The great escape

Brent Alexander found himself in what some would call a dicey situation on a family vacation to Southeast Asia last year: He was locked inside a room with his wife and two young sons.

Yet Alexander, a Sarasota entrepreneur, was there by choice. To get out, Team Alexander had to answer scavenger hunt-type questions and solve a series of puzzles. The quest was part of a new kind of tourism attraction, called real escape rooms. “When we first heard about it we thought this was stupid,” Alexander says. “But once we started doing it, it turned out to be a real great family experience.

“It's like being inside a video game. You have to work your way out.”