The Hilton Anatole As Seen Through the Eyes of An Active Teen [Review]

 

They say everything is bigger in Texas. One hotel that fits the bill is Hilton Anatole Dallas, sitting in 45 acres of land, minutes away from downtown Dallas. This hotel is so massive that even an active teen boy (14-year-old) could stay for 48 hours without being bored. 

Now, let your imagination go with the photos taken by a teen while his parents were at a seminar for two days at the Hilton Anatole. To greet you, here is Jon with his pose, having fun right after he entered the room. He is feeling right at home:

The key to a great vacation is to send a few treats and surprises along the way for children of any age. They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Likewise, the way to a happy child during a vacation are milk and cookies. It brings smiles and the 'yes ma'am' expressions...we are speaking each others heart languages...easy connections for the whole trip.

The Hilton Anatole  is a prime location for events, conventions and meetings in the United States with over 600,000 square feet of event space. There are single or accompanied spouse and children that tag along to these events. The hotel offers a variety of room arrangements for families of any budget and taste.

There are 1,606 rooms, 27 floors and 127 suites of all shapes and sizes. Jon fell into the category of 'tag along'. He was warmly greeted by two TVs, two bathrooms, two sitting areas, one murphy bed, 2 double beds and picture perfect windows...

With a pair of binoculars in hand, he saw the extensive skyline of Dallas from every corner of the room. Binoculars are great traveling tool for young or old, land, sea or air travels...

Surprises were waiting for him as he headed outdoor, to the garden...

For a quarter you could feed koi. Koi will swim towards you, expecting to be fed. As you walk along the pond, they will follow you as well. Look at these hungry fish:

With a pair of running shoes, it was time to burn some energy on the jogging path...notice the serenity and it seems like he had the whole place all to himself. Thousands are staying for the night and in the morning, they are busy attending meetings. Accompanied family members need not fight for space in the garden. There are quiet sitting areas by the ponds or under a tree. Bring out a book or a picnic lunch and lay on the green grass in the garden.

Swim in an indoor pool or outdoor pool...

As he headed indoors, he was greeted by Mao Tse Tung, the Communist Leader of China. The hotel does not endorse his philosophy, it is just a work of art as stated on the wall. Now he is heading into art and history lessons. Looking at the oppressive leader in China and on to remnants of Berlin Wall...signs of freedom from oppressive governments.

We created our own art and history lessons out of this trip to Hilton Anatole. Children could explore a piece of the Berlin Wall without going to Berlin, Germany. They could contrast the events that happened during Mao Tse Tung's regime in China and the reasons for the fall of Berlin Wall, and the events that followed. Learning the different government systems and leaders and how the world was changed by a handful of radical leaders. Whether the event was good or bad, actions taken by leaders changed the course of history. All these started with our stay in Hilton Anatole. What is your action plan and what do you stand for?

A curious teen will not just end his exploration there. The next adventure was a tour around the Atrium, taking the stairs to the balconies and looking up and down. The most beautiful part of the hotel during the night, with the reflecting pool and nebula.The nebula is the centerpiece of Hilton Anatole.This one-of-a-kind kinetic sculpture was created by Reuben Margolin. It's a wavelike sculpture that floats, move and reflect the surrounding lights.

Jon has become a 'walking advertisement' for Hilton Anatole after his own small adventure around the hotel. After his experience there, our next hotel in Austin was a great disappointment for him. It's such a great lesson to teach children of any age from staying in a hotel. He learned about hospitality, curiosity, courtesy, preparation, advertisement, time management, people skills, what money can buy and many more.