Making it the vacation experience it should be
A hotel stay should be a home away from home: a relaxing destination getaway. But, let’s face it, there’s nothing relaxing about helicopter parenting your toddlers at 5:00 AM trying to keep them quiet so that they don’t wake the guests who came in at midnight and kept you up half the night with their revelries. And some of you know that can be best case scenario in a hotel stay gone wrong. So how do we avoid lobby tantrums and timeouts? I can’t say it’s possible 100% of the time, but here are my best tips for happy hotel stays with kids.
#1. Prep the kids ahead of time
Uncommunicated expectations are unmet expectations. If you try and tell the kids what’s expected while they’re all shouting at each other mid pillow fight, it’s too late. Before you leave home, have a conversation about what your stay is going to look like – from check-in to check-out. Go over what is and is not allowed in the lobby, hallway, hotel room, and breakfast area. Hotels are fun and different. The kids are going to be excited, and they just need to know how to properly express that excitement!
#2. Prep the hotel ahead of time
Like most things in life, communication is a key to success. Hotels are in the customer service business and they want your stay to be pleasant, too. Work with them ahead of time and everybody wins.
Have a bed-wetter? Let them know and they can usually make the bed accordingly.
Have some early risers? Let the hotel know that you’re traveling with young kids, and that a room with no one beside it could be easiest. They can’t always accommodate this, but it’s one less stress when they can.
♿ Communicate any accessibility needs. For us, this doesn’t always mean booking an accessible room. Often, the accessible rooms don’t have a tub, which doesn’t work for us. That being said, if we don’t communicate the need, and we’re on the fifth floor, and the elevator is out of service… well… We’ve actually had this experience. They moved some people around and made it work, but it would’ve been so much easier if I had communicated that we had a wheelchair user in advance.
#3. Just ask
Just about any need that wasn’t covered in #2 can be met here. From last minute discounts and free upgrades to roll away beds; from late check-out and extra blankets to free toys – the world is yours if you ask for what you need. Hotels want to accommodate and will do all they can to help. (They’ll even go knock on the door of your rowdy neighbors and nicely make them pipe down)
#4. Check out the room before you get settled
Even really nice hotels sometimes miss things in room-cleaning. You notice those things more when you’re traveling with crawlers and put-everything-into-my-mouth-ers. Before you unpack, do a quick once over to make sure it meets your standards. You can bring your own outlet covers, and put them in quick if there are outlets within reach of littles. Obviously, this is easiest before the kids come in, but that’s not always possible. Just try not to destroy a room if you’re going to need a change.
#5. Set up your home away from home
Even if you’re not staying long, it can be frustrating to dig through luggage.. or heaps of stuff… to find what you need in the morning. When you arrive, take just a moment to stash things where you know you’ll be able to find them. When possible, we’ve transitioned from one big family suitcase to having each kid carry their own back pack. No one wears someone else’s socks and everyone can find their own toothbrush.
Feel free to rearrange the furniture to fit your pack and play or meet whatever needs you have – just make sure you put it back when you’re done!
#6. Don’t let your kids roam the halls on their own
This isn’t just about being rowdy (though that can certainly play a part). With human trafficking on the rise, and much less-scary stranger interactions, you can control the situation a lot better by keeping your kids near you.
#7. Have a little extra fun
It is vacation, after all. We let the kids watch TV while we get ready in the morning (bonus for us is that it keeps them quiet). We also allow some bed-jumping. I draw the line at pillow fights because I know my kids and that it will inevitably end in tears. You know your kids, so you make the rules. Just remember rule #1 and make sure expectations are communicated before fun commences. Let it be a memorable stay… in a good way.
#8. Snuggle more
This is the number one perk of a hotel stay for me. The morning can be more relaxed. My kids still wake up at 5:30, but instead of rushing off to school (after dishes, two loads of laundry, breakfast, and clean-up), we’re just heading down to breakfast. Take advantage of the close space and fluffy pillows and enjoy as many snuggles as you can. This time of our kids being willing to snuggle up is so very limited. Take the chance whenever you have it.
#9. Check the drawers before you go
I don’t know why it’s so much fun to put things in hotel drawers, but someone does it. Every time. Actually, on longer stays, even I’ve been guilty (I was trying to stay organized, ok?!?). We’ve lost so many things this way. Depending on how great the loss, it can impact the rest of your trip. Most hotels will find these things and happily save them for you, but not as many are willing to ship them across the country… no less the globe.
#10. Find a good one
When it comes to welcoming kids, not all hotels are created equal. Some hotels are designed for business travelers… and give a lot of eye-rolls to families. Others go out of their way with free extra for kids on the go. We typically stay in mid-range hotels (3 star), which tend to be more family-friendly in general. Including breakfast is often another sign that a hotel is family-friendly. Because we’re also budget travelers, I’ll sometimes just go on Hotwire, sort by 3 star hotels that offer breakfast, and then select the cheapest one that comes up (usually a Hotrate room, which means you don’t know where you’re booking). You can also find great deals on Groupon, but you need to know exactly what you’re looking for and read all the fine print – there are often no returns and the customer service is pretty much non existent.
As I’m getting older and more set in my preferences, I strongly lean towards Hampton Inn, Hyatt, and Fairfield Inn. With any of these we know we can expect clean rooms, good breakfast, and friendly staff. In fact, every experience we’ve had with a Hampton Inn or Hyatt, we’ve been blown away by how welcoming the staff are – which can absolutely make or break your stay. You can also look for the “& Suites” versions, or Hyatt House for more spacious family options. If you find you have your own favorite brand, I highly suggest you enroll in the loyalty program. There are plenty of perks, and the points add up pretty quickly for free stays. If you’re really serious about it, you can earn even more points through a hotel line credit card.
Now may not be the best time for travel, but it’s an excellent time to start planning for your next trip! I hope this article makes your next hotel stay that much more enjoyable.