You don’t always have to travel far to have a fantastic vacation with the family. In fact, the Allen, Texas, area is a great place to have a staycation where you book a nearby hotel for a few days and experience some of the fun activities and destinations in Greater Dallas-Fort Worth. Not only can it be a relaxing and less expensive way to have a vacation, but it’s also a good excuse to get out of the house and explore everything your hometown has to offer. Below, our daycare lists five area hotels that are perfect for a family staycation near Allen.

Marriott Dallas Allen Hotel & Watters Creek Convention Center

“white bed lined with throw pillows” used with permission via Unsplash by Vojtech Bruzek

The Marriott Dallas Allen Hotel & Convention Center, located at 777 Watters Creek Blvd. in the heart of Allen, is really close to home and a great spot for families looking to explore their hometown. 

Even if you have a pool at home, you can enjoy the Pond and Patio pool areas here to beat the North Texas heat. This area features comfortable pool-side couches with cabanas as well as hanging lights over dining tables, creating a cozy place to relax in the evenings. Plus, you can enjoy the best of Texas fare at the on-site restaurant, Canyon Texas Kitchen, which serves American and Tex-Mex cuisine in a modern dining room.

For fun and food outside the hotel, you can shop ’til you drop at Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm shopping center, which is just across the street from this luxury hotel. Grab a staycation outfit or take part in a family-friendly event, like Concerts by the Creek, a fall live music series held every Saturday evening in September and October. This hotel is also just a quick drive away from The Courses at Watters Creek golf course, the Golf Club at Twin Creeks, and Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve.

Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas

Located at 4150 N. MacArthur Blvd. in nearby Irving, the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas is chock full of so many family-friendly activities, you may not leave the resort during your stay. This hotel also has gaming facilities with foosball, table tennis, and other arcade games, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a relaxing and luxurious spa, and many restaurants on-site for you and your family to dine at. You can also catch a really special event, like a meet-and-greet with animals from the Dallas Zoo, or play a round on one of the two professional-grade 18-hole golf courses.

Splash around one of the three swimming pools, including the family pool that has water basketball and water volleyball. Or, head to the “beach” where you and the kids can play in the sand and build sandcastles. Kids will love being a part of the Kids for All Seasons club, a complimentary program that gets kids out of the room and playing games like dodgeball, going swimming, doing yoga, or making crafts with other kids. You can also check the kids in at Kids’ Night to enjoy a date night with your partner on a Friday or Saturday evening in the summer.

Hilton Anatole Dallas

If you’re looking for direct access to the best of Dallas arts, dining, and recreation, then you should book a staycation at the Hilton Anatole Dallas, located at 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway in Dallas. 

You’re just minutes away from Nasher Sculpture Center, the Museum of Illusions, and the African American Museum of Dallas. Historic Downtown Dallas and the stunning Reunion Tower are steps away from the hotel as well. And for recreation, you’re minutes away from scaling rock walls at OSO Climbing Gyms, taking in the sights of downtown at Trammel Crow Park, and playing games at Cidercade Dallas.

At the hotel, you can enjoy the outdoor water park called JadeWaters, which features a large pool, waterslides, splash zone, lazy river, swim-up bar for the parents, and a kids play area. You can also rent a private cabana to really enjoy your pool time. And if your family gets hungry, stay at the hotel and eat American fare at Media Grill + Bar, have a private picnic with Uptown Picnic Co., or dine poolside at JadeWaters Bar & Grill.

Hyatt Regency Dallas

Another downtown hotel is the Hyatt Regency Dallas, which is located at 300 Reunion Blvd. in Dallas.

It’s right next to the Reunion Tower, meaning you can visit the tower’s observation deck practically anytime you want during your staycation. You can also view Reunion Tower’s colorful observation deck from the outdoor, rooftop pool deck. In addition, you can enjoy many of the same local sites that you would when staying at the Hilton Anatole. Sites closer to this hotel, however, include the Lighthouse Dallas that features enormous, immersive art exhibits, the Alamo Drafthouse, South Side Music Hall, and the Children’s Aquarium Dallas at Fair Park.

At the hotel, you can get dine at Centennial Cafe, which serves up Texas-style cuisine, and Monduel’s Bar, where parents can grab delicious cocktails. Catch some rays at the pool and sundeck, enjoy the gorgeous city view from your room, or get in a workout at the high-end gym.

Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine

Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine is located at 100 Great Wolf Drive in nearby Grapevine. This family-friendly resort features an indoor/outdoor water park, an indoor ropes course, a packed arcade, and a medieval role-playing adventure for kids and teens. Win some prizes at the arcade, purchase a magical wand from your MagiQuest adventure, go digging for gems at Oliver’s Mining Co., and let your kids make a keepsake at Build-a-Bear Workshop. Plus, you can stay in a themed room to really immerse yourselves in the adventure.

While the Great Wolf Lodge has nearly everything your family could want, you’re also super close to Grapevine Lake and the outdoor recreation offered there. You can also take a short drive to one of the nearly dozen golf courses in the area. So there you have it, five family-friendly hotels that are close to fun, local attractions or have a lot of fun under one roof. Did we miss any of your favorite local staycation accommodations? If so, contact Crème de la Crème of Allen, and we’ll be sure to add it to our list!