Laughing Lindsay

Travel Reviews, Giveaways, & More!

Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg Review

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My mom and I take a trip every year around this time to remember my dad and to experience the holidays somewhere new. Last year, we stayed at the Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg in Tennessee! Here’s a look at our room and what we thought about it.

Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg

Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg

As I said in my Margaritaville Island Inn Pigeon Forge Review, my mom grew up going to the beach. These beach themed resorts are perfect for her! That’s why I’ve made an effort to have us stay at all but one of these places in the Great Smoky Mountains. Plus, having stayed at several now, I know that I can trust these hotels for a great room and restful night’s sleep.

The Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg is even more unique because of its location. I loved being able to just walk down the street to enjoy everything the town has to offer! The hotel being on the main drag of Gatlinburg is definitely a huge perk of staying here! Plus, it’s towards the beginning of the street, so you don’t have to fight much traffic to arrive here. I will admit that the parking was somewhat limited. However, we were able to find a spot every time we needed one.

The Room

The rooms at the Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg are really nice! I love the color scheme as it’s really relaxing! In fact, the blue/turquoise reminded me a little bit of my blog’s color. I also enjoyed having a balcony that looked out on main street and Anakeesta! The beds were very comfortable too. One particular aspect of the room that stood out to me was the bathroom. It was the biggest bathroom I’ve ever had in a hotel! I couldn’t believe it had a separate tub and walk-in shower! You can see them in my Instagram post above.

In conclusion, I can easily recommend a stay at Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg if you are planning to visit the area. Its walking distance to many popular attractions as well as relaxing vibes make it easy choice. Have you ever stayed here or at another Margaritaville Resort?

Universal’s Aventura Hotel Review

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During my September 2022 trip to Universal Orlando for Halloween Horror Nights, my mom and I stayed at Universal’s Aventura Hotel. We enjoyed the hotel’s perks, sleek design, and modern touches.

Universal's Aventura Hotel

Universal’s Aventura Hotel

Aventura Hotel is a tower hotel with modern rooms and reasonable prices. The hotel is shaped like a fidget spinner. It also has floor to ceiling windows that makes for a sleek appearance and great views. Aventura is considered a Prime Value Hotel. This means it has affordable rates while still giving you the benefits of staying on property with Universal Orlando Resort. It also leans heavily into technology with a tablet in the room to control everything from the lights to the tv.

The Room

The rooms have a contemporary, sleek vibe to them. It’s definitely geared towards tech savvy folks who appreciate simple theming. The beds were comfortable and the sleek design made for a relaxing experience. I liked our shower and felt the bathroom had plenty of room, which is highly unusual for “value” rooms in my experience.

Tip: If you want a quieter room, don’t pay for the Skyline View upgrade. There’s a rooftop bar at the top of the hotel and there’s a DJ playing music until around midnight, at least on the weekend. I could hear the faint sounds of music in our room when the music was playing and we were in a standard room. Request a lower floor to be further away from the music.

The Technology

As I stated above, Aventura Hotel leans heavily into modern technology. In fact, there’s not a tv remote in the rooms or available at the front desk. You have to control the lights and tv via the tablet by the bed! You can also request room service on the tablet. A robot named Relay can even bring you some towels or toiletries. You just have to specifically ask for the robot when requesting it!

The Food

Typically, when you stay at a value resort hotel, you can expect to eat chicken nuggets and pizza for dinner at the resort restaurant. However, Aventura Hotel takes it up a notch. Here, you can build your own protein bowls! I really enjoyed my chicken and noodles bowl! I also had a fun Japanese soda with a glass marble in it! As for breakfast, I was equally surprised to find biscuits and gravy on the menu! It hit the spot before we dashed out of town to escape the hurricane.

As I mentioned above, there is a rooftop bar. We attempted to eat there on our trip, but it was raining and the bar was closed. It appears that the bar is not covered and allows rain to come in. So, check out the weather forecast before you decide to eat there. It does have great views though.

For dinner another night, we walked over to the neighboring Sapphire Falls resort (considered a Signature Collection Resort) and enjoyed a meal at Amatista’s Cookhouse! Aventura Hotel’s close distance to Sapphire Falls increases the availability of nearby food choices.

The Perks

The perks of staying on-site at Universal Orlando Resort are fabulous if you are planning on visiting the parks. Similar to when we stayed at Endless Summer – Dockside Inn and Suites, we received complimentary bus transportation to the parks! We never had to wait long for a bus, which is more than I can say for some other parks. Ha! We could have also gotten into the parks earlier for staying on-site as well as had merchandise purchases sent to the hotel for free! We also could have charged things to the room with our room card.

Overall

I have to say that we were impressed with Aventura Hotel. The price we paid was definitely worth the experience we received. We were able to relax with the simple theming and enjoyed saving money to put towards other experiences. I also enjoyed using the tablet to control the room and loved Relay! I can recommend this hotel without hesitation, if you are on a budget and/or like technology.

Where to Stay in Hershey, PA

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If you are planning a trip to visit Hersheypark and are wondering where to stay in Hershey, PA, allow me to recommend the two official Hershey resorts: The Hotel Hershey and Hershey Lodge!

Where to Stay in Hershey, PA

I previously posted a review of Hershey Lodge and I reviewed The Hotel Hershey. So, you should be familiar with those resorts. However, today I’m going to break down why I recommend staying at one of these resorts if you visit Hersheypark and when I prefer one over the other.

