Recently, I had the privilege of staying at a Residence Inn property. More on my adventures later, but it is one of the most family-friendly places to stay. I’ve thought of the Residence Inn as a place for business travelers or little league sports teams. Yet staying here just one night made me realize how it it perfect for families.

When we went on family vacations growing up, we stayed in timeshares; condos with kitchens and laundry facilities. It made vacationing easy as there was space for privacy, unlike a regular hotel room, so you can stay up watching TV without disturbing the kids. The ability to pack lunches, have breakfast, and on a couple of nights make dinner, plus doing our laundry, kept the vacations low-key, on budget and healthier since we weren’t grabbing take-out all the time.

Having my own family now, we have begun to think about our vacationing habits. So I was excited to be hosted for a night at a local Residence Inn property, as part of a blogging group, to see how this Marriott brand would play a part of our future hotel habits. Known as an extended stay property, Residence Inn has features that a regular hotel doesn’t have.

I think this Residence Inn commercial showcases that fact pretty well.

The impressive family-friendly features are the full fridge (not a dorm-size fridge) plus a dishwasher, microwave, coin laundry onsite, free WiFi, stove, daily hot breakfast, and even the ability to have staff get groceries for you (at cost). So no more packing an extra suitcase full of food for your family vacation or coming home with a huge pile of laundry.

The fridge with freezer can keep ice cream treats, formula or breast milk, sippy cups and snacks for the kids. I’d probably get lunch meat, bread, and cheese to pack lunches to save money on the vacation. With the hot breakfast every morning (with lots to choose from to satisfy all the members of the family), you only have to eat out once a day during a vacay. Sometimes it is not even about saving on food costs, but rather the hassle factor. Bringing babies or toddlers out to eat is never a picnic, if you know what I mean.

The free WiFi is key for kids who need their tech toys, and us parents who need to stay connected via email or want to upload pictures of the kids at the beach. If the kids are getting restless, send them to the pool. My favorite feature based on my current state of life? The dishwasher. No more hand washing bottles or kid cups in the bathroom sink.

All in all, will we continue to stay at regular hotels? Absolutely. But I love having this option for extended vacations. It makes traveling with kids so much easier, and it brings back my own childhood memories. We will be back for sure. Why? Because it is not a hotel, it is a home away from home.

Check out my videos showing the views of the Residence Inn Tudor Wharf in Boston, MA and highlights of the fantastic kitchens.