SpongeBob SquarePants PartiesWyndham Hotels & Resorts Make a Splash for KidsBy Felicity LongWho lives in a pineapple under the sea? If you’re from Earth and have children under the age of 12, you know the answer is, of course, SpongeBob SquarePants, a Nickelodeon cartoon icon beloved by kids everywhere – probably even yours. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is counting on SpongeBob’s enthusiastic fan base to draw families to its properties in the Caribbean this summer through a new kids program launched this June.
The program kicked off recently with a bang at the El Conquistador Resort & Country Club in Puerto Rico, and is also available at the Condado Plaza Hotel & Casino (also in Puerto Rico); the Aruba Beach Resort & Casino, the Rose Hall Resort & Country Club in Jamaica; Sugar Bay Resort & Spa in St. Thomas and the Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino in the Bahamas. Those of us lucky enough to attend the inaugural festivities also got a chance to rub elbows with the newly appointed kids’ advisory board. The board, comprising a group of 13-year-olds from various locations, represents just how serious Wyndham is about targeting this young market. Since I was traveling with my 11-year-old son, Shane, getting into the spirit of the weekend’s activities was not a problem. The splash parties consist of lots of Nickelodeon theme songs played at boisterous volume, sing-alongs of SpongeBob’s own theme song – trust me, the kids know every word – games and a make-your-own sundae, spoil-your-dinner dessert buffet.
After a mountainous dish of ice cream, kids were then invited to cram themselves into a tub at which time they were “slimed” by an overhead vat of green, gooey liquid. Again, suffice it to know that most kids consider getting slimed an honor. On another night, during the so-called Dive-In movies, kids migrated to the main pool after dinner and simply lazed in the water on any noodles or floaties they could find and watched SpongeBob cartoons while waiters waded – fully dressed – into the pool holding trays of popcorn and kid-friendly drinks aloft for the young, wet guests. There was even a floating pineapple full of candy, Shane informed me later, that kids could wade up to and dip into at their leisure. While the program will be adapted to each property according to its lay-out and features, the El Conquistador has the advantage of boasting a private island where kids can spend their days either with their parents or in the company of supervised children’s staff. Palomino Island is accessible first by funicular down to the marine level, then by ferry. It takes about a half hour and provides a nice way to cool off on the water on a hot day. Activities on the island can include everything from watersports and nature hikes to scavenger hunts and tennis. The El Conquistador Kid’s Club children’s camp offers supervised activities on the island for kids aged 4 to 12 and includes arts and crafts, beach activities and lunch.
Meanwhile, parents are not forgotten at the hotel; there is an 18-hole Arthur Hills golf course, several tennis courts and the tony Golden Door Spa for some serious pampering. Try a spa treatment; learn Yo-chi, a mix of yoga and T’ai Chi, or get fit on a Reebok core board. The hotel itself, situated over 500 acres, boasts 918 guestrooms and 12 restaurants overlooking the harbor along a 300-foot bluff.
Speaking of ice cream, Shane took advantage of the proximity of the kids’ advisory board to get his suggestions in. “Tell them to get slushies,” he recommended to one young board member with whom we ate dinner one night. When I pointed out that the ice cream parlor has smoothies – which to the untrained parental eye look exactly like slushies – both boys shook their heads. “Yeah, I’ll tell them,” the new friend said. “I was just thinking the same thing.” Well, OK. The SpongeBob SquarePants promotion will morph into a slightly different program – details to be finalized soon – available stateside starting after Labor Day. And should the inimitable SpongeBob himself begin to fade from popularity – an unlikely scenario, but who knows? – other Nickelodeon characters may be waiting in the wings to take his place, according to Wyndham officials. In short, stay tuned. www.wyndham.com or call (866) WYN.SPONGE. |
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Here’s how it works. Basically, kids who stay at participating properties through Labor Day get to participate in SpongeBob SquarePants Splash Parties twice a week or so, watch cartoons (featuring you-know-who) from the pool at night and take home such cool amenities as free breakfast, blow-up beach balls and even a highly prized SpongeBob SquarePants beach towel. 
The party host began by dividing kids into several age groups and handing them off to various counselors to learn games that included: flip the crabby patty (hard because they bounce); pool volleyball; water balloon toss, and the inexplicable (but Shane’s favorite) “pull the huge underwear over your head, pass it on to the next person and mash a pie into the face of your counselor relay.” Don’t ask.
Family-friendly activities nearby include guided hiking in the El Yunque rain forest (bring an umbrella – they don’t call it a rain forest for nothing); snorkeling from a boat in the waters where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, and – our favorite – kayaking at night in the luminescent bay where phosphorescent plankton light up the waters as you glide by.
Families looking for upscale privacy with a touch of home can stay at Las Casitas Village, adjacent to the main hotel and operated by Wyndham Luxury Resorts. The village boasts one-, two- and three-bedroom villas with separate living areas, butler service, dedicated pool, check-in area, restaurant and patio café. 
The food is pricey throughout the property – our tab for a buffet lunch for one adult and one child at Las Brisas restaurant came to about $44 – but lighter fare is available by the pool or at the ice cream parlor.