Stay at an Official Resort

A stay at an official Hershey resort entitles you to some pretty awesome perks! For starters, there’s a shuttle that will take you to the park and Hershey’s Chocolate World! Additionally, both places host chocolate bingo where you can win some tasty chocolate! I also love that you can meet your favorite candy characters in the lobby of these resorts from time to time! I don’t know of any other resorts that can provide that type of entertainment! Plus, your stay at an official Hershey resort includes tickets to the Hershey Gardens and Hershey Story museum!

Another thing I want to point out that isn’t necessarily a perk, but something to keep in mind. One morning of our trip that wasn’t a park day, we thought we would drive around town to find somewhere to eat breakfast. However, we didn’t find much. We ended up eating at The Circular at The Hotel Hershey and really enjoyed the meal. So, staying at an official resort guarantees that you will have easy access to tasty food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! If you stay elsewhere, you might have to hunt for your next meal, particularly breakfast.

How to Choose

If I’ve managed to convince you that you should stay at an official Hershey resort, then you may be wondering which place to try. I would suggest staying at the place that best fits your needs. For instance, Hershey Lodge tends to be a bit cheaper and more family-friendly. The Hotel Hershey is a fine place for adults only stays or someone wanting a nicer hotel experience. However, I don’t think you can go wrong with a stay at either resort!

So, how do you decide where to stay in Hershey, PA?

Hershey Lodge Review

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I previously wrote a review of The Hotel Hershey. Today, I’m going to review the other official Hershey resort: Hershey Lodge.

Hershey Lodge

Hershey Lodge

Hershey Lodge was the second official Hershey resort to be built. It has a more family friendly vibe to it than The Hotel Hershey, in my opinion. It has a more chill tone than the more refined The Hotel Hershey. The décor of the Hershey Lodge tends to embrace its chocolate/candy legacy with lots of little reminders around each corner. Its color scheme tends to include dark brown, like chocolate. I liked that the buildings were even named after Hershey candies. We stayed in the Reese’s section.

The Rooms

Since the Lodge is newer, the rooms are a bit bigger than over at The Hotel Hershey. It also really embraces the Hershey legacy with Hershey touches around every corner of the room. Literally. It features Hershey Kisses wallpaper in the bathroom and Kisses bedspreads! I also found the signature collection of chocolate scented toiletries to be delightful and a fun touch! It really added to the whole staying where chocolate comes from mood.

The Amenities

One of the reasons that I feel like Hershey Lodge is more family-friendly is the indoor pool complex. I didn’t visit it during my stay, but it looks fun. In fact, our room was actually on a hallway near this attraction and we could hear lots of families taking advantage of it during our stay. So, maybe request a room away from it if you want a quieter stay.

One of my favorite things about staying here is the food. My mom and I really enjoyed Happy Hour at Fire & Grain, the main restaurant in the resort. We ate dinner there a few times during our trip. I also loved grabbing a bite to go from the Cocoa Beanery and eating in front of the lobby’s fireplace. That was a terrific way to start a day! So relaxing and peaceful before everyone got up!

A stay the Hershey Lodge includes most of the same perks as a stay at The Hotel Hershey. This includes a free shuttle to Hersheypark/Chocolate World as well as free tickets to Hershey Gardens and Hershey Story Museum. You are also given a free chocolate bar upon check in!

Have you ever stayed at the Hershey Lodge? If so, what was your experience like?

The Hotel Hershey Review

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One of the places I realized that I wanted to visit during lockdown was Hersheypark. So, within weeks of being vaccinated last year, my mom and I drove up to visit for the first time. One of the two places we stayed at was The Hotel Hershey. I was excited to learn its historical significance and even more excited to stay there once I saw its magnificence in person.

The Hotel Hershey

The History

I did some reading on the history of Hershey, Pennsylvania prior to my trip to fully appreciate the town. I was happy to learn that Milton Hershey had The Hotel Hershey built in 1933, during the Great Depression in order to create more jobs and business in the town he built. So, The Hotel Hershey is a historical hotel. However, that doesn’t mean it looks old or dirty. In fact, it’s a gorgeous hotel with lots of beautiful touches around the resort.

The Hotel Hershey

Staying at The Hotel Hershey places you near lots of interesting places to visit. It’s located near Hersheypark/Chocolate World as well as Hershey Gardens and the Hershey Story Museum. Plus, there’s a free shuttle to take you from the resort to the park! Unfortunately, the shuttle wasn’t running when we went but it sounds really convenient. Additionally, when you stay at a Hershey resort, you are given free admission tickets to the gardens and museum!

The Hotel Hershey is one of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed. The entire resort is wonderfully appointed with elegant touches throughout. It doesn’t hurt that it overlooks the gorgeous gardens, so it’s peaceful inside and out. You can’t help but feel relaxed and luxurious during a stay here. You can see for yourself in my Instagram post below.

The Rooms

My stay at The Hotel Hershey was in a two queen guest room. I was pleased with the size of the room, given the age of the resort. It wasn’t the biggest room or bathroom, but it was certainly sufficient for our stay. If there’s one thing we didn’t like about staying here, it’s the lack of electrical plug ins. My mom has a CPAP machine she uses for sleep apnea and that automatically takes one plug. Then, we have our cell phones. Due to the age of the resort, there weren’t many plug ins around the room. However, we made due and it wouldn’t deter me from staying here again.

If you stay at The Hotel Hershey or are simply looking for a tasty breakfast while visiting Hershey, I can highly recommend going to The Circular restaurant. They have an amazing breakfast buffet where you can even get Hershey Kiss waffles! Plus, you might even get a great view of the Hershey Gardens during breakfast!

If you are looking for a well-appointed and relaxing place to stay in Hershey, Pennsylvania, then I highly recommend booking a stay at The Hotel Hershey!