For Thanksgiving last year, Louis and Andrea Johnson chose not to travel across the country to visit either set of grandparents but instead to take their holiday celebration, and their children, to a nearby resort hotel. Together they played in the resort's pool and fitness center, and then enjoyed their holiday meal at the restaurant. And the next evening, with the children safely and pleasurably entertained by the hotel's program of games, crafts, and pizza, the Johnsons savored a gourmet dinner and late-night dancing.
"Both Andrea and I work, and our family time is so limited," Louis explained. "This vacation was a chance for us to be together in a place we all could enjoy, without the hassles of housework or telephone interruptions - and it was wonderful."
The children, nine-year-old Rose, and her seven-year-old brother, Joel, echoed, though with added excitement, the favorable evaluation. After noting that the resort was indeed big and that their rooms were cleaned, somehow, automatically, Rose focused on their evening of hotel-sponsored children's activities: "It wasn't like babysitting; it was like having friends and doing fun stuff."
For Andrea, the highlight was a night out alone with her husband - their first in almost a year. "We have to go to dinners or parties sometimes, so we grab a babysitter and go out for a few hours," she said. "But this, this going out for no reason other than a good meal and a chance to dance together, was really romantic. I want to do this again for another holiday, maybe Easter, or maybe during the summer."
The Johnsons aren't the only ones smitten by these resort getaways. Nationwide, especially for two-income families, vacations and holidays are changing. With more income - but with more scheduling problems - many Americans are now opting for short visits to hotels and resorts that cater to families and offer child-care programs.
"We've seen a steady increase in the number of properties that offer children's activities - in the future, it will be accepted as the norm, like having a concierge, "explained Michele Kelley, manager of media relations for the American Hotel and Motel Association (AHMA). Kelly cited the results of the survey of the AHMA's membership completed in late 1988. The survey indicated that 13 percent of the hotels, in all price ranges, now offer supervised programs for children. But almost one-third of the most expensive hotels, those with average room rates over eighty-five dollars, provide that service.
The reason for the interest in child-care programs is the growing number of two-income families, Kelley explained. Those families have more disposable income and less time together. But, since Americans are becoming more family-oriented, they want to travel together as a family and therefore choose resorts that cater to children.
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"It's happening more and more; the children are coming along," she noted. "But the parents would enjoy a few hours alone, and our members are responding by offering quality child-care activities.”
This child-care bandwagon started rolling in
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