Day dreaming about the sun on my face and the sand under my feet as the temperature drops and the snow falls here in Michigan. This summer after our Disney vacation, we headed to Cocoa Beach. I'll share how my family had an awesome overnight trip to the beach for $100.
How We Saved on Hotel Accommodations:
We chose the Cocoa Beach because of it's proximity to Disney, only an hour away. After reading lots of great reviews about the Hilton Cocoa Beach, we booked a night using our Hilton Honors points, which allowed us to save a great deal of money and make this portion of our family vacation possible. Consider joining a hotel rewards program to save on hotel stays, it has really helped our family travel budget greatly.
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| Frontal view of the Hilton Cocoa Beach |
We picked up our rental car to begin the next leg of our 12-day trip. The day started
off sunny with bright blue skies as we drove to the beach, but
unfortunately a storm was on it's way, so we were excited to get there
and get some beach time in before the rain.
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| Beautiful ocean view |
Upon our arrival the weather was beautiful and we all threw on our swim
suits and headed to frolic in the ocean, but the rain quickly stopped
us in our tracks. We were all bummed, because this was the one and
only beach day scheduled for this trip. The kids were discouraged, we
put our clothes back on and glared out the window. It didn't take long
before someone yelled, "it stopped raining," and we were off.
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| They splashed, flipped, jumped and screamed a lot, it was so heart warming to see the joy on their faces! | | | | |
This was our first time visiting Cocoa Beach and I have to say it's a
clean beautiful shoreline. The rain must have kept most people inside,
so we essentially had the beach to ourselves...how cool! Our youngest daughter had never been to the beach before and my
middle child was too young to remember our previous beach excursions. So
this experience was everything! We spent hours
collecting sea shells and had sand in our hair for days, signs of a
great day at the beach!
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We had an
awesome time, handstands and cartwheels galore!
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Hotel Amenities:
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| We didn't get to take a splash, but the property had a large heated outdoor pool. |
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| The splash pad was a nice added bonus and the kids enjoyed it greatly. |
The hotel was beautifully decorated with modern decor throughout and offered a wide variety of amenities.
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| Lobby TV lounge |
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| 24 Hour business center |
Our ocean front room was a large, family friendly suite with plenty of room to spread out and not be on top of one another.
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| Sleeper sofa |
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| Two queen-size plush comfortable beds. |
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| The suite was furnished with a desk and two TV's, which allowed the kids to watch cartoons while the adults watched something else. |
How We Saved on Food:
We had hoped to eat outside at the Longboards Tiki Beach Grille, but the rain sent us running once again. The happy hour drink and appetizer specials offered a perfect budget friendly dinner, with options ranging from $3.50 - $5. We grabbed a variety of appetizers and had a fun food picnic in the room, which everyone enjoyed. I have to say, the food was very good, I particularity loved the coconut shrimp and hummus with vegetables. We spent around $30 for dinner and drinks.
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| Beach side restaurant |
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| Tiki Beach Grill |
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| Great lobby signage alerting us to the Happy Hour drink and appetizer specials. |
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| Hummus |
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| Coconut shrimp |
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| Cheese sticks |
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| Nachos |
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| Chicken wings |
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| Cheers! The mango and strawberry daiquiri was refreshing and delicious. |
We had hoped to enjoy some time at the beach the next morning, but got caught in the rain again, so we decided to splurge and have breakfast at the Salt Restaurant and Lounge inside the hotel. Even though the restaurant was minutes from closing, they graciously seated us anyway. The breakfast buffet was top-notch, offering a wide variety of delicious hot and cold options. We loved the fresh fruit and made to order omelet and waffle bars. The buffet was expensive, but kids under five eat free and they offered a price break for the older kids. We paid around $60 for breakfast with tip. That was quite pricey, but it was rainy and we wanted to enjoy a nice meal before getting on the road.
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| Hot buffet options, including bacon, sausage, potatoes and oatmeal |
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| A variety of breads including bagels, croissants and muffins |
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| Fresh fruit |
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| Cold cereals |
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| Made to order omelets and waffles |
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| Yogurt and parfait station with fresh berries and granola |
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| The lounge overlooked the beach |
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| The food was very good, including fresh fruit and made to order waffles |
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| There really was something for everyone |
Although it rained, we had a comfortable stay at the Hilton and enjoyed a wonderful day at Cocoa Beach and it only cost around $100 including our suite, dinner, drinks, parking and breakfast.
Check back soon, I'll take you with us as we travel to Atlanta and explore all the cool attractions the city has to offer with our Atlanta CityPASS, including the Georgia Aquarium, The World of Coca-Cola, CNN Studio Tour, College Football Hall Of Fame and Chick-Fil-A Fan Experience and Center for Civil and Human Rights.
This is not a sponsored post, just my thoughts and experiences!
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