July is more then half way done, but there’s still plenty of time to plan some family fun. For those of you here in Ontario who don’t want to travel far, I’ve got the perfect destination, somewhere that caters to kids and has enough onsite activities to keep you there for multiple days — the Eaton Chelsea in Toronto. No seriously, this is one of the most family friendly places I’ve ever stepped foot in. We visited them over the March Break and I was blown away by just how kid friendly they were, and by how much there was to do without even leaving the hotel. How does this apply to your summertime plans? Well, the special family activities that they offer over the March Break are just a mini-version of what they offer all summer long.
Year round, checking in:
* The Eaton Chelsea has a special kid’s check in area and they give each guest who is seven years old or younger an age appropriate gift at check-in.
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| Here’s my eldest showing off her gift bag before eagerly tearing into it. Her bag included a small deck of cards, a slinky, a tiny board game and more. |
Year round, the food:
* For family’s staying at the hotel, kid’s either eat for free or at half price, depending on their age.
* The upscale and utterly delicious on site restaurant was jaw droppingly kid friendly.
* The kid’s menu is fantastic and includes everything from PB&J sandwiches to steak.
Year round, family suites:
* They offer family suites with a separate room for the kids, with bunk beds! Does that not look awesome? (I seriously want to stay in one of these rooms. However, when we visited the hotel was still undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation. For March Break the majority of the family suites were booked up, and the remainder were unavailable due to balcony renovations. Bummer. On the bright side the two room “boardroom” style suite we ended up staying in worked out just perfectly for a family stay.)
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| An afternoon spent at the Ontario Science Centre. |
Year round, discounted access to family friendly attractions:
* 20% off admission to the Art Gallery of Ontario
* 20% off admission to the Ontario Science Centre
* 20% off admission to the Legoland Discovery Centre
* 15% off admission to Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
* Plus discounts for many other places, check out their attractions page for the entire list.
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| Having a little break in the Kid Centre. Being in a hotel that had toys available was a serious highlight for my kids. |
Year round, fun stuff in the Family Fun Zone:
* Indoor family pool
* 130 ft “corkscrew” waterslide
* Kid Centre (like a drop off daycare area, you can stay and watch your kids play or leave them under supervised care for a nominal fee)
* Club 33 Teen Lounge (TV, video games, air hockey, foosball, a pool table — my husband wanted to go hang out in here, I had to convince him it was just for teens)
Just for March Break (and Summer Vacation!):
* Family movie nights with free popcorn.
* Fun free activities (Some of the things offered this past March Break included face painting, a magic show, a huge bouncy castle, segway rides, video games, bingo, karaoke and more.)
* Camp Chelsea (a full day camp-style program to keep the kids occupied and entertained, additional fees apply)
Only in the Summertime:
* Take the ferry to Center Island and experience the Eaton Chelsea’s private Chelsea Beach.
Between the delicious onsite food and the non-stop family friendly entertainment, you end up with a resort like experience without the resort like pricetag. There is easily enough here to keep your kids happily occupied without ever leaving the property. Add in the discount attractions and the private beach and you’ve got plenty to experience, enough that you’re going to want to plan to stay for two or three nights minimum.
For further information on the Eaton Chelsea:
* visit their website.
* connect with them on Facebook.
* connect with them on Twitter.
Disclosure: My family was invited to stay as guests of the Eaton Chelsea over the March Break. As always my words and opinions are my own.
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