Families will flip for these 10 themed hotel suites
It's often said that the journey is more important than the destination, but these themed hotel rooms might just be an exception.
Don't get me wrong, the journey is great and all (especially when lie-flat seats are involved), but when the destination is a hotel suite inside a treetop airplane fuselage in Costa Rica or a Pac-Man themed, dome-shaped suite with view of the Grand Canyon, I'll take the destination over the journey any day.
Here are 10 such themed hotel suites that will level up the fun factor on your next family vacation.
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Loews Royal Pacific Jurassic World Kids' Suites — Orlando
At Universal's Islands of Adventure, you can meet a "real" Velociraptor and ride on dino-themed attractions — then you can keep the prehistoric party going even after you leave the park.
Loews Royal Pacific Resort, one of Universal's on-site hotels, is home to a small number of "Jurassic World" suites themed to the blockbuster movie franchise. The main bedroom and living area channel the hotel's tropical South Seas theme, but when you open the door to the kids' bedroom, you'll find two custom gyrosphere beds, a large dinosaur mural and other elements that make you feel as if you've been transported to Isla Nublar.
Related: How to use points to save money at Universal Orlando
As one of Universal's Premier hotels, you'll also get early theme park access and complimentary Universal Express skip-the-line access. Cash prices start around $560 per night and the suites sleep up to five guests.
Legoland Pirate Island Hotel — Winter Haven, Florida
Legoland Florida is the ultimate Lego playground for preschoolers. They can meet life-size versions of their favorite Lego characters, ride kid-friendly coasters and, of course, build with Legos in the park's many interactive play spaces.
The Lego theme extends to the park's three on-site hotels, and I'm partial to the Pirate Island Hotel. A large pirate ship outside the entrance (constructed with Legos, of course) welcomes guests into the hotel and you may even hear a pirate beckon you into the elevator.
Once in your room, you'll find a kids area with bunk beds and a trundle bed, a Lego play table and a television. Parents can get in on the swashbuckling with a treasure map headboard and pirate-themed bedding. If you crack the code on the in-room pirate treasure hunt, you'll be rewarded with Lego-themed booty hidden away in a locked safe.
Room-only prices start around $250 per night, but you can get the best pricing by bundling your hotel and Legoland tickets.
Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Pineapple Villa — Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana is an all-inclusive resort that brings elements of the classic kids TV channel to life. Rooms and suites are decorated in Nickelodeon's signature bright orange and green, guests can meet characters from "Paw Patrol," Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Dora the Explorer" and, yes, you really can get slimed at the resort's water park.
If your kids just can't soak up enough SpongeBob SquarePants, you can stay in your very own pineapple under the sea in the resort's Pineapple Villa, which doesn't take itself too seriously in the decor department. The entrance to the two-bed, three-bath villa is, in fact, shaped like a giant pineapple. Inside, you'll find ocean-themed rooms and special touches that give the villa that signature SpongeBob feel.
There's also no holding back on luxury. The villa has a private infinity pool, a large furnished patio, an outdoor shower and soaking tub, a private butler and preferred access to dining, spa treatments and other on-site amenities.
Pricing for the Pineapple Villa starts around $6,412 per night and varies seasonally.
The Plaza Eloise Suite — New York City
The Plaza is an iconic New York City hotel and Eloise is one of its most iconic residents. In the 1955 book "Eloise at The Plaza," the eponymous character is a precocious child who has essentially made The Plaza her playground. Your child can do the same when you book a stay in the Eloise Suite.
The one-king-bed suite, designed by Betsey Johnson, is decked out in floor-to-ceiling pink and set off by floral furnishings and pops of black. The robes and towels bear Eloise's handwritten signature and guests receive an Eloise gift upon arrival.
Related: 7 hotels you’ve seen in movies you can actually book
During your stay, you can take part in other Eloise-themed experiences like afternoon tea and an Eloise pop-up shop. An adjacent "Nanny Suite" is available that adds a living room, one-and-a-half baths and an additional king bed to the floor plan.
Rates for the Eloise Suite average around $3,000 per night, depending on the season.
Disney's Art of Animation Resort Family Suites — Orlando
All of Disney World's hotels are themed in one way or another, but some are more subtle than others. Disney's Art of Animation Resort is not one of the subtle ones — in the best way possible.
Each section of the resort is themed to a different Disney classic like "Finding Nemo," "The Little Mermaid," "The Lion King" and "Cars." In the Family Suites, everything from the furniture to the artwork to the bathroom mirror is designed to make you feel like you are part of your favorite Disney animated films.
