I never traveled as a kid so now that I have 3 kids of my own, I like to make sure that we go on as many trips as possible. It’s so fun exploring new locations with them and living in St. Louis, we are pretty lucky that there are so many great places within driving distance. A few weeks ago, we loaded up our van and drove down to Arkansas, spending one day in Hot Springs and the other day in Little Rock. This was our first time visiting Arkansas and the whole family can’t wait to go back – it’s been the highlight of the summer for my kids!
From St. Louis, it’s a little over 6 hours to drive to Hot Springs and only 5 hours to drive to Little Rock. We drove to Hot Springs first since it was a little farther and both my husband and I commented how we enjoyed the scenery as we drove. Yes, we live in Missouri which is right above Arkansas but there really is a difference! We loved seeing the wide open spaces and the Ozark mountains. We had a really fun weekend and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Hotel Hot Springs
We checked into the Hotel Hot Springs on a Friday night, which is located right in the heart of downtown Hot Springs. The 14-story hotel just went through a major renovation and you can definitely tell!
Our family absolutely loved the large guest room and it has plenty of great amenities for us including:
- Plank flooring – easy to clean for when your toddler makes a mess!
- LARGE bathroom – there is no tub though, so remember that with little ones.
- SO many outlets – I appreciate that so much when my husband and I both have to charge our phones, my laptop, etc.
- Fridge AND microwave
- Comfortable beds and bedding – it was hard to get up in the morning!
- FREE breakfast!
- Keurig Coffee Maker with K-Cups (THANK YOU!!)
- On-site Bar & Grill
When you went to the large lobby, there was even a small area where you could buy personal necessities, snacks, drinks and even books on the history of Hot Springs (which we purchased!).
Our whole family enjoyed our stay and the kids loved the huge windows in our room where they were able to overlook downtown Hot Springs.
I loved that Hotel Hot Springs was within walking distance to historic Hot Springs and Bath House Row. With kids, it’s definitely great to be in a convenient location. When we come back, we definitely will be staying at Hotel Hot Springs again!
We were spending our entire Saturday in Hot Springs, Arkansas and had a full day with plans to visit Magic Springs & Crystal Falls and the Mid America Science Museum. Make sure to check out my post on A Day in Hot Springs, Arkansas to see all of the fun that we had!
Disclosure: I received compensation on behalf of Visit Arkansas but all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
I’ve never been to Missouri or Arkansas! I would love to take a trip like this, the beautiful scenery, and seeing new places.