Five Reasons We Chose to #GoSeizeTheSummer

If you’ve been following along over the past few months, you’ll know that I accepted Travelocity.ca’s invitation to #GoSeizeTheSummer. In essence, I spent quality time with my family via mini-vacations at resorts across Ontario.

However, when I first chatted with my husband about joining the program, he brought up a very valid point: “We’re already both so busy. Do you really want to take on more work – especially a campaign that necessitates travelling with our family to resorts we’ve always wanted to visit? It’ll be tough,” he cautioned.

Of course, he was only joking. Because if there’s one thing I’ve got tattooed on my brain, it’s the infamous quote that Amy Foster of Disney Parks Consumer Insights shared at the 2012 Disney Social Media Moms Conference: “You only have 18 summers with your children.” The quote has been shared over and over again by almost every family blogger, and I rarely tire of seeing it. It’s an affirmation that life is too short; kids grow up too quickly, and soon my little boys will be (not-so-little) men.

Hence, any chance I get to spend time with them, especially in new and fun surroundings, is a chance worth taking. So yeah, we were on board :)

And without further ado, I present to you… Five Reasons We Chose to #GoSeizeTheSummer.

1. You only have 18 summers with your children. Right? This year was Ryder’s first official summer break. Soon, he’ll come to realize the significance of no school; the break for vacation that every student craves from the moment their classes become more about work and less about finger painting. And just as quickly, he may not think it’s “cool” to hang out with the parental unit, opting for weekends at the beach with his friends or worse, an afternoon spent hanging out at the mall, cruising for chicks. And I’m sure Reid will be right behind him.

So, an opportunity to seize the summer family-style was so welcome. And when I could do it at an amazing price thanks to Travelocity.ca’s summer travel promotions – which are available on a huge selection of resorts and hotels – did I really need another reason? (Er, technically, I have four more. Read on…)

2. Okay, speaking of Travelocity.ca – it’s simply one of my favourite ways to book family travel. In addition to the wide variety of properties to choose from and great prices, I love that they have a Free & Flexible Cancellation Policy. Sometimes – especially when you have kids – plans change! Travelocity.ca charges no hotel cancellation fee if you need to alter or cancel your stay. (However, hotel cancellation fees may be charged by hotel properties if you cancel outside their stated cancellation window.)

3. One more plug for Travelocity.ca. (Sorry, but you really need to hear this to appreciate why I love travelling with them so much.)

Travelocity.ca Guarantees the Best Price – If you find a lower price online, they will match it. If you find a qualifying lower rate than the one you booked on Travelocity and complete the guarantee form in a timely manner, they’ll refund you the difference between what you paid and this lower price.

Travelocity.ca Guarantees the Room – They’ll let you know before you go if they learn of something that might impact your stay. If you haven’t left yet, they’ll contact you if they learn of a change to a feature or amenity promised by your hotel. And, if you arrive at your hotel to find that an amenity is not as described on the website – for example the pool is closed – contact them immediately and they’ll find a comparable hotel for you at no additional cost (unless you decide to upgrade, which will be at your own expense).

Travelocity.ca Guarantees the Trip – Their 24/7 customer support team is there to ensure that your booking is right, or they’ll work with their partners to make it right, right away.
Read the full guarantee here. Prior to working with Travelocity.ca, I had no idea that they went to such lengths to ensure a high quality customer experience. Now that I know – and I’ve experienced it myself – I’ll be sure to book with them again in the future.

4. The Marriott Gateway on the Falls. This was the second hotel we booked to #GoSeizeTheSummer. If you’ve been following my tweets, you’ll know that we checked into the Jr. Presidential Suite. Think I received a swanky room upgrade? Or that Travelocity.ca threw me an extra special bonus? NOPE! We simply found an amazing weekday rate on the site and booked it in a heartbeat. Find your own fabulous deal and you can stay in this room:




With this view:

5. The family that travels together stays together. I’ll say it again – while my boys are jerks less-than-angels at home, they always rise to the occasion and morph into wonderful travellers. In fact, they’re usually up for a good press trip, staycation or all-day excursion – and, I’m so pleased to be able to offer them opportunities to discover the world beyond their own backyard. With equal parts wonder and excitement, they help me pack for our vacation, make a list of cars they’d like to bring along, and always, always remind me to pack their swim trunks. Let’s just say that our family bonding begins even before we walk out the front door!

A special thank you to Travelocity.ca for engaging us to Go Seize the Summer! It was truly a wonderful experience and I’m so happy to have made memories with my family that will last a lifetime. And now, to start planning how to Go Seize the Fall… ha ha ha!