Our family can drive less than 30 minutes and feel like we’re a thousand miles away from home. If you’ve yet to plan your family vacation this year or are considering doing something local, the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa is a fantastic location for a summer getaway. Located just steps away from the beach, the resort offers families an idyllic setting to relax, have fun, and make memories.
Over the weekend, we finally warmed up enough for some fun in the sun. My son and I spent an afternoon sunning and splashing at Slyders Water Playground. The family-friendly water play area features three slides which drop guests into two splash pools, a large main pool, a children’s wading pool, two fire pits, nine private cabanas, a hot tub, and a poolside cafe.
If you’re staying at the resort, you could spend a good part of the day sunning and splashing. I appreciate the shallow wading pool, given the fact that both of my children are still very young and have not learned how to swim yet. Older children will keep busy sliding and swimming in the main pool.
What’s nice about the area is that you don’t have to leave to purchase food. Shubee’s poolside cafe offers fresh, delicious food for kids and adults at fair prices. From fruit smoothies and appetizers to sandwiches and salads, the menu includes a nice selection of tasty, family-friendly foods.
After a day of swimming and sunning, your family can gather around the firepit to roast S’mores. Kits which include marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, and roasting sticks are available for purchase at the Surf City Grocers.
If you’re traveling with a group and you’d like a shady place to hang out for the day, you might consider renting a private cabana. We actually had an opportunity to hang out in a cabana over the weekend and it was definitely a treat. With a flat screen TV, wireless internet access, complimentary bottled water, and poolside service, your family will enjoy a relaxing day in a spacious, private area away from the sun.
Whether you’re a guest of the resort or a local family, the Water Playground offers everything you need for an afternoon of fun in the sun. One of the things I learned while at the resort was that day passes are available during off-peak seasons to locals looking for a safe place to engage in water play ($25 for adults, $20 for children). While this isn’t available during the summer, our warm Southern California weather makes it a fun, affordable option during late spring or early fall.
Summer at the resort is going to be fantastic. With Friday night movies (poolside, of course), Saturday morning sandcastle building, Friday evening kite instruction, Tuesday afternoon cookie decorating, and daily water slide relays, your family could spend the entire time at the resort participating in the many activities offered this summer. Additionally, the resort will once again host their Sunset Splash concert series on the third Friday of May, June, July and August at Mankota’s pool. We attended twice last year and really enjoyed the upbeat music and causal, family-friendly environment.
Most of our vacations these days involve our children and I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. We are creating special memories that we hope our children remember as they grow up. At the same time, mom and dad could definitely use some alone time and that is where Camp Hyatt comes in. The camp, which is designed for children ages 3-12, features an active recreation program with supervised activities that teach children about plant life, animals, culture and history, and geography. Activities, such as scavenger hunts, Wii play, crafting, sand crabbin’, and jewelry making, take place on the beach, in the pool and around the resort. For more information about the program, contact the hotel directly.
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