Vacations sometimes get out of hand. We spend time getting there, more time driving from one sightseeing destination to the next, and then time feeling frustrated that the kids are tired or cranky at the third or fourth or fifth historical re-enactment or look/don’t touch museum. This summer, while we’re all planning epic family memories, let’s also fit in a laid-back weekend with no running around and fun the whole family will love! If Coeur d’Alene is within a gas tanks’ distance, the perfect location for your relaxing weekend should be Triple Play Resort Hotel & Suites.
A Place To Stay
Triple Play Resort Hotel & Suites is a one-stop mini vacation destination. Traveling there recently with my boys, their Grandma, and my niece acting as mother’s helper was a treat. This hotel is built for families, starting with the lobby and the fresh baked cookies every afternoon. It’s amazing how the need for extra pillows or a wake-up call become quite urgent when little boys know there are delicious treats to be had while on the errand!
With 13 room types to choose from, it will accommodate any combination of people imaginable. We chose to stay in a suite that had two queen beds and a sitting room with pull-out sofa so my niece could have her own sleeping area. The boys, though, were extraordinarily envious when we took a look in the Kid Suite. In addition to the normal two queen beds, there is a separate room with bunk beds, small child’s desk, and equipped with its own TV and video game system. As if that weren’t enough, the view from the window captivated them. My only hope of pulling them away from their waterslide fantasies was to close the drapes, turn them around, and gently prod them through the door. This room class would be ideal for a large family, or for an extra special weekend away.
A Place To Eat
Food is, of course, going to have a key role in a successful mini-vacation. Triple Play makes it extremely easy to keep the family well-fed without having to pile back into the car. The breakfast room is large with full windows looking out over the waterslides. Even though we wandered down to eat every morning shortly before the complimentary hot buffet was put away, there was always plenty of food and plenty of variety.
Lunch and dinner can be almost as easy, making it truly possible not to have to leave the resort during your visit. A windowed walkway quickly leads from the hotel breakfast room to the Triple Play Fun Park and the Garden Fresh Grille is conveniently located right inside the doors. There is an impressively large selection and a variety of options for any eater. We tried the mini corn dogs, the grilled cheese sandwiches, the quesadillas, and the fries.
More out of the ordinary, and a welcome option, are the salad selections. After much debate, I chose the fresh Antipasti Salad and it was large enough to last me through an entire game of bowling! With a wide selection of burgers and pizzas, Triple Play is truly set to please the family during one meal time or many. What truly excited the kids, though, was the surprise of finding two tokens for the arcade in the bottom of their kid’s meals!
A Place To Play
Comfortable beds and a good meal are not going to keep the kids entertained for long. To make a mini-vacation a success, they’re going to want to play…and play…and play. Not a problem when the hotel is connected to a water park and fun center and offers packages to stay and play at both. Talk about vacation heaven! In fewer than five minutes from leaving the hotel room, every member of the family can be enjoying whatever form of recreation suits their fancy!
For us the first stop was the enclosed waterpark Raptor Reef. Consisting of 4 tube waterslides, a large wave pool, children’s play area, and hot tub, we had no trouble spending a good part of our first day splashing around in the water. The life guards were attentive and after my legs were just too tired to climb the stairs to the top of the waterslides again, I felt completely comfortable sending the kids to the top and waiting with camera shutter open for them to come back down.
At the point that the fingers are wrinkled and the kids start thinking maybe they’ll start complaining, it’s time to put the “triple” element in play. The Triple Play Family Fun Park includes at least a dozen exciting activities and the possibility of pleasing every age and interest imaginable. We experienced that ourselves with kids age 2-12, plus Mom and Grandma. Our favorites were the outdoor bumper boats, which every one of us could ride, and the go-karts which give the controls to child drivers. What kid wouldn’t love the opportunity to douse their parents with water and then speed past them waving as they slide around tight corners?
Indoors, the fun continues. Hotel packages also include unlimited bowling, mini golf, laser tag, and a climbing wall. At one point during our stay, Grandma and the kids disappeared and I found them all laughing and have a riot of a time cashing in tickets in the arcade. Then, before I knew it, I was harnessed three stories above the ground, following my niece around a ropes obstacle course like it was something both of us do every day. Complete fun, complete lack of boredom and whining, completely a perfect mini-vacation!
There is something wonderful to be said about checking into a hotel and not having to leave again until it’s reluctantly time to go home. The combination of Triple Play Resort Hotel & Suites, Raptor Reef, and Triple Play Family Fun Park is ideal. Forgot the diapers or the sunscreen? No worries, it’s just a quick run back to the room. Need to take a nap? 5 minutes to the room, an hour resting, refreshed and back to playing. Want to give the teenagers some freedom? No possibility of them getting lost or wandering too far away. When it’s time to pack the bags and head back home, the love of family vacation will be renewed and planning the next epic getaway will be fun again!
