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Take a dip
Seasoned parents know this travel tip well: Got an unexpected rainy day while on your vacation? Pull out those swimsuits and hit the hotel’s indoor pool. But here’s a radical idea: What if the steamy hotel pool is the destination?
When it comes to kids, not all hotel pools are created equal. Some inns boast intimate, kidney-shaped lagoons for couples; others, narrow lap pools popular with business travelers — we didn’t include those. All of these hotel options have kid-friendly pools where children are welcome (though a few pools may have restricted hours; check when you book).
A few tips: If you plan to swim multiple times a day, pack an extra suit so you don’t have to shimmy back into the cold damp suit you swam in earlier in the day. Bring your own beach towels if having nice big towels is important to you. And hotel pools rarely have lifeguards on duty (even less so in the off-season), so keep a close eye on the kids while they swim and splash. Most importantly — have fun!
The Lodge at Suncadia
Find it: 3600 Suncadia Trail, Cle Elum, Wash.; 509-649-6400
Surrounded by thousands of acres of Ponderosa pine forest and snowcapped Cascade peaks, deluxe Suncadia lodge has plenty going for it, both inside (a grand lobby with fireplace and several cozy nooks, luxury guest rooms with soaker tubs and million-dollar views) and outside (hiking and biking trails, cross-country skiing and sledding in winter). Just a short drive or shuttle ride from the lodge sits Suncadia’s ultramodern swimming pool facility and fitness center, boasting a huge indoor pool with two adventurous waterslides (218 and 271 feet in length; kids must be at least 42 inches tall to use them), a hot tub, steam room and cedar sauna, plus two heated, steamy outdoor pools.
Unless you book a special package that includes the resort fee, there’s an additional cost daily cost (on top of your room rate) which gives your family access to the pool and fitness facilities. It also includes parking throughout the resort, shuttle service and wifi. Suncadia’s Portals restaurant makes the most amazing filet mignon (you’ll remember it for days), and welcomes kids with a bucket of crayons and platefuls of faves, such as mac ’n’ cheese. But if you’re on a tighter budget, Roslyn’s Village Pizza is just a few miles away.
Tip: Suncadia has all kinds of seasonal activities, including a tubing hill in winter. Check the website for info.
Residence Inn Downtown RiverPlace
Find it: 2115 S.W. River Pkwy., Portland, Ore.; 503-552-9500
On the south end of Portland’s downtown find the Residence Inn RiverPlace, located on a triangle of land that’s been transformed over the past few decades from a forgotten brown field into a vibrant urban neighborhood. along the Willamette River waterfront. Among this location’s features are a riverfront marina, luxury condos, a few hotels and good restaurants (consider a lunch of lattes and panini at Upstream Coffee across from the marina). Although the location of the Residence Inn makes for a bit of a walk to the downtown shopping district, the streetcar stops literally right outside the hotel lobby doors, and the paved waterfront esplanade is one block away.
Tip: The digs here are extra spacious for families, with suites and full kitchens. From the warmth of the spacious indoor pool, watch the cold drizzle fall on the huge skylight above. The large, tiled pool room has a few walls of windows to let plenty of daylight in while keeping the winter weather out, and also houses a steamy hot tub and several modern lounge chairs.
McMenamins Anderson School
Find it: 18607 Bothell Way N.E., Bothell; 425-398-0122
Your kids may recoil at the thought of going to “school” for a weekend getaway, but rest assured there’s nothing academic about splashing around in a huge indoor pool ringed with tropical plants, or catching a first-run flick at the onsite movie theater (there’s almost always a kid-friendly choice).
Converted from an Art Deco junior high school building into McMenamins’ offbeat lodging creation, the Anderson School seems tailor-made for near-home weekend getaways for all ages, but especially for families with kids in their teens prone to boredom.
Tip: After a few hours in the pool, kids can play a few rounds of shuffleboard or pinball at The Woodshop pub and game room (there are three restaurants in all!), then steal some “alone time” with a book and a root beer in one of the many hideaway sofas and lounge chairs throughout the property.
Bellevue Club Hotel
Find it: 11200 S.E. 6th St., Bellevue; 425-454-4424
Attached to the exclusive Bellevue Athletic Club, the posh Bellevue Club Hotel gives guests full use of the luxurious club’s many fitness facilities, including its two beautiful Olympic-size indoor pools set at different temperatures (there’s an outdoor heated pool as well) and two-tiered hot tubs. Also included for hotel guests is the use of the fitness facility’s indoor tennis courts, fitness classes, multiple cardio rooms, racquetball courts, a Pilates studio, a climbing gym and more. In addition, there’s a full-service spa, four restaurants and a professionally staffed child-care room.
Guest rooms have lots of pampering touches such as fluffy robes, down comforters and premium bath products; rooms also include a terrace or a balcony. Though you’re several blocks from downtown shopping, the hotel provides two chauffeured town cars available for guests, who pay gratuity only.
Tip: This place is popular with business travelers during the week, but there’s often plenty of vacancy on off-season weekends (and more affordable rates — look for discounted web specials during winter).
Lake Quinault Lodge
Find it: 345 S. Shore Road, Quinault, Wash., on the Olympic Peninsula; 360-288-2900
The verdant rain forest is best enjoyed in the actual rain, with its spongy forest floor, lush ferns and drippy moss canopy. And there’s a bonus, too — all that chilly winter rain means more vacancy and jaw-dropping rates at this historic national park lodge. In the lobby is a grand brick fireplace flanked by overstuffed leather chairs, the logical spot to warm up with some hot cocoa after a walk through the sky-high cedars. But tucked away off the lobby is another warm-up spot — an indoor heated pool with wood-paneled walls and large windows so you can keep an eye out for rain forest birds on the tree limbs outside. There’s also a game room and restaurant.
Tip: Although rooms in the rustic Craftsman-style main lodge are attractively packed with period antiques and feature claw-foot tubs, families will probably be comfier in one of the larger rooms or suites in the more modern detached buildings.
Alderbrook Resort & Spa
Find it: 10 E. Alderbrook Drive, Union, Wash.; 360-898-2145
Hood Canal is shaped like an arm, and right at its “elbow” sits the tiny and picturesque town of Union. Once the vacation destination for the families of wealthy Seattle lumber barons in the late 19th century, Union retains its appeal as a short, scenic getaway, thanks in large part to the refurbished Craftsman-style Alderbrook Resort & Spa. (The famous local shellfish bounty doesn’t hurt tourism, either, and you’ll find fresh oysters on every local menu.)
Inspired by the communal areas of stately Northwest national park lodges, Alderbrook’s large lobby is anchored by a huge stone fireplace and supported by peeled-log architecture, creating a cozy, rustic ambiance for family board games or curling up with a book. Guest rooms are modern and deluxe, and each has a window seat that doubles as a daybed for extra lounging space. (There are also several cute cottages with kitchenettes.)
Be sure to visit the huge glass-enclosed indoor heated pool (Styrofoam noodles provided) and kidney-shaped whirlpool, plus a steam room, sauna and fitness center. Parents can book a service at the on-site spa while kids enjoy a crafting session or dig into a s’mores kit at the outdoor fireplace.
Tip: While the lodge’s high-end restaurant specializes in seasonal Northwest cuisine (it’s both delicious and pricey); note that here’s a cheaper pub right across the highway.
Editor’s note: This article was first published in the 2017 edition of our Winter Adventure Guide, and was updated for February 2020.
