Downtown Durham boutique hotel offers 'kids exploration package'

21c Museum Hotel's package includes a night at the hotel, an in-room tent, tickets to the Museum of Life and Science and milk and cookies.

Posted 12:50 a.m. Oct 20, 2016 — Updated 12:50 a.m. Oct 20, 2016

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

I came across this package as I was killing some time, perusing the offerings of the new boutique hotels in downtown Durham.

The Kid's Exploration Package at the 21c Museum Hotel in Durham offers a quick getaway for families. At around $230 a night, it's definitely a splurge for some of us. But it comes with some fun offerings - and might make for a great Christmas or birthday gift if it fits in your budget.

Here's what the package includes:

a Kid's iSpy Guide
milk and cookies
two tickets (one adult and one child) to the Museum of Life and Science (a value of $27 total unless you have a membership)
a tent for an in-room camping adventure.

21c Durham, located in the historic Hill Building on North Corcoran Street, is a 125-room boutique hotel with a contemporary art museum and high-end restaurant, The Counting House (where a kid's menu is offered).

Kelsey Whited, a market specialist for the small boutique hotel chain, tells me that the company launched the package right before Memorial Day this year. So far, it's been very popular with guests traveling with children.

The tepee-style tent is set up in the room before arrival. And the Kid’s iSpy Guide is a custom 21c-designed guide to the Durham hotel's site-specific artworks. The guide was designed to encourage parents to explore the exhibitions with their children and discuss the works, Whited tells me.

At the moment, the package is the only child-focused one offered, but Whited tells me they would consider creating other packages like this in the future because of the region's kid-friendly offerings. The Durham Performing Arts Center and the Durham Bulls stadium are located within walking distance.

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