A thankless part of traveling with a little one: Counting out how many diapers you need to pack for a vacation—and then perhaps getting charged to check that not-so-featherweight duffle. The only bright side? At least you don't have to lug them home.
The Marco Island Marriott, located near Naples on Florida’s Gulf Coast, aims to lighten your load with a new "Baby Butler" package that includes:
- deluxe partial-view room
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eight diapers (up to size 5) and three swim diapers per day, plus a pack of wipes and tube of diaper rash cream (let's say, worth about $9 a day for the diapers and $12 for the wipes and cream for a four-day stay)
- complimentary in-room crib or Pack-'n'-Play (always free to guests, but must be booked ahead)
- 10% discount on rentals such as high chairs or strollers (a high chair, for instance, usually rents for $17 a week)
- free meals for kids under 3 at two of the resort's six restaurants (we figure three meals a day is worth $28 per child)
Granted, while most of these perks add more convenience than huge dollar savings, the free kids’ meals are a nice bit of relief at Pazzi's (which does pizza and paninis) and Tropiks, where the casual American fare includes a classic kids' menu of pizza, mac 'n' cheese, and chicken fingers that would suit the toddler-and-up crew.
Otherwise, Marco Island has a nice roundup of resort features: two pools, a lovely beach, on-site golf course and a spa. Its kids' club is for ages 5 to 12, but the in-room nanny service is reasonable if you want downtime away from your diapered one ($12/hour for one child, plus and additional $1 for each extra child up to three children in total).
Deal or no deal? This is more of a perk than a deal—but we love a good value-added perk. Package room rates range from $229 to $579 a night, which is pretty much in line with regular room rates. The downside is that the lowest rates, we learned, only show up in the summer and early fall (read: hurricane season). Still, regardless of season, this package adds about $40 per day in value, not to mention convenience.
Note: The web site says the deal ends April 30, but the resort spokeswoman tells us this deal will last all year. To book online, use the promo code ZJ5. Right now, the code doesn't work for dates after April, but you can also call 800/438-4373 and ask for the Baby Butler package.