Each suite has a bedroom with one queen bed, two bathrooms and a living area with a kitchenette, double-size sleeper sofa and double-size Murphy bed that converts to a table when stowed. Aside from the decor, the rooms are similar, so our advice is to let your kids choose their favorite.
Pricing starts around $550 per night, which is about the best deal you'll find at a Disney property for a room that sleeps up to six guests.
Related: What it’s really like doing Disney World 3 different ways: Budget, moderate and blow-out luxury
Cartoon Network Hotel Powerpuff Girls Dream Suite — East Lancaster, Pennsylvania
The Cartoon Network Hotel is located next door to the Dutch Wonderland theme park in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but there's enough to keep you busy at the hotel even if you aren't visiting the park. The entire property is themed to Cartoon Network shows like "Adventure Time," "Steven Universe" and "Powerpuff Girls."
The Powerpuff Girls suite is one of the hotel's larger "Dream Suites," comprising a living, dining and kitchen area in addition to a bedroom with a king bed and a separate room with two sets of bunk beds (each with its own television). There's plenty of the girls' signature pink, blue and green decor in the suite, but it doesn't feel overdone.
Related: 8 quirky US theme parks you have to see to believe
Pricing for this ADA-accessible suite that sleeps up to six guests starts at around $399 per night.
Georgian House Wizard Chamber — London
If your child is a fan of wizardry and magic, the Wizard Chambers at London's Georgian House will put them under an enchanting spell. The 19th-century Georgian House hotel already looks like it's straight out of a storybook, but the Wizard Chambers truly make it feel as if you've jumped into the pages of a fantasy novel.
The gothic arch doorways, red velvet curtains, dark wooden furniture and stained-glass windows conjure a bewitching castle feel, along with intricate details like tapestries, cauldrons and rows of potion bottles lining the walls. During your stay you can brush up on your wizarding skills in a potion-making class and take part in the hotel's signature Enchanted Afternoon Tea.
The Wizard Chambers rooms sleep up to six guests and pricing starts around $350 per night.
Clear Sky Resorts 80s Video Game Dome — Grand Canyon Junction, Arizona
Clear Sky Resorts are all about letting you experience the beauty of the great outdoors from the comfort of a luxury glamping dome, but that doesn't mean they don't know how to have a little fun decorating the domes' interiors.
Related: A mom-and-me trip to the Grand Canyon trip with 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points
The 80s Video Game dome at Clear Sky's Grand Canyon location is decorated with a Pac-Man shaped queen bed, a loft twin bed and a vintage Pac-Man arcade game. Like all Clear Sky domes, there are large viewing windows and a telescope for nighttime stargazing.
This totally tubular room sleeps up to five guests and pricing starts around $420 per night.
The Curtis Denver Video Games Suite — Denver
The Curtis — a DoubleTree by Hilton property — is a fun and funky boutique hotel located in downtown Denver.
In the lobby, which feels like one giant art installation, you can borrow board games or visit the retro 5 & Dime for candy and soda. Each guest room is decorated with even more art and just a touch of kitsch, but you'll want to book one of the "Hyper Themed" rooms for the ultimate concept experience.
The brightly colored Video Games Suite has a Mario-themed mural and a real, working Donkey Kong arcade game to use during your stay. The room has one king bed and sleeps two guests, which could make it fun for a solo trip with just one kid.
Low season rates for the Fun and Games Hyper Themed Room start from $234 or 85,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
Hotel Costa Verde 727 Fuselage Home — Quepos, Costa Rica
Don't be alarmed if you see a plane lodged in the treetops at Costa Rica's Hotel Costa Verde. The vintage Boeing 727 aircraft is meant to be there — and you can actually sleep in it.
The 727 Fuselage Home has two bedrooms and sleeps up to six guests. Each bedroom has its own private bath and one of those bathrooms just happens to be in the cockpit. When you aren't using it for ... bathroom activities, you can stage a photo shoot in the cockpit — the original seats and seatbelts are still there.
The furnished terrace offers beautiful views of the ocean, surrounding gardens and the jungle's wildlife, including birds and monkeys. Pricing starts at $450 per night in the off season, with prices climbing closer to $1,200 per night during the peak winter holiday season.
Bottom line
Choosing your destination and how to get there are not the only big decisions you need to make when you travel. You have to stay somewhere — so you might as well make it somewhere memorable, like one of these themed hotel suites.
Next time you travel, trade the same old bland and boring hotel room for one that your kids probably thought could only exist in their imaginations.