When we started telling friends that we were planning a trip to Story Land this spring one suggestion for lodging came up over and over again. Many parents that I talked to recommended Attitash’s Grand Summit Hotel. They raved about the suites, and hospitality. I knew we had to check it out for ourselves. We arrived at the hotel around 5PM on Saturday evening. After passing the ski slopes the hotel is suddenly visible. It is almost majestic as it sits in front of the mountain. It is literally as the base of Bear Peak at Attitash, and during the winter months you can ski right back to the hotel – very cool!
We were greeted by a bride taking photos out front, and wedding guests milling about, but were able to maneuver around and avoid disturbing the wedding celebrations. We checked in to the hotel, and headed up to our first floor room. The hotel lobby is on the ground floor, and boasts a large fireplace, comfy seating and opens up to all three floors of the hotel. There is also a restaurant is also located just off the lobby. As we headed to our room we passed the “Corner Store” which offers basics such as toiletries and snacks, along with bathing suits, and other summer necessities - including swim diapers as I realized later I forgot ours! I can imagine that in the winter is stocked with all things related to outdoor winter activities being at the base of a ski mountain! Down the long hallway, and past the fitness center, and pool entrance, we made our way to our room. It was on the front of the hotel so it didn’t have a view of the mountain, as many of them do, but instead we had a porch over looking the playground which was perfect for our family. My three year old was very excited when she saw it and immediately dragged her God Mother out to play!
The room itself was a one bedroom suite. When you first entered there was a small kitchen, and dining table, to your right along with a door that led out to a porch. The porch would have been perfect for early morning coffee, or reading a good book in the afternoon, but with two little ones there is never time for either! Next time we will bring some camp chairs just in case we get the chance to sneak out there for a bit. It was also a good place to dry our swim suits, and beach towels. and not take up space in the bathroom. The front room of the suite was completed by a couch, and chair, along with a desk, and TV. The couch pulled out into a bed, and was comfortable enough for one of the adults with us to sleep soundly on it for the two night of our visit.
The room itself was a one bedroom suite. When you first entered there was a small kitchen, and dining table, to your right along with a door that led out to a porch. The porch would have been perfect for early morning coffee, or reading a good book in the afternoon, but with two little ones there is never time for either! Next time we will bring some camp chairs just in case we get the chance to sneak out there for a bit. It was also a good place to dry our swim suits, and beach towels. and not take up space in the bathroom. The front room of the suite was completed by a couch, and chair, along with a desk, and TV. The couch pulled out into a bed, and was comfortable enough for one of the adults with us to sleep soundly on it for the two night of our visit.
Leading from the front room to the bedrooms was a hallway complete with a decent sized closet, and a bathroom. We decided one of the upsides to staying at a hotel at the base of a ski mountain was the amble storage space and decided it must be because since skiers have so much gear. The bathroom was also a decent size, and had two sinks, and a lot of counter space. I was pleasantly surprised at how clean it was as well. Both the bathroom and the kitchen seemed very new, and spotless. Housekeeping even ran the dishwasher for us while we were out for the day which was a welcome surprise.
The bedroom contained a king sized bed, chair, and dresser with TV. We also noticed a DVD player in the bedroom which would have been perfect for a rainy afternoon with two little ones. The one thing missing from our room was the crib we requested, but it was quickly brought up to our room when we called the front desk. I was impressed that it was actually a portable mini crib and not a pack-and-play that many hotels use. My 12 month old is a light sleeper, and the crib creaked a little when she moved so the first night she woke herself up a few times. The second night she was used to it and slept soundly without waking once which she often doesn't even do at home! There is an minimal extra fee for a crib, but that is well worth not lugging our pack-and-play on vacation with us!
We used the kitchen for breakfast in the morning before heading out for the day, and were pleasantly surprised by how well furnished it was! Every time we wanted something kitchen related we opened a cabinet and found it! No need to bring anything but your food and you could easily make any meal for your family. We brought the ingredients for dinner for one of the nights of our stay but unfortunately a storm rolled through the area the night we planned on making it and the entire area, including the hotel, lost power and we had to go out - darn! The hotel staff was wonderfully calm and had a great sense of humor during the outage, and handled everything well including recommending a great restaurant in North Conway for dinner.
We also had the chance to visit the heated, outdoor pool twice during our visit. It was the perfect end to a busy day and a nice way to wind down for both the adults and children. You can enter the pool directly from the fitness center, or from a patio area outside the hotel. Swim diapers are required for children who are not potty trained, but they are available for sale at the hotel if you forget yours.
The resort also offers child care by reservation, and has children's programming during certain times of the year, if you need a night out. There are a wide variety of different room choices at the Grand Summit Hotel from standard hotel rooms to three bedroom suites and everything in between. They truly have something to fit every traveler! I would highly recommend the Grand Summit Hotel for family vacations in the White Mountains and we will be returning the next time we are in the area!
Attitash Grand Summit Hotel is located in Bartlett, NH. Visit http://www.attitash.com/attitash-grand-summit-hotel.html for more information.
Note: We received a discounted rate at the Grand Summit Hotel for the purpose of this article. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
