This post is sponsored by IHG® Army Hotels, all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Military life is full of changes, surprises, and unknowns. It can also be full of adventure, excitement, and is the stuff that lifelong memories are made of. Although moving every three years can be trying and exhausting, the associated possibilities such as living in a foreign country, touring parts of the world you never thought you’d see, and making some of the best friends of your life, come with the territory.
What happens when you’re between moves, during your PCS, and you have to hurry up and wait? What if your family is in a hotel for an extended period of time? What if moving during Covid makes you feel extra stir-crazy? How do you keep things fresh, positive, and optimistic?
Moving is never easy, and moving during a pandemic adds an extra challenge. We have a few ideas to make your next hotel experience feel like a staycation – even if you’re in the middle of relocating with the military!
Ways to Make Your PCS Hotel Feel Like a Staycation
IHG® Army Hotels understands military travel due to the fact that a large number of employees are veterans or military members themselves. Whether your military family is looking forward to future travel after Covid, or you have to PCS during Covid, know that IHG® Army Hotels is here to help.
- Family Movie Night – A great travel tip is to always pack an HDMI cord, so that you can hook up your laptop directly to the TV. You can access your movie subscription site for your favorite selection of on-demand movies, TV or rentals. Make use of your in-room kitchen with some popcorn and access your hotel’s 24-hour pantry for candy and sodas. Curl up together, dim the lights, and voila – movie night!
- Spa Day – Use your favorite music app or access online spa music and play it from your phone or laptop. You can enjoy the soothing sounds through your favorite headphones or earbuds. Use your body wash, or the hotel’s body wash as a bubble bath, or hit a local dollar store for goodies such as a bath bomb and sheet mask. Chill a hotel washcloth with the ice bucket and place it over your eyes. Soak in the warm tub, and don’t forget to breathe deeply and relax.
- Fun and Fitness – Staying cooped up inside can be stressful. Explore the property by taking a walk together, playing outside games with your kids such as tag, freeze tag, red light green light, and hide and seek. Use the stopwatch feature on your phone to time how fast family members can run a certain distance.
- Game Night – Just because the movers have packed your board game collection, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a game night. Most stores sell a simple deck of cards, which can be used for classics like Poker, Go Fish, Solitaire, War, and for card tricks. Raid your in-room kitchen drawer to play Spoons. Another great option is to buy a puzzle or go with classics that require no supplies like 21 Questions, Would You Rather, Eye Spy, and Charades. (Brush up on rules online if you’re a bit rusty.) Of course there is always the option to play games on your phone, or group phone games like Uno. Online escape rooms are fun too—if everyone has an electronic device to participate.
- Make It About Food – Use the property’s grills for a cookout of anything from steaks, kabobs, baked potatoes, ribs, or classics like hot dogs and hamburgers. Take turns ordering delivered or takeout food, and let each family member choose their cuisine for one night! Based on your carrier, contactless delivery dropoff may be an option — check with the restaurant or your app for more details.
- Pillow Fort Campout – Grab the extra blankets and pillows from your room’s closet, pile them up together between the beds and use the furniture in your room, to make a pillow fort. Go to your in-room kitchen to prepare oven s’mores with graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows. Turn off the lights and use the flashlight on your phone while you tell ghost stories.
IHG Army Hotels and the Military
IHG® has properties all across the globe, with IHG® Army Hotels located on over 40 military installations across the United States. They proudly welcome active-duty service members and their families, military retirees, military contractors, DOD employees, and pets!
They help make life easier for military families during a PCS with a variety of perks. Please be sure to follow each property’s safety guidelines, and if you’re gearing up for post-pandemic travel, check out their full list of perks:
- Pools
- Fitness centers
- 24-hour pantries
- Fully equipped kitchens
- Working and living spaces
- Express Start hot breakfasts
- Courtesy shuttles
- Complimentary socials
Be sure to check with the hotel you are staying at to see what amenities are open for you & your family to enjoy as availability varies by location.
Even better? Guests can join their loyalty program, IHG® Rewards, to earn points with each stay! Members enjoy special benefits at hotels all around the world. Perks include extensive reward choices and FREE reward nights at thousands of destinations. Best of all, there’s no cost to join, so why not start accruing for your next actual vacation?
During your next PCS move, or your future travel, remember these tips to spice things up. They can make “hurry up and wait” a little more fun. For more, please visit: http://www.ihg.com/ArmyHotels.
IHGÆ Army Hotels x ArmyWife101
This post was written in partnership with ArmyWife101.com – a lifestyle blog for military spouses. Articles shared there are centered around military living, military discounts, travel, parenting, and much more.
Author: Jackie Tops: A self-described “Jackie of All Trades,” Jackie Toops is a contributor at ArmyWife101.com, and enjoys exploring the various facets of her personality by chronicling military life, world travels, family, her love of the arts and more. A mother of two, Jackie enjoys coffee, freelance writing, languages and discovering new ways to express herself.
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Army Wife 101
Krystel is the mom of two and an Army Wife. In addition to Army Wife 101 she is the Co-Founder of SoFluential.com a digital media agency that connects brands with the military market. She has appeared on MSNBC ,FOX LA and formerly was a weekly contributor to HLN's "Raising America". She has written for various outlets including Sheknows and Lifetime and is a big fan of cupcakes and french fries.
Krystel is the mom of two and an Army Wife. In addition to Army Wife 101 she is the Co-Founder of SoFluential.com a digital media agency that connects brands with the military market.
She has appeared on MSNBC ,FOX LA and formerly was a weekly contributor to HLN's "Raising America". She has written for various outlets including Sheknows and Lifetime and is a big fan of cupcakes and french fries.