I was child-free once, too. For parents vacationing with small children, oftentimes, a hotel stay can feel like you have your face smushed up to the glass of your formerly kid-free life—the chic bar, the pretty pool; all the things that are now off-limits due to rowdy children and early bedtimes.
That isn’t the case at the Cliff House, thanks to the range of kid-friendly options that up the ease and relaxation potential for the grown-ups, too.
• First and foremost, the restaurants. While visiting the hotel, we tried out a few of the eateries on site. Nubb’s Lobster Shack was our favorite, offering a kid-friendly option (the size of the mac and cheese bowls they delivered to our table alone) but also a menu that felt vast and crowd-pleasing. I also liked that you order at the counter, which cuts down on the wait time—a boon for parents with tired kiddos. The Tiller Restaurantwas a close second. We ended up eating an early breakfast there both days (it opens at 7 a.m. for parents with early risers) and found the food delicious, but also plenty for the kids to engage with. Beyond the tableside coloring options, the sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean provide plenty of distractions, from counting the boats to rounds of “I spy,” while waiting for our food to arrive. (My son was convinced he saw the fin of a shark, which the restaurant staffers confirmed wasn’t impossible, much to his delight.)
• From swimming to cinema, there’s something for all. While there is one adults-only pool that’s stunning and infinity-style, there are two additional swimming set-ups that cater to kids. The outdoor option has its own snack bar, plus an underwater bench that runs almost the full length of the pool on both sides. (Great for beginner swimmers.) There’s also a sizable indoor pool, which we tested out, that’s perfect for chillier days. Should your kids tire of pool time, the Cliff House has a full calendar of offerings for the younger set. There are daily movie selections in the on-site movie theater (while we were there, they played Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean on a single day), but also kid-themed crafts that vary by the day. (My kids freaked when they realized they could make their own moose or bald eagle in a “Build-a-Bear” style activity that had them putting filling in their own stuffy, then naming it, too.)
• The chance to explore. Some of the most fun our family had was just roaming about—there are hammocks placed in tucked-away places, games of ladder golf and cornhole spread out on the lawn. There was even an afternoon during our stay where a giant inflatable soccer setup was constructed. But back to the Cape Neddick cliffs—my 8-year-old was so invested in searching for crabs and other signs of sea life, that would have been enough.
