Mystic, Connecticut

My son and I visited Mystic Seaport in CT, and this hotel was one of the highlights of our trip. It's perfectly located halfway between Mystic Seaport and the Mystic Aquarium each of which is about a 5 minute drive. The hotel itself is modern and clean, with a spacious lobby that feels welcoming. We were greeted by friendly staff that accommodated our every need - these folks really do it all... the front desk staff did everything from checking us in, to delivering our room service, to warming up chocolate chip cookies for us! I especially appreciated how kind they were to my son, and how generous they were in giving him their attention - a nice touch! Our hotel room was very spacious, with upscale decor. The living room area has a corner sectional which made the space feel very homey and comfortable - so much so that we chose to stay in and order rooms service and a movie! The large bed was comfortable and well appointed with super-soft linen and fluffy comforter. My son stayed on the pull out sofa bed, and even that was comfy! The next morning we were greeted with a a delicious array of fresh breakfast fare, which was included in the rate - a real budget saver when you're traveling with a family. A variety of hot breakfast sandwiches, fresh fruit and yogurt, cereals, pastries, fresh juice, etc... it was a great way to start of our day. The best part of it all was the incredible rate! I highly recommend this hotel for family travel.

Really can't say enough good things about this aquarium. My husband and I have come to visit the Mystic Aquarium before having kids, loved it then and love it every time with come with the kids. It is the perfect size, easy to get to really from anywhere in New England (we come from Upstate NY) and it is just a nice, clean, fun, aquarium. Features we love, the whales . . . come on who doesn't love seeing a big beluga whale right when you walk into the aquarium? Being on the coast even in winter the temperature is fairly moderate and it is fun to be bundled up in the terraced viewing area to watch these amazing animals. The kids love that you can go down a level and look through the glass and see them underwater and then race up the stairs and lean over the rail to see them rise out of the water. We easily spend two hours entranced with the whales each visit. BEST place I've been to see penguins. Again they have a great natural outside enclosure and then you can watch their fun hyjinks from a underwater perspective. Great fun. Two HUGE and fun touch tanks are outside for the kids to touch Stingrays. Really an up and personal space and lots of workers available to help. The rotating exhibits have been a favorite of ours over the years. I have heard the current titanic exhibit is great. The inside main tanks are filled with wonder. It is well laid out and easy for kids to view. They make it exciting with lots of ways for kids to interact. Fun games and play centers for the kids as well. Huge tanks to view from a underwater point of view the seals and sealions. Then you have the super fun seal and sea lion show. Really sweet and intimate, maybe seating for 300, but we have always got a great seat. It is a wonderful show and the kids go crazy, not to long either! The cafe is not bad and not over the top expensive. Great place for a hot cocoa and chowder in the winter months.

Looking for an easy weekend getaway on Feb vacation for a couple days, Mystic was the place! It was a two plus hour easy drive for us and the aquarium makes it easy to split your visit over two days. Other attractions in the area like the famous Mystic Pizza and pool hotel add to the experience for kids. Our room at the Residence Inn was great, plenty of room for everyone, a small fireplace and great pool. We had a fabulous time.

We were very surprised when we arrived Mystic Seaport to find out this "museum" is much more than a museum that we expected. This place is a seaside dock/shipyard village. Once we were in the museum, we felt like we had travelled back in time. Horse carriages go around the ground. There are big and small boats that dock along the river shore that we can go onboard to learn the life of fishermen a century or decades ago. Different kinds of century-old-shops and buildings line along the dock side. To name a few, there are print shop, where you can take a metal print home, wood shop, blacksmith, apothecary, bank, a watch shop, a colonial home, etc. All staff dress in colonial outfit and are very friendly to explain how everything works at old times. This is a great place to visit. Kids learn history in a fun way!!