Family vacations can be so much fun! You get to see new places, do new things, and someone else does the dishes. But hauling your children away from the comforts and familiarities of home can be really daunting. We just came back from a vacation and I’ve compiled all of the best tricks so that you can enjoy your hotel stay with kids. Read on and add your favorites in the comments!
For our example, there are four of us traveling: Mama, Daddy, a five year old boy and a two year old girl. Our hotel example is the Embassy Suites Corpus Christi, which we paid for and had a great experience at.
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How to Pick the Perfect Hotel
When you’re looking for where to stay, and you’ve got kids to think about, there are some qualities you should really consider.
The most basic need is: where is everyone going to sleep? Make sure that you have enough beds for everybody! This can include foldaway beds, extra cots that the hotel can bring into your room, queen or king beds.
Additionally, how is the room set up? Is there a space where the parents can relax in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed? Look for a two-room suite with a sliding door if that’s something you’d want!
The hotel we stayed at had the option of two queen beds and also had a living space with a fold-out couch. Plenty of room for the four of us, especially in case the plan of “Daddy and 5-year-old share a bed” didn’t work out so well!
And the two-room suite we got was amazing, since there was a sink and a TV in each of the two spaces. Kids slept and we hung out in the living area.
The next thing we consider is food: Is there a free breakfast? Are there restaurants in the hotel, or at least close by? What about room service?
To use our example, our Embassy Suites had a free breakfast (which was coincidentally the most amazing hotel breakfast I’ve ever had) as well as a happy hour every day 5:30-7:30pm with unlimited free drinks and free snacks. Juices for the kids, alcohol for Daddy and I! They also did offer room service that you could pick up downstairs at the kitchen, or have delivered to your room for an extra charge.
Finally, look at all other amenities that your family would take advantage of, like
- Pool – indoor or outdoor (and check the hours)
- Free WiFi
- Cable or TVs in rooms
- Laundry service
- Eco-conscious amenities
- Workout room
- Office space with printer, fax, etc.
- Amenities for disabilities as applicable
- (What would you add to this list? Tell me in the comments!)
Our hotel had an indoor pool which was heated, free basic wifi (or faster speed for a fee), TVs in each of our two rooms, and lots of environmentally friendly features. They even recycled the unused soaps in the room!
Enjoy Your Hotel Stay with Kids
Most of the tips in this section are for you to be safe and secure in your hotel room.
Our big concern with these tall beds was our toddler falling off in the middle of the night! Just like bedsharing at home, use a pool noodle, rolled up towel, or extra hotel pillows to make a barrier on either side of your child. If your hotel has that awkward gap between the bed and the wall, you can toss some of the pillows down there too, to ease a midnight landing.
If you have young kids, you’ll probably need to bring your own crib or bassinet like one of these travel ones. (They’re also good for worry-free playtime for your infant.) And we always pack our video baby monitor and hook it up to the hotel WiFi, and then can watch the kids from our own devices.
Another thing I make sure to have is a noise-cancelling machine, or even an app like Calm or Relax Sounds. That will help at nap time and bedtime!
As far as the bathroom, chances are that the sink is probably not reachable for your child. So bring along a convenient folding stool so that they can have a bit of independence in things like washing hands and brushing their teeth.
Additionally, hotel bathtubs are notoriously slippery; you don’t necessarily need to haul your own non-skid mat, but just be extremely careful when your child is getting in or out of the shower.
If your child is potty trained, you’ll definitely want to think about a folding potty seat. These travel seats come with their own travel bag so that you can tuck them into your diaper bag when you are out of the house, and it’ll help you during your hotel stay with kids, too!
Speaking of using the potty, you should have some germ wipes or hand sanitizer on hand whenever you’re out and about. I use the cheap hand sanitizers that clip onto bags or wallets, but also have the wipes.
Let your kids bring a few special toys with them like a stuffed animal if it helps them; however, I would leave any irreplaceable toys at home (unless you’ve bought a duplicate, you sneaky parent you). One of the worst things about a hotel stay with kids is realizing you’re halfway back home and your kid’s precious toy is nowhere to be found.
Finally, my kids need to have a set place to put their dirty clothes, so I just use one of these bags. There’s one for my children, one for my husband, and one for me. When I get home, the filthy laundry – including the bag! – just go in the washer.
After Your Trip is Done
The main thing I wanted to add here is that you please write a review or recommendation on sites like Expedia or Trip Advisor, to help other parents who are looking to book a vacation. I try to do this with major things like hotels and museums in the hopes that I’ll reach other parents and help them make the best choices for their families.
Don’t forget to check out my article on how to help your kids have a great car ride, and if you’re headed to the coast you definitely need my beach hacks for families!
And of course, thanks for sharing this and pinning it too!
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