If you’re traveling with kids, it can bring about a whole set of challenges and considerations you wouldn’t otherwise have to worry about. Choosing the right accommodations for your kids and the entire family can be one way to avoid many of the most common obstacles that occur when traveling with kids.
When you’re comparing hotels and places to stay, how do you know what features are going to be most child and family-friendly? How do you ensure you’re making the right choice?
The following are some of the main things to think about if you want to choose a hotel that will work well for the needs of your kids and everyone you’re traveling with.
Location
What’s going to make a good location in one destination might be different in another location. For example, if you’re going to a bigger city or more urban area, you might want to try and find lodging that’s close to public transportation. The longer the walk to get to public transport, the more tired your kids are going to get along the way.
If you’re going to a big city you might also want to find a hotel that’s close to some of the major attractions you’re going to, and within walking distance to a park or green space.
Now, if you are going somewhere like Myrtle Beach, public transportation won’t factor into your decision. Instead, you’ll want to look for somewhere that’s as close as possible to the beach or wherever you plan to spend the majority of your time. A long drive or walk to the beach won’t be great for kids.
Some hotels offer free shuttle services and if you have kids, this can be an ideal way to travel in your destination. You can find out not only if shuttle service is available, but how often it runs and where it goes.
Kitchenettes
If you can find a hotel room or accommodations with kitchenettes, it can be excellent. When you have a kitchenette, you can take care of those nighttime snack requests. You can keep some juice or milk and other essentials, and also maybe some items to make a quick breakfast in the morning before everyone is out the door for the day.
If there isn’t a kitchenette, look for a hotel that has an onsite store where you can pick up some essentials if needed. You might opt for a hotel with room service as well, but check out the menus before booking because they might not have kid-friendly items or the menu could be out of your budget.
It’s good to have access to some resources whether in a kitchenette or hotel store when you’re traveling with kids because you can’t always prepare for every unexpected situation or request that might come up.
Complimentary Breakfast
Before you have kids, you might not realize what a perk complimentary breakfast can be. Once you have kids, you understand a little more. If you have complimentary breakfast at your hotel, it can save you quite a bit of money, leaving you only two meals to prepare for and pay for the rest of the day. It can also save time to have that onsite so that you don’t have to go out in search of it every morning.
Bathtub
A bathtub can be an important feature in a family-friendly hotel room. A lot of modern hotel rooms will only have a shower, so double check that you’re getting a tub when you’re booking, especially if your kids are younger.
Another family-friendly bathroom feature that you might prefer is a separate toilet area with a door. This will allow for multiple people to be using the bathroom simultaneously as they’re getting ready.
Baby Supplies
Depending on the age of your child, you might contact a hotel you’re considering staying at and ask them if they have babyproofing supplies as well as other items you might not want to pack, particularly if you’re flying.
Some hotels will have things like outlet covers available. They may also have a crib you can use, but ask them the price first. Sometimes these are provided for free, but other times you have to pay extra.
If your kids are older a lot of hotels will bring a rollaway bed or cot on request.
Finally, what about WiFi? If your kids like devices every now and again you don’t want to pay a huge fee for daily WiFi, so look for options that include this in the price of the room.
