Summer has officially kicked off in this house and we wanted to take a weekend out of  our busy schedules and go on a mini vacation.  We found exactly what we were looking for outside of Mystic, Connecticut when we were invited* to stay at a little hotel called Foxwoods Resort Casino.  Ok, it’s not really little at all. Like at all. It’s practically it’s own city within the walls of a resort.  Foxwoods Resort Casino boasts four huge hotels, tons of restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and more within it’s facilities.  We had the pleasure of staying at Great Cedar Hotel, which was perfect for this family of six.

We had two adjoining rooms, one with a king bed, the other with two queen beds, allowing us the luxury of space and comfort while in our hotel room.  The beds were extremely comfortable, the rooms were clean and spacious.  They had TVs, safes, and refrigerators in each room.  I liked that there were also dressing areas in addition to the bathroom, making it easy for me to get ready in the morning, while others were showering.  The views from our rooms overlooked a big portion of Foxwoods and it was lovely to see the clear blue skies so clearly from our rooms each day.

We had everything we needed in our rooms to make our stay relaxing and comfortable, but it was fantastic to know that once we parked our car (complimentary valet service) at the hotel, we were free to stay onsite, without the hassle of getting the car and leaving the property.  All we had to do was leave our room and there was an entire world out there for us to play and explore in.

Taking the elevator down to the casino level led us to all the restaurants, shopping and entertainment. While I am sure you would predominately think of a casino being an adult destination, you would be surprised to find out that Foxwoods offers tons of family friendly options, which we were able to test out for ourselves during our visit.

While there are many upscale restaurants on property, there is a plethora of restaurants to  suit the needs of families visiting the resort. Choose from many establishments, from  Fuddruckers to Junior’s, with quick serve places to snack like Auntie Anne’s and Einstein Bros. Bagels.  All of which will offer great options for kids and adults alike.  So many options, in fact, we would definitely need to come back several times to try them all.

Foxwoods offers a schedule of live entertainment, too.  While there are plenty of shows that would appeal to adults, there are many that appeal to every member of the family.  For example, Michael Carbanaro (The Carbanaro Effect) was there the day we left, Zirkus is there June 29th through July 4th,  Cirque Eloize’s Saloon plays August 12 through the 21st, and SUPERNATURALISTS starring Criss Angel runs August 24th through the 28th.  All are great shows for you to take your family to.

While there are lots of games to draw in the 21 and over crowd, there is one particular hot-spot for the  under 18 crew, the TreeHouse. Yes, Foxwoods has a gaming center just for families that will have kids entertained forever.  There is also a large bowling alley  onsite to hang out at.

If gaming and eating aren’t enough for you, then you will love the shopping. I may or may not have enjoyed the great deals to be had at the Tanger Outlets onsite at the resort just a little too much.  What can I say?  It was Father’s Day weekend and they did have a Kate Spade outlet with over 60% off, plus an additional 20%!  You can’t pass that up, ever! They had over 80 stores here and each of us walked away with items from favorite retailers during our stay.

Of course, no matter what you choose to do during your stay, there is nothing better than going to the hotel pool after a fun day to relax and unwind. The Grand Cedar Hotel had a great indoor pool for us to enjoy, nice and warm, not crowded, with the option of a very nice hot tub for the parents.  Your feet will thank you for choosing to end the day this way, I promise!

We had an absolutely fantastic time at Foxwoods Resort Casino as a family and I highly recommend booking a weekend stay of your own. Every staff member we came in contact with was extremely courteous and friendly, helping to make our stay a memorable one.  You can learn more about the facilities, hotels, and upcoming shows by visiting Foxwoods.com.

 

*we were invited to stay at Foxwoods Resort Casino to facilitate a review, all opinions are my own.