Traveling with Kids: Sea Crest Beach Hotel
Last weekend I had the lovely opportunity to visit the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Falmouth on a media visit. I took Laurel and Vi on my own since Jon was working all weekend and despite missing him, it was a fantastic visit! And totally doable parenting solo due to various amenities. In a nutshell, I think Sea Crest is utterly perfect for families, but here are 12 specific reasons why I recommend you consider visiting.
1. Location. One of the great things about the Upper Cape is that that it means less driving, coming from the city. Located in Falmouth, Sea Crest is about 1 hour, 15 minutes from both Boston and Providence, RI.
2. Beach proximity. Sea Crest’s positioning right on Old Silver Beach is part of what makes the experience so amazing and also convenient for parents. Even though I toted a well-stocked bag with me, I had to head back to the room with one or both girls many, many times (potty! milk cup! change of clothes! etc!). It was great that our room was mere steps away.
3. Room options. The hotel offers a variety of accommodations, including several types of guest rooms (I highly recommend ocean front) + they have a 3 bedroom cottage, which would be great for larger parties. I also asked about adjoining rooms (early on Jon and I discovered the beauty of this when traveling with Laurel), and they do have some available in case you need a larger setup and the cottage isn’t available. Of note, though the hotel has 264 rooms, the rooms are spread out over eight 1-2 floor buildings so it doesn't feel monstrous at all. All rooms come with standard amenities, including a mini-fridge, which is perfect if you need to tote allergy-friendly foods as I do.
4. Beach-side service. I’m not going to lie, I'm a person who really, really appreciates convenience and a helping hand, especially when I’m traveling alone with my kids. Sea Crest has chair, umbrella, and towel service and you can basically set up camp for the day -- just leave a few non-valuable personal effects on your chairs and staff and other guests know not to flip your space. Also, later in the afternoon when my sister and her family arrived to hang out, we enjoyed a beach cocktail via the roaming server; the berry mojitos were divine!
5. Pools. Need a break from cleaning up sandy feet? Outdoor plans blown by a rainy day? The property has both indoor and outdoor saline pools.
6. Family friendly (+ grown up) dining options. Sea Crest offers a range of dining options. On a return visit, I’d love to try Shutters (the fancier restaurant) with Jon, but alone with the kids, the buffet breakfasts at the Ocean View Room were perfect. There were lots of cold and hot options, including waffle and omelette stations (Laurel LOVED the waffles). It was perfect for getting a range of food quickly. We also dined twice at Red’s Restaurant (which also has a poolside bar and takeout window if you want to tote lunch to the beach) and I was very happy with the food there. I’d say the only thing I wished were different was that the kids menu items came with a little fruit or vegetable on the side. There’s also a cafe with Starbucks. Mmm...Starbucks. Also of note, despite the size of the property and the fact that it's peak season we never had to wait for a table. They clearly have the dining mechanics down.
7. Ice cream. Yes, this deserves its own bullet. Right near the pool, Sea Crest has its own little ice cream/snack store. I recall there were about 8 flavor options and along with my sister's family we collectively tried almost all of them. Totally delicious.
8. Fitness options. My main fitness activity was giving Vi uppies across the sand (no small feat), but Sea Crest has a fitness center, beach volleyball, bike rentals, water sports, and a yoga/Pilates room (when I got there I learned that my sister teaches yoga there on Wednesdays...CRAZY!). There’s also plenty of golf to be had nearby. I'd love to go back with Jon with us so we could do some paddle boarding (I couldn't negotiate this alone with Laurel and Violet).
9. Activities for kids. In addition to a tween room and arcade, there’s regular programming through the day for kids (field day, parachute games, arts and crafts, etc.), including outdoor movies on a mega screen in the beautiful courtyard.
10. Service in general. Top to bottom, the service at Sea Crest was wonderful -- friendly and helpful, though not overbearing at all.
11. All inclusive-ness of the property. Though I always love exploring when we travel, given that we were only in Falmouth for about 36 hours and given that I was solo with the girls, I loved that the hotel had everything we needed. We were having so much fun that we never even left the property!
12. Off-property attractions. The flip side to #11 is that Sea Crest is close to lots of great local attractions. On a longer visit, I'd love to support the rest of the local economy! Last summer we spent an afternoon in Woods Hole and I'd love to get in some more time there.
In summary, the Sea Crest Beach Hotel is wonderful -- it's a fantastic destination for families, and they also have meeting and event spaces (I'm fantasizing about hosting a conference there and Laurel was so excited to spot a bride on Saturday!). I’m eager to return and am already thinking about booking a trip before the end of the summer or in the fall). I recommend you consider visiting soon!
Disclosure: my accommodations and some meals were provided per my media visit; all opinions on the awesomeness of the property are, of course, my own.
Image credits: Christine Koh