Hotel Review: The Inn at Pocono Manor – Pocono Manor, PA

Wintery entertainment and a cozy mountain setting make for family time fun at The Inn at Pocono Manor. My family agreed it’s the perfect retreat when visiting the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.

Hotel Review: The Inn at Pocono Manor – Pocono Manor, PA

The Inn at Pocono Manor is a beautiful escape for families looking to enjoy the winter wonderland of Poconos, Pennsylvania. With 3,000 acres of recreation and adventure set right in the heart of the Pocono Mountains, my family and I had so much fun at The Inn at Pocono Manor. We took advantage of the many opportunities for exploration and family-based activities.

WHAT WORKS FOR FAMILIES

• On-site game room featuring arcade-style video games as well as classic games, such as ping-pong, pool and foosball. Our two boys, ages 10 and 8, spent a ton of time in this space. We traveled to the Inn with Tina, Boys Only Traveling Mom, and her family. The kids were able to hang in “their” space while the adults hung out in the lounge.

  

  

• Fun seasonal events including s’mores over an open fire pit, pumpkin picking, Christmas activities and more. We were able to cuddle up around the fire and make s’mores.

• Various activities at Manor Sports. My family spent nearly an entire afternoon at Manor Sports trying out the BB Guns, Archery, Trap Shooting and Firing Range. Other activities like Ice/Pond Fishing and Ice Skating are also available but they are weather permitting and it wasn’t cold enough to participate in those activities during the weekend we stayed there.
• Petting Zoo filled with cute animals like horses, pigs, donkeys and sheep
• Close to local attractions, including local ski and snow tubing. We went snow tubing at a nearby mountain but if that’s not your thing, you could even try something new and take the kids snowboarding.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK FOR FAMILIES

• If you are looking for a nicer dinner and decide to dine at The Exchange, be prepared for a 2-hour dining experience.
• The indoor pool a little small and if there are other guests using it, it could feel a little cramped.
• Many of the activities offered at The Manor Sports are weather permitting. We wanted to take a ride on the snowmobiles but couldn’t because there wasn’t enough snow. Keep that in mind when making your activity selections.

A BEAUTIFUL POCONO DESTINATION

The Inn at Pocono Manor is conveniently located next to many of the area’s top ski and snow tubing attractions such as Big Boulder and Jack Frost. The resort shuttle offers complimentary transportation to nearby Mt. Airy Casino and Kalahari Waterpark as well as other local attractions including Crossing Premium Outlets, Pocono Snake and Wild Animal Farm and Big Pocono State Park. The resort also has a partnership with the nearby Pocono Raceway for NASCAR, Stock Car Racing and other major races.

THE ROOMS

Our room featured two large beds, a separate sitting area with chairs and a large couch and a small bathroom that included a pedestal sink and shower with bathtub. In the bathroom there were shower amenities including soap and shampoo. In our family there are four and this room had plenty of space to comfortably sleep all of us with additional space to lounge and relax during down time.

THE AMENITIES

• Manor Sports
• Indoor /outdoor pool
• Fitness facility
• Wireless Internet
• Cable TV
• Movie theater-style screen in game room
• Arcade-style game room
• Petting zoo
• Outdoor playground
• Spa
• Golf course
• Basketball/Tennis

THE DINING

There are several options for on-site dining at The Inn at Pocono Manor including:

• Mountain View Dining Room where a breakfast and dinner buffet are served
• The Exchange, the resort’s fine dining spot
• Lamplighter Lounge
• Little Pocono Pizzeria

We had the chance to dine at the Mountain View Dining Room for breakfast each day. The buffet was stocked with all the standard breakfast options, including a waffle and omelet bar, yogurt and fresh fruit, prepared eggs and breakfast meats and a variety of baked goods and cereals. The breakfast buffet was plentiful and even the pickiest of breakfast eaters (like my son) were able to find something they liked.

For lunch we ate at the Lamplighter Lounge. We ordered the Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Buffalo Wings, Seasoned Fries and soup. It was typical pub fare and perfect for a quick lunch.

The Dinner Menu

For dinner, we dined at The Exchange. We ordered the fried calamari was our appetizer. The fried calamari which was served in a Thai chili sauce. The calamari was one of our favorite dishes from the meal and was followed by soup and the house salad. For entrees, the menu offered a little bit of everything including seafood, chicken, beef and pasta options. My son and I ordered the salmon, while my husband ordered the lamb chops. Everything was very good and the serving sizes were very large.

All of the dining locations were family-friendly. However, you should keep in mind that The Exchange embraces the slow-dining concept with lots of down time in between your courses which is not always conducive to dining with little ones. The Exchange also had a kids menu that included kid-friendly favorites but my boys have decided they no longer want to eat off the kids menu so we didn’t order from it.

Overall we enjoyed our stay at The Inn at Pocono Manor. The Inn is very family friendly and we would love to return to try some more of their sporting activities at Manor Sports or during Christmastime to take advantage of some of their holiday offerings.