How was your Pessach hotel experience?

amother

Tue, Feb 07 2012, 12:10 pm

Hello Ladies,
I need information on Pessach hotels.
My husband and I both have never been to a Pessach hotel before,
but we're thinking of trying it out this year.
I really want to know information about which hotels people have liked.
Was the food good?
Was there a Mikva near by?
Was it child friendly?
Was their babysitting? speakers?
Did your kids have to stay up for the seders?
Did they serve snacks during the day for kids, or did you bring your own?

TIA

JollyMommy

Tue, Feb 07 2012, 6:31 pm

We did KMR in Palm Springs last year. It was AMAZING.

We're IYH going to KMR again this year, it's in San Diego.

You do not need to bring any food! They have a 24 hour tea room that is loaded with all kinds of great stuff, which they change up through out the day. Even frozen yogurt, slurpees, fancy chocolates... they also had a market (that you don't pay extra for) to make food bags for during Chol HaMoed if you are going out for the day.

They also have an earlier children's dinner every day, which we used because our kids are used to eating early.

They had a spectacular camp for ages 1-teens.

They have fantastic speakers- Esther Jungreis, Rabbi Jacobson etc..

My kids are little and stayed for part of the Seder and fell asleep in strollers in the middle, which was fine.

Every frum hotel program makes sure to be near a mikvah as far as I know..

If you can do it you should, we love it and are so thankful we can do this.

amother

Tue, Feb 07 2012, 7:03 pm

OP here,
Wow, that sounds amazing! It sounds like I would love living there all year round!
I have never heard of KMR? Each year it's at a different location?
What type of people go? All Yeshivish? any modern Orthodox?
The 24 hour tea room sounds awesome!!

I am sure there would be a mikva in driving distance,
I am just wondering what happens if my mikva night would be a Friday night or yom tov,
if there would be a walking distance one.

Also, do you go as a guest? Or does your husband work there as a speaker or mashgiach or something?

amother

Tue, Feb 07 2012, 7:37 pm

amother wrote:

We went to Lancaster with Kesher tours (no longer around) and upstate to the Chalet.
Food was great.
There is definately a mikvah upstate. Not sure about lancaster.
Very child friendly. There was a professional day camp for a few hours each day.
I think you have to pay extra for babysitting if the child is too young for day camp.
I think there were speakers.
We had kids stay up for Seders. There was no one to watch them upstairs.
There is usually a tea room open all day. Some places only have simple cake tea and coffee. Some places are extravagent.
Enjoy! I hope to go again one day beh when we have the money for it.

TranquilityAndPeace

Tue, Feb 07 2012, 7:40 pm

I've been to lots of pesach hotels, on and off, for the past 20 years, as my father gives the hechsher and takes us along:)

I was at the PGA in Florida a couple of years ago; 2 caterers did that Pesach together, but have since split up. That was over the top fancy. (And lots of fun. One woman changed her outfit every 90 minutes - including her shoes, jewelry, sunglasses!)

Last year I went to the Pocono Manor, and it was wonderful. It's one of the more right-wing hotels, but you can find all types there. You'll always find a few people where the woman recently broke her ankle, or there was just a fire in a house, ch'v, and these are not 'hotel type' people, but they had to go away.

There was no mikvah for Shabbos/YT for women, as far as I recall they had to wait for chol hamoed. When I was in Lancaster a few years ago, I walked a woman to the mikvah - 7 miles. And on the way home we got lost and found ourselves, on Pesach, in the parking lot of Anderson Pretzel Factory! The caterer will give you a booklet with all kinds of info, including mikvah options. Of course, call ahead if you think you may need it.

Mike and Allisa Mandel of the Pocono Manor are real tzadikim; they do so much to accomodate everyone.

The tea room is open and stocked with snacks (not meat and potatoes) like cakes, cookies, chocolates, fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. most of the day. There's always a children's dinner around 6pm on Shabbos/YT evenings.

How old are your kids? When I was nursing a baby, I sometimes missed half a meal or more, which was annoying. Sometimes I walked around the hotel grounds for 90 minutes searching for one of my kids to bring him to the meal, and by then the meal is over! You have to consider how old your kids are, their temperment, and if you'll have anyone to help you out. The other factor will be how many rooms you'll have. I know a couple who went to a hotel with 4 kids all in one room, and she was thrilled, but that would not work well for me personally.

mamaleh

Tue, Feb 07 2012, 7:43 pm

We went one year with Pesach Time tours (Mike Mandel)
It was their first year & it was amazing!!! People tell me it is still great. It was in a different location then so I can't tell you about the hotel, but the people are amazing!! Food is superb (with 4 or 5 choices at each meal)!!
They also had a 24 hour tea room that was well stocked, early suppers for the kids (it was b4 I had kids so I'm not sure of the details), bag lunches if you were going out, great programs, daycamp for the kids (although I did not have kids with me I did get to know the person who was running the kids programs and it sounded amazing).
They also had someone who was checking on kids in their rooms during the seder so that parents could put the kids to sleep and not have to keep running back and forth. I think you just told her what room you were in and she just kept going from room to room checking on the kids and getting the parents if someone woke up.
I would live to do it again, but I don't think it's gonna happen. We went that year for a very specific reason but it's really out of reach financially for us.
Enjoy!!!

JollyMommy

Wed, Feb 08 2012, 2:32 pm

3 and 6 are perfect ages, because they can enjoy the activities and go to camp and you can attend lectures and activities.

this year ours our KAH 5, 2.5 and will be 3 months IYH, so it'll be a little more challenging with nursing. however, even with a 1.5 yr old last year we LOVED it.

KMR is very well known on this coast. there's a mix of orthodox, yeshivish, lubavitch and modern orthodox. mostly- maybe 90% (?) black hats and sheitels. it was a great group, I didn't find it over the top snobby or crazy fancy. last year I was nervous I wouldn't be as fancy as everyone- I was picturing everyone in Prada or something, but it was fine.

JollyMommy

Tue, Mar 13 2012, 1:25 am

yes- there is a program in Connecticut that is waaaay less expensive- about $1000 for 3 days/4 nights. I don't have details about it, but I saw it online tonight when I was looking for somewhere for a relative. Google Pesach programs 2012. Also, get a copy of the Jewish Press, you can call around.
At this point they're either booked up or looking to book up so maybe you can get a good deal.

amother

Tue, Mar 13 2012, 9:14 am

ive been to the pesach hotel in italy. The one run by Avi and Belinda Netzer.
We loved it!!! They always had food on hand in the sitting room. They had early suppers for the kids.
We are still deciding if we will be going this year (due to my husband wants to try another hotel, I want to go to this one again)
They also had babysitters for kids and there is plenty to do around on chol hamoed (ur in italy duh!)

amother

Cobalt

Thu, Feb 13 2020, 3:12 pm

I think hsahkafically simialr crowd would be important to many. level of ladies dress important to me, what I expose my family to. I have been working at Pessach Programs, seder not so personal. loud large room, wait for dish service (watch out for waiters write behind your back your order so you dont see chilul yom tov) all and all nice, good programs, good and way too much food bh, kids love program. to me most important is hashkafa, and then I do like luxury food (USA), Israel more chareidi program food was disappointing comparing to US nice hotels. in israel going to more MO groups (e g David dead sea ould offer same nice good food, but not suitable for my family ...) Hatzlacha