Travelling with kids brings with it some challenges, one of the biggest challenges can be working out where to stay.

Often the most economical type of accommodation is a hotel, and just because you have kids, it doesn’t mean that you can’t stay in a hotel, it just means that you have to put a little bit more planning into your hotel choice.

Whenever my family travel, we always stay in a hotel, and we don’t stay in hotels that are packed with family friendly options, such as kid’s clubs, or babysitting services.

In fact, the hotels we stay in just have a restaurant onsite, and that’s it, and for us this is doable with a five year old, and a 22 month old.

If you’d like to stay in a hotel when travelling with kids, then here are some things to look for in a hotel, to make your stay just that little bit less stressful.

Location

The location of your hotel is one of the most important factors to consider when travelling with kids, especially if you’re staying in a hotel that doesn’t have any kid friendly attractions within it.

Centrally located hotels that are close to family friendly attractions like amusement parks, zoos, playgrounds, farms, the beach, and public transport (if you need it), and aren’t near nightclubs, are ideal.

Make sure you look at a map before booking a hotel, work out how far attractions are, and read reviews online about how accessible the location is before you book.

Facilities

Working out what facilities you want in your hotel before you book, will help you to narrow down your hotel choice.

Here are some facilities that you may like your hotel to have, when travelling with kids.

It’s important to note that not all hotels have these things, this is simply a list of facilities that you may like to look for when booking a hotel.

• Mini fridge to store milk, snacks, and breakfast items.
• Microwave to heat milk, or meals.
• Coffee maker.
• Mini grocery store that also sells nappies, wipes, and other baby essentials.
• Free Wi-Fi.
• Bath.
• Extra bedding like cots, children’s beds, pillows, sheets, duvets.
• A supply of highchairs, or baby and toddler proofing kits.
• Safety features including windows that lock, heavy furniture that’s secured to the wall, and doors with locks that can’t be opened by young children.
• Child friendly pool.
• In room laundry facilities, or coin operated washing machine and dryer.
• Kid’s clubs or babysitting services.

Restaurant or food options

Food stops are a regular activity when travelling with kids, and if you’re travelling with young children with early bedtimes, it can be easier if your hotel has an onsite restaurant, so you can eat early, or leave and go straight to your room if needed.

If your hotel has an onsite restaurant, they may also have a kid’s menu, or let kids eat for free, and if you have the option of breakfast, find out if it’s included in your stay, or if you need to pay extra.

If it’s too hard to eat at a restaurant, it may be best to stay at a hotel that has room service.

If you have children who are older, you may be able to choose a hotel that’s within walking distance to cafés or restaurants.

Room configuration

Room configuration is another important factor when choosing a hotel, especially when travelling with kids, because everyone needs to comfortably live in much smaller quarters than usual.

If travelling with more than one child, or your children have different bedtimes, then booking a hotel that offers interconnecting rooms is a great solution.

These types of rooms are two rooms joined together by a door. If this is of interest to you, make sure you call the hotel first to see whether they offer this type of room, and if so, if it’s available when you want to book.

Booking interconnecting rooms is something that we’ve done quite a few times, and whenever we do I never regret it.

It’s fantastic having a whole room that your children can enjoy on their own, whilst still being able to monitor what they’re doing, and have them safely next to you.

If the hotel you want to book doesn’t have interconnecting rooms, they may be able to offer you adjoining rooms, which are multiple rooms next to each other, or opposite each other, which are perfect if you have older children.

I’ve also booked adjoining rooms with my two young children, and when I have one adult stays with one child in one room, the other adult in the other.

I’ve even been able to get my 22 month old to sleep in one room, and then spent time on my computer whilst he sleeps with the screen brightness turned down really low.

If you don’t get interconnecting or adjoining rooms, and instead decide to stay in one hotel room, or even book a slightly larger family room, make sure the room has enough beds, or a pull out couch in place of extra beds.

Make sure the hotel sets these up for you before you arrive, and find out if there’s an extra charge for extra beds.

Discounts

Some hotels offer discounts for family rooms, suites, discounts if you stay for a certain number of nights, or even entrance discounts to surrounding family attractions, which may influence the hotel you book.

You can find out about these things on the hotel’s website, or call them if you can’t find this information.

Refund policy

Travelling with kids means that unfortunately your holiday may not end up going ahead, due to sickness, or any other reason.

Before booking a hotel, see what their refund policy is so you don’t loose money if you can’t make the booking.

What do you look for in a hotel when travelling with kids?