Coco Key Water Park & Double Tree by Hilton Review

Coco Key Water Park & Double Tree by Hilton Review
By: Amy

After the long winter and the kids being cooped up, we knew we needed to take a little mini vacation with the kids to kick off the spring and summer.  So when we were recently offered a chance to come up and visit the Double Tree by Hilton North Shore and Coco Key Water Park in Danvers in exchange for our honest review, we jumped at the chance.  

We arrived shortly after check-in time with two very excited children who were eager to immediately go and check out the water park.  When we arrived in our room we were delighted to find a fruit and cheese plate, which was a very welcome sight after having sat through Boston traffic on a Friday afternoon.  The kids were more than thrilled to get their own Coco backpacks complete with a parrot.  They quickly changed into bathing suits at lightning speed.

The water park was a huge hit with the kids.  The park is designed well with age levels and abilities considered.  There is an area for young children with two small slides, waterfalls and spouts and parents can interact with the kids easily.  Only children can use the slides but you are allowed to catch your child at the bottom. ​The area gradually becomes deeper so there are plenty of places for kids of all ages to play and interact. 

This area also has a pirate sail utilized as a movie screen, which at night you can see really well and enjoy a family favorite while splashing around. This is also where the family seating and the cabanas are located.

We decided to purchase a cabana the second day we were there so that the kids had a quiet place to rest.  The cabanas had a table, chairs, couch and tv for everyone to use.  We enjoyed a delicious pizza from Gator’s, which was recommended by staff. They have a bar inside the park that sells both cocktails as well as smoothies. Guests can also rent lockers to store valuable items in as well as utilize locker rooms to change and use the restrooms.

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The center of the water park consisted of a splash pad, with more advanced slides and water toys while surrounded by the lazy river.  This area was designed so that kids as well as parents can enjoy the slides together.  One of the biggest hits was the giant water bucket which would fill over the course of 5 minutes and then dump over the entire structure. The kids had a great time getting dunked and riding the “big boy” slides!

The water toys were a lot of fun and allowed for children to experiment as engineers with how water flows.  This area was a huge hit with the kids as they explored the different types of slides and activities.

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In the back there was a basketball pool, which sadly only had 2 balls that could be used.  It looked pretty when it was lit up at night but was always crowded. We ventured in here only once and luckily a big kid passed the Tiny One the ball about ten times in a row to give him a chance at trying to score a basket. There was a small section behind this that had inflatable lily pads that kids could cross while holding onto roped netting from above.  This area was closed, but we it looked like fun.  

In the opposite corner, just past the hot tub section, were the most advanced slides.  We climbed all the way up to the top of the facility and were able to choose between two sets of slides that both utilized a tube and ones that did not.  We chose the ones with the double tube and were quite impressed at how fast and fun the slide was.  The slides themselves exit the building, twisting and turning all the way down to reentry into a large pool. While the kids were not tall enough currently to ride these, all of the adults found them fun.

We balanced our time between the water park and the hotel pool which was our quiet sanctuary.  Having young children, we needed a place where we could have down time, free from the over stimulation that often leads into a meltdown.  You could choose to do laps, relax in the hot tub or just lazily swim around with your kid. We all really loved this option which was a benefit to staying at the hotel.  It is essential to all our sanity to have decompression time and a quiet place to swim and practice our skills.

There is also an arcade with availability for birthday parties.  We allowed the kids to play with money they had saved in their piggy banks. It was a fun way to transition between the water activities and the hotel.  They had small rides for the kids, air hockey, video games for various ages and even a photo booth. We spent a little time here and were sure to get a family picture in the photo booth on our last day.  

We noticed quite a few birthday parties taking place which would definitely work for local families looking to host a fun combination of water and video fun!

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The Double Tree by Hilton is a great hotel.  The staff very clearly cares a lot about their guests and hotel.  Our room was great, and big enough for six of us (2 couples and 2 children) including having a separate section for the kid beds and their own tv. The family rooms are located around the perimeter of their event rooms, which allows for easy access to the water park.  The second evening we were at the water park there was an accident in the kids pool so we left back to our room early.  As we went to our room, friendly staff asked about our day and we told them how much fun we had but it had ended on a poopy note.  As we were getting ready for bed, we were surprised by a knock at the door and were treated to a sweet surprise of three hot fudge brownie sundaes.  the Tiny One was more than a little excited to end the day on such a positive note and we were grateful to the staff for making the day even better.  By going the extra mile the staff shows just how much they care about guest comfort and happiness even when things happen that are totally beyond their control. 

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The hotel provides a brunch, a Starbucks cafe, a sit down restaurant and room service as options for meals.  During our stay we enjoyed service at all these places.  Breakfast included both a cold and hot breakfast options depending on your appetite.  The hostess stand also offers children a coloring page that if they turn in post meal they can pick from a prize box.  I appreciate this little extra as it gave the kids a purpose to work towards while the adults could enjoy their meal and coffee quietly.  Our first evening there, we ordered pizza to our room for dinner as we were all too exhausted from all the excitement of the water park.  The food was delivered promptly and with a smile and the kid pizza’s made two young boys very happy.  The Starbucks cafe had the majority of all our favorite items and was a nice way to wake up with a treat.  The hotel restaurant was also pretty good. They had a delicious salmon salad with candied walnuts that really hit the spot and the Tiny One was happy with another personal pizza, but we would have loved to see more affordable lighter options for a meal.

Our only comment for improvement pertains to the water park.  There seemed to be way too many people in the lazy river at certain points to the point where some teenagers were racing through the river running over families and young children. While the lifeguards are attentive in terms of safety and trying to ensure everyone has a water tube, they also need to address this as it becomes a safety issue. There were several times some of these older kids were swimming over my 5 year old and roughly passing me which at times caused discomfort as they shoved past me.  I finally had to address it myself and that particular group seemed to back off, but this is an area the waterpark staff definitely needs to show more authority and ensure it is safe for all and not just a race track for teenagers.

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Overall, we would highly recommend the Double Tree by Hilton North Shore and Coco Key Water Park in Danvers as great choice for a local vacation for Cape Cod Moms and families.  It is both affordable and fun.  The kids will be happy and it won't break the bank so it is a great option for school vacations or just as a weekend mini vacation.  The attentive staff at the hotel truly care about their guests and always aim to improve.  Even the kids think this place is pretty awesome, just check out their thoughts in the video review below!