Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is a stunner of a four-season vacation destination, set
on 2,000 acres in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania. It began as a private game reserve in the 1960s, and today welcomes families with golf, skiing, hiking, swimming,
tennis, horseback riding, and even a wildlife academy. The resort also has an impressive—and imaginative—line-up of kids activities, including a "Jackson Pollock Experience," where kids dress in protective coveralls and use everything from paintballs to brushes to create their own Pollock-inspired masterpieces.
This winter, the resort is offering a Family Escape package that includes two nights accommodations, daily resort fees, and an eye-popping $400 amenity credit. As always, we priced out the components of the package to see if it really delivers a deal. Here's what the package includes:
- two-night stay in a lodge double room (normally $329/night x 2 nights = $658)
- resort fees (normally $15/day x 2 days = $30)
- $400 amenity credit
We test-booked the package for a two-night February weekend stay for a family of four in a lodge double room. The total came to $990, which means the package rate was $495 a night. Importantly, the $400 amenity credit can be spent just about any way you like, even on meals (the only exclusions are lodging and in-room babysitting), which means that your ultimate spend doesn't have to go much higher than $990.
If you booked the same two-night stay without the package, you’d pay $658 for the room plus $30 in resort fees. To compare apples to apples, we also need to add $400–the value of the amenity credit, which would most likely be spent on meals–for a grand total of $1,088.
Deal or no deal? This package will save you $98 over two days, which translates to a 9% savings. It's better than nothing, but not what we'd consider an outstanding deal. In effect, the package price has been inflated to wipe out the lion's share of the amenity credit. On the upside, we like that you can spend the $400 amenity credit however you like, even on meals.
The lesson learned? The only way to get past smoke and mirrors is to always do the math.
The Family Escape package is available through April 29 and can be booked online or by calling 866/344-6957.
