Before my youngest daughter was born, traveling was a lot
simpler. There were just four of
us. Flying was fairly easy, as my
husband could sit with one child while I sat with the other. Booking a hotel was simple, because rooms for
a family of four are always easy to find.
Even dining out was a breeze, since we all fit nicely into a standard
sized booth made for four. But when our
little one came along, our family of four turned into a family of five, and
suddenly traveling together was anything but easy.
Recently, my husband had an important meeting in Oklahoma
City. We decided to make a long weekend
of it and take the kids along. But when
I started trying to book a room online, I ran into rejection after rejection as
our family of five exceeded the limits of one hotel after another. Inspired, I decided to seek out the best
hotels in Oklahoma City for families just like mine.
Residence Inn by
Marriott in Bricktown
My family was invited to stay at the
Residence
Inn in Bricktown, the only hotel directly on the Bricktown Canal. I let the general manager know that I was
interested in trying their hotel because it was very easy to book a room for a
larger family and was in the middle of a historic district of the city
frequented by many visitors each year.
We stayed in a two bedroom suite, plenty big enough to sleep
a family of eight if needed and more than adequate for my family of five. Our suite had two bathrooms, a kitchen with
six, yes six place settings in the cupboard, and a living room with a sofa bed
and fireplace. We also had a wonderful
view of the canal and the city lights. Single bedroom suites are also available, with two queen beds and a sofa
bed and enough room to comfortably sleep five or six.
We were so satisfied with our stay, I wrote to tell the
manager that my kids said it was the best hotel we’d ever visited. And that’s high praise, considering my
children’s favorite amenity, the large outdoor pool, was closed for the season.
Hampton Inn and
Suites in Bricktown
Speaking of pools, the large indoor pool with water features
for the kids was definitely one of the biggest draws for our family when I
contacted the
Hampton
Inn and Suites in Bricktown about booking a room there. The manager graciously invited us to stay a
night in their establishment during our weekend in Oklahoma City, and I am glad
he did.
Besides offering comfortable accommodations for a family of
five, the Hampton Inn and Suites offers covered parking, a delicious breakfast
and many rooms that overlook the Bricktown Ballpark, home of the Oklahoma City
RedHawks. It’s like having your very own
luxury box.
Our room included two queen size beds, a sofa sleeper, and
plenty of space so that we weren’t falling all over each other as we moved
around the room. The kids slept well
after enjoying an hour in the pool, which stays open late.
Other area hotels
While these Bricktown hotels offer fantastic amenities and
easy access to the myriad of entertainment options in the downtown area, there
are other hotels around the city which also offer comfortable accommodations
for a family of five. Here are a few
that I discovered while poring over ratings on
TripAdvisor and
checking to see whether larger families could easily reserve rooms online.
Close to the Will Rogers World Airport and just
outside the hustle and bustle of downtown, you’ll find the Cambria
Suites. This hotel offers
accommodations for families of five along with an indoor pool, free Wi-Fi and
an on-site restaurant with a variety of Cheesecake Factory desserts. Yes, they had me at cheesecake.
·
Also near the Will Rogers World Airport, you’ll
find the
SpringHill
Suites by Marriott. Offering rooms
large enough to accommodate five or six, including two queen size beds and a
sofa bed, this hotel gets high marks from travelers. Want to stay closer to the north side of the
city? Check out the
SpringHill Suites
location at Quail Springs for easy access to Oklahoma City, Edmond and
more. Pets are welcome with a deposit.
·
The
Hyatt
Place on Northwest Expressway comes highly recommended by reviewers on
TripAdvisor, perhaps because of the Gallery Menu of fresh and delicious meals
available 24 hours a day. Central to the
city and within a short drive of many attractions, this hotel can meet your
family of five’s needs in style.