My Kids Eat Free

During a recent weekend trip to Myrtle Beach SC., my family and I stayed at the Patricia Grand's hotel on the beach.  As I completed my last load from the van and was returning to the room, I noticed on the wall of the elevator a listing of the daily specials in the hotel restaurant. “Kids Eat Free Night!” was the first thing to catch my eye. We have our regular spots where we go eat while at the beach and many meals we cook in the room to save money.  I had never even thought about checking out the restaurants in the hotels where we are staying. So I told my wife we needed to check it out, and we were pleasantly surprised.

As we entered the Grand Central Station restaurant, my 7 year old son immediately noticed all the trains. He fell in love with this place from the start. As for the rest of us, we were very happy to see that all the tables had great views of the beach and ocean. The kids got their own menus with drawing pads to occupy their time. Well, the food was great and the kids’ meals were free.  For now on, we plan to check out the hotel restaurants where we stay.  You never know when you may find a diamond in the rough.

Most hotels, like restaurants have seen a decrease in travelers during the past year. “Families with kids” make up a third of these restaurant visitors and is also the group hardest hit by the economy. As the economy starts to recover, many parents are starting to venture out more but they continue to look for deals. Many hotel chains are now offering “Kids Eat Free” specials for their guests as ways to bring the travelers back.  Holiday Inn has offered a Kids Eat Free special for their guests for some time now.  Many others are now joining in during the downswing in the economy. Universal Orlando Resort and Anaheim Marriott are just a few now offering Kids Eat Free specials. If your family’s Holiday plans include travel and/or a hotel stay, be sure to check ahead and see if your hotel has a Kids Eat Free special.  Also make sure you visit MyKidsEatFree.com to find other Kids eat free specials in your travel areas.