Family travel is a great way to connect with your kids and explore new and exciting places.  Seeing the world through your child's eyes is a priceless experience, and one I absolutely love sharing with my 4 1/2 year-old daughter Sadie and 5-month-old son Ben.  That being said, I'll freely admit that traveling with kids isn't always sunshine and lollipops.  From coordinating the logistics of how to bring all of our "stuff" with us to managing en-route diaper changes and temper tantrums, the end of a travel day rarely fails to leave me completely drained.  Fulfilled, of course, but drained.  Which is why I love finding hotels that truly cater to and understand the needs of traveling families, thereby leaving me with one less worry at the end of the day.  I'm pleased to report that I recently discovered just such a hotel in the Homewood Suites by Hilton location in Newtown, Pennsylvania.

We were fortunate enough to stay at Newtown's Homewood Suites during our recent trip to Sesame Place and the Please Touch Museum, and I would wholeheartedly recommend the property to any family planning a trip to the area.  Each Homewood Suites room is a studio, one-bedroom or two-bedroom suite complete with a fully stocked kitchen including a fridge, microwave and dishwasher.  The hotel even offers a complimentary grocery shopping service whereby you can order groceries in advance of your stay and have them waiting for you in your room when you arrive (you pay only the cost of the groceries).  But lest you think you'll need to prepare meals in your room, think again!  Homewood Suites offers a daily hot breakfast buffet and delicious evening meals every Monday through Thursday (including unlimited beer and wine!).  On our first night, Homewood served up a dinner of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob which my daughter Sadie proclaimed one of the best meals she'd ever eaten (admittedly, it was quite tasty, especially when topped with a heaping spoonful of gravy!).  The second night's dinner was not quite as elaborate, consisting of a sort of "make your own" chicken sandwich or salad, but it was just what we needed after a long day at Sesame Place, and it was great to be able to eat right at our hotel rather than have to wrangle a 4 1/2 year-old and an infant at a local restaurant.  Breakfasts were impressive as well, with waffles on offer the first morning and egg sandwiches the second (and of course, the hotel also served a variety of fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, bagels and pastries). 

We were lucky enough to score a one-bedroom suite, which allowed us to place the complimentary pack-n-play (the hotel does not offer cribs) in the bedroom, where Ben and Sadie went to sleep while my husband and I were able to watch TV, read and work (the hotel offers complimentary high speed internet access) in the living room with the lights on.  I'll confess that, even with the one-bedroom suite, our sleeping arrangements were a little bit cramped, as the bedroom contained a king-sized bed which we ended up having to share with Sadie (she could have slept on the sleeper couch in the living room, but then the entire family would have had to go to sleep at the same time), and there was very little room for the pack-n-play in the bedroom so we found ourselves tripping over it quite a bit.  We could have opted to have the kids sleep in the living room while we camped out in the bedroom with the lights on, but that didn't lend itself to getting work done as the desk/table was located in the living room.  Fortunately, however, we didn't spend much time in the room so we were able to overlook the tight sleeping arrangements.  Indeed, Sadie took full advantage of the hotel's lovely indoor pool, which was blissfully uncrowded each time we visited it, while Ben and I made several stroller laps around the hotel. 

When it comes to convenience to Sesame Place, Homewood Suites really hit the mark.  The hotel is located just 10 minutes from Sesame Place, so you can easily return to your room in the middle of the day for a nap and return to the park at night (after the evening buffet, of course!) to catch a few more rides and the evening parade.  And if you're looking for a sweet treat at the end of the night, be sure to check out Uncle Dave's Homemade Ice Cream, located right near Homewood Suites at Shady Brook Farm, one of the last working farms in historic Bucks County.  Seriously, this is a "can't miss" place!  Shady Brook Farm is a destination unto itself, with pick-your-own crops, special events, festivals, a farm market, a garden center and even a wine shop.  Indeed, I think Sadie would have been content to have spent our entire trip at Uncle Dave's and Shady Brook, devouring the delicious hand-dipped super premium ice cream and playing on the enormous, well-equipped playground located adjacent to the ice cream stand and farm market.

Our stay at Homewood Suites was great, and I'd definitely recommend checking out the hotel if you're planning a trip to the area.  For more information or to book your trip, visit the Homewood Suites website.  And if you're looking to continue your Homewood Suites experience once you check out, you'll be pleased to know that the chain has its own line of children's books featuring their duck mascot, Lewis.  The latest in the series, Lewis the Duck Lends a Helping Wing, centers on the theme of giving back to one's community.  Kids can interact with Lewis in his new online game at http://www.lewistheduckgame.com/.  Happy travels!

Disclosure:  Our family received discounted accommodations for purposes of facilitating this review.  The opinions expressed herein are, as always, entirely my own.