Thanksgiving will be here before we know it, and with it, trips to visit family and friends. For those of us who travel out of town or state, Thanksgiving may also come with a trip to a hotel for a night or two. When you have kids, there’s really only ONE kind of hotel to book – one that has a pool! Taking the time to swim and get some energy out before they gorge on a big meal is a great way for your kids to have fun and feel prepared for the festivities. In my family, planning for the pool can be a last minute addition. Swimsuits? Great! We’re ready to go! Until we get there and realize there were probably a few extra items we could’ve thrown together to make the time in the pool much more enjoyable for all.
So, here’s a quick list of must-have essentials for your trip to the hotel pool. We hope this helps you as you prepare for the upcoming holidays and gives you one less packing list to create yourself. Enjoy!
Packing Essentials for the Hotel Pool
- Swim bag. Having all your gear in one place makes heading down to the pool a breeze. Plus, no need to throw wet suits in with the rest of your luggage at the end of the trip!
- Goggles. Hotel pools are often heavily chlorinated, and can be extremely irritating for eyes. Plus, having goggles makes diving for pool toys much more fun!
- Swim suit (or 2!). Obviously you need at least one suit to get to the pool, but having extras is always a bonus. November is cold, so having a dry suit is a really nice luxury to have.
- Swim diapers (definitely pack more than you think you’ll need). Enough said!
- Swim towels. Hotel pool towels are always really small and sometimes aren’t replenished quickly. It’s nice to have your own big towels to wrap up in after a swim!
- Pool toys. Try dive toys for the big kids, water barbies or cups for little kids.
- Robes. Having a nice robe to wrap around your child after the pool makes walking through the hotel hallways SO much easier!
Enjoy your Thanksgiving plans, and happy swimming from all of us at SwimWest!