International Lodging with Kids – A Look at Marriott Vacation Club Village d’lle-de-France

I wanted to take a blog to highlight our lodging choice when traveling internationally with two kids and 4 adults, and how I would work with that for future travels. When we decided to do this trip, my parents who were traveling with us wanted to take advantage of their Marriott Time Share, which offers villas near Disneyland Paris, about 45 minutes outside of the city.   While in our past pre-kid visits we’d stayed in hotels within the city limits, there was definite appeal to having our own townhouse and personal space with six people and an 11 night stay.

Front door of “Home” for 11 nights! 

Staircase and entry of our townhome 

All in all, it ended up being a great accommodation for our circumstances. We had a playground literally in our “back yard”, and on the days we had nicer weather, could sit out on the patio and watch the kids. On the days it was cooler, we could watch them from inside through the glass, as this became a highlight for them even after long days of sightseeing.  🙂  The indoor pool was also really nice and a fun spot for a few days of refreshment and relaxation.   While we only really got to use it one day, Easter Sunday, the Kid’s Activity Center was phenomenal.  The staff all spoke multiple languages, and was kind and loving. Our kids made Easter Baskets there our first day after a long all night flight and they were super accommodating. We later all participated in a Resort Wide Egg hunt which was a hoot, and made for a fun traditional Easter even though we were abroad, giving many chocolate treats for them to get through the remainder of our stay.  The Concierge was extremely helpful in arranging private cars/taxis for us and giving assistance in navigating the transportation system to nearby Disneyland Paris and into the city of Paris, which was a bit complicated given the rolling train strikes.  The Marriott shuttle to the train station/Disneyland was very easy, although we ended up taking the public bus even more both to/from the train station  and into the village for grocery shopping as it ran more regularly.  On the note of grocery shopping, the Marketplace at the Resort was very convenient for pastries and coffee and Kinder-Eggs (kids loved being able to have those since they are banned in the States) but not as much for regular purchases. The prices were extremely high, with a huge markup for the immediate convenience.  We ended up doing most of our shopping in town for FAR less money.

Patio furniture (which was nice in better weather 😉 ) 

 
Our backyard! Playground was awesome!

Easter Basket Making at the Kids’ Club! 

The town of Bailly-Romanvilliers was just a half mile away, and an adorable spot that offered some authentic experiences including a local butcherie, patisserie, and grocery store.  We ate most of our meals in the townhouse, and it was nice to be able to cook and have a low-key schedule with the kids after a day of sightseeing. Even more convenient was the ability to do laundry on a regular basis as needed – it allowed us to really pack lightly for our 12 day stay and not stress about lots of bags or extras.  In general, if we can do a villa with kitchen and laundry over all being crammed in single hotel room, we’ll gladly take it! IT was truly having some of the comforts at home especially when in a “foreign” land.

The adorable town of Bailly-Romanvilliers

The main downside of this Resort is the location relative to Paris proper – it’s absolutely beautiful, safe, and extremely convenient to Disneyland and the train station. On one hand, it was nice to be in a suburb and not in the midst of all the hustle and bustle. It also made our Day Trip to Champagne very convenient. On the other hand, we spent a lot of time traveling to/from Paris, and it cut down on how much time we could spend in the city, especially early in the day when crowds are far less.  If we were to do it again, I think we may do a few days in Paris itself, and then finish with a stay out at Marriott (leaving the option open for a return Paris day if necessary).

A Vending Machine with Beer/Wine is a Goal for  USA Moms! ;-)

Kinder-Eggs were a fun treat to enjoy overseas! 

All in all, we were very happy with the staff and grounds of Marriott Vacation Club Village d’lle-de-France.  I would definitely book clients there and recommend it to others! If you have any questions about booking your own stay here or at any Marriott property, please let me know! 🙂