student union and see how busy it is and what the options are. Also pay attention to whether or not it is a swipe or cash system Check out the department buildings where your kid would be taking a lot of classes, the library, and where the dorms are Visiting on the Admitted Students day will give your student a good introduction to campus and campus life and provide an opportunity to connect with other students. Admitted Students day typically takes place during April Be sure to pay the housing deposit early unless your school guarantees housing for freshmen If the school doesn't guarantee housing, look at housing costs in the area When thinking about dates, also look at booking hotels for move in, move out, and parent's weekend Make dinner and brunch reservations during move in and Parents Weekend

Tamara and her husband recently took a couple's trip to Chile and this week on the podcast she shares her impressions, experiences, and tips for Santiago and Atacama Desert. In a future episode, she will talk about her week in Chile's Winelands. Episode Highlights Tamara flew Avianca Airlines on a flight deal from Boston to Bogota and Bogota to Santiago. Avianca Airlines business class is more like premium economy and not a very impressive business class but overall the flights went smoothly. She really enjoyed her stay at the Hyatt Centric Las Condes. Las Condes is a nice area to stay in Santiago. If you are visiting Santiago or Valparaiso, be on alert of pickpockets and petty crime and don't wear jewelry and keep your phone secure. Foodies would love the chef's tasting dinner at Borago in Santiago. To get to the Atacama Desert, you fly 1.5-2 hours to Calama and then it is a 1.5 hour drive to San Pedro de Atacama, which is the central hub for the region. Tamara stayed at the Nayara Alto Atacama, which provides a transfer to and from the airport. They offer an all-inclusive rate that includes food, drink, and group excursions. Other options include the Explora and the Tierra and the Awasi offers private excursions. She wouldn't recommend self-driving because there is very little cell service and getting to some of the attractions includes driving on dirt roads. The Atacama Desert is at a higher elevation so it is good to stay at least 3 nights so that you can do the higher elevation excursions later in your stay after you have time to acclimate. Nayara Alto Atacama is part of Virtuoso and booking through Tamara you can get perks that include a $100 spa credit. They did three excursions: Sunset excursion to the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) with some short hikes and finishing with a sundowner Salt Flats and Flamingo Reserve - the salt flats are not the flat white salt that you see in Bolivia or Utah, the salt is mixed with minerals and the flats looks a lot like a white lava field Rainbow Valley - not as dramatic as Rainbow Mountain in Peru but a great landscape with layers of red, white, and green rock Star gazing - the Atacama Desert is well-known for its dark skies and star gazing The food at the resort was fine but lunch was a three-course meal and if you want something more casual you can eat at the bar. The portions are small and there are only a few options per meal, but at least the menu changes every day. Make sure you get the correct adapter for electrical outlets. You need cash for small shops and some tips but you can mostly use a credit card or charge tips to your room Make sure you wear sunscreen and a hat because there is a high UV index Be sure to stay hydrated and bring lots of moisturizer and lip balm Bring plenty of layers because the desert gets cold at night Remember that it is in the Southern Hemisphere so the summer high season is December - March and winter is during our summer. Bring shoes with good traction.