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Grandpa and Grandma’s Excellent AdventureResorts Respond to Multigenerational Travel TrendBy Eliza Cross Castaneda
In this family, when Grandpa and Grandma call…everyone listens. Don and Georgia Schrello of Long Beach, California have an exciting way of bringing the family together. They’ve discovered the joys of traveling en masse, with their extended family of five grown children and eight grandchildren accompanying them on family travel adventures. The family regularly takes a ski vacation in Vail and has also visited the beaches of Mexico – sometimes with as many as 22 people traveling together. Grandparents now account for a third of all leisure travelers, according to recent research by industry experts Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell, and about one-third of all those grandparents traveled with their grandchildren in the last year. As more baby boomers edge towards retirement, travel experts agree that this trend is likely to steadily increase. From extended family reunions to grandparent/ grandchildren escapes, bringing the family together for new adventures has become an increasingly popular vacation option. The Schrellos are guests each winter at the Antlers at Vail, a comfortable, family-friendly condominium hotel in Colorado well suited to this trend: even the family dog is welcome here! The resort property offers 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom condominiums with full kitchens, fireplaces and room to spread out. The hotel offers affordable rates, a boon for large groups, and guests appreciate being able to keep groceries on hand to prepare meals at their convenience. “Our grandkids range in age from three years old to 20,” Schrello says, “but they all enjoy coming here, where there’s always plenty of space for snow play.” The Antlers’ General Manager Rob LeVine adds, “We love hosting family reunions and multigenerational groups, and we’re finding that this is a trend that we’re seeing more of in recent years.” The hotel’s friendly staff enjoys helping guests plan individual and group activities, from skiing, snowboarding and sleigh rides in the winter to float trips, picnics and hikes in the summer. Although the area is best known for its abundance of winter sports and activities, the Vail Valley offers a variety of summer activities to appeal to all ages. The scenic Vail Gondola near the hotel offers breath-taking rides up the ski mountain during the summer months. The outdoor Gerald Ford Amphitheater in Vail and the Vilar Center for the Arts in nearby Beaver Creek offer dozens of programs featuring music, dance, and theatre. Nature lovers enjoy visiting the Vail Nature Center and the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, and fishing for trout in nearby Gore Creek. Local outfitters offer adventurers hot air ballooning, raft trips, jeep tours, horseback riding, mountain biking and sightseeing tours. Tennis, golf, spas and health clubs are nearby for active travelers, while the town of Vail offers fabulous shopping, galleries and restaurants. Cruise ships are also discovering the trend, offering numerous programs that appeal to diverse ages. More than half of Disney Cruise Line's passengers book more than one room at a time and the ships easily accommodate multi-family groups, multigenerational groups and family reunions, according to spokesperson Angela Bliss. “We’re seeing parents and kids traveling with grandparents, and sometimes even neighboring families,” she says. “Our ships are created to accommodate guests of all ages. We’re seeing many more grandparents who want to ‘test the water,’ so to speak, having an adventure with their grandkids. There are numerous programs for the children to enjoy during the day, from children as young as 3 months up to 17 years old. Likewise, we offer adult programs with programs like wine tastings, cooking classes and sports.” Once on board, families can dine and do some activities together, then separate to pursue individual interests. The old cruise stereotype of crowds being herded day and night through overcrowded buffet lines has been replaced by play spaces for toddlers, games for kids, parties for teenagers, and spas, gyms and seminars for adults. The ships even provide pagers to help families stay connected. In the evening, the ship’s unique rotation dining program allows families to try multiple restaurants on the ship, always with the same group of diners and the same wait staff. There are even special family nightclubs with karaoke and live stage shows to bring families together for quality time in the evening. Or course, a prime attraction to cruising is the opportunity to visit ports and see new places. Members of Georgia Schrello’s extended family have visited Alaska and Scandinavia together, exposing the group to new cultures and creating unforgettable memories. “I think families are more interested in multigenerational travel because our generation may have more disposable income and we’re generally in better health,” Don Schrello says. Whatever the reason, the couple’s children and grandchildren are the grateful beneficiaries of a travel trend that -- just like the Schrellos -- doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Antlers at Vail DisneyCruiseVacations Eliza is a freelance writer, the author of “Food Lovers’ Guide to Colorado,” (The Globe Pequot Press, 2003) |
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