Listen up, hoteliers! As a seasoned traveler and parent, I’ve experienced a wide range of hotels, and it’s clear that some truly excel at catering to families while others… well, have room for improvement. I’ve previously shared feedback on specific establishments, highlighting areas for growth to enhance guest experiences. But now, drawing upon my own extensive travels and valuable insights from the Travel Babbo community, I want to compile a comprehensive guide outlining exactly what makes a hotel a family friendly dream destination. If your hotel already embodies these qualities, please reach out! I am on a mission to discover and recommend the very best Family Friendly Hotels to fellow travel-loving families. And if your current offerings fall short of this checklist, consider this your invitation to elevate your services and become a haven for families everywhere. Let’s dive into the essential elements of truly family friendly hotels.
1) Rooms Designed for Families of All Sizes
When searching for family friendly hotels, space and flexibility are paramount, especially for larger families. While not every room needs to accommodate a crowd, it’s crucial for hotels to offer a variety of room configurations that cater to different family sizes. Ideally, family friendly hotels should feature rooms capable of comfortably hosting two parents with two, three, or even four children. If individual rooms have a maximum occupancy of four, connecting rooms are an absolute necessity! Splitting families across separate rooms on different floors, as experienced at the ACHAT Plaza Zum Hirschen in Salzburg, is simply inconvenient and detracts from the family vacation experience.
Mauna Lani hotel patio, Hawaii, with connecting rooms, perfect for family friendly stays
The patio of connecting rooms at the Mauna Lani in Hawaii, showcasing an ideal setup for family friendly hotels. Photo: Eric Stoen/Travel Babbo
2) Streamlined Booking for Larger Families
Navigating hotel booking websites can often be a frustrating experience for families, particularly larger ones. Try it yourself: visit any hotel website and attempt to determine room occupancy limits upfront. It’s surprisingly difficult, isn’t it? Many family friendly hotels actually do offer rooms or suites that can accommodate five or six guests, but this information is often buried or unclear during the initial booking process. For example, attempting to book a room for two adults and four children on the Grand Wailea’s website frequently results in an error message, suggesting occupancy limits are exceeded, without clearly indicating whether suitable rooms are unavailable or if no rooms are available at all. This ambiguity forces families into a cumbersome process of guessing, re-searching with different adult/child ratios, and potentially splitting their family across multiple bookings.
To truly cater to families, family friendly hotels should prioritize clear and accessible information regarding room occupancy on their booking interfaces. Including a simple note detailing the maximum number of people each room type can accommodate would drastically improve the booking experience. Currently, families often have to sift through lengthy room descriptions or resort to contacting the hotel directly to clarify whether “max occupancy of four” includes young children. Simpler booking is key for family friendly hotels.
3) Family-Friendly Rates and Discounts
If family friendly hotels require families to book multiple rooms to accommodate their size, offering a family rate or a discount on the second room is a significant gesture of goodwill and understanding. However, these family rates must be genuinely beneficial. Avoid tying them to inflated rack rates that are rarely, if ever, charged to guests. It’s common to see hotels advertise family rates, but often these discounts are not applicable to other, more realistic promotions like bed and breakfast packages, free night offers, or seasonal deals.
Consider the example of the Four Seasons Bora Bora, which previously offered a “fourth night free” deal (a true 25% discount) or a “second bungalow at 50% off” for families. However, these offers were mutually exclusive, meaning families couldn’t combine them for greater savings. While a “family rate” was available, it essentially provided the same level of discount as standard promotions and didn’t represent the substantial 50% savings implied, as guests were unlikely to pay full price anyway. A genuine family discount should offer incremental value beyond standard promotions.
By offering attractive rates for families, family friendly hotels are making a smart marketing investment. Happier parents are more likely to become repeat customers and recommend your hotel to others. Consider the long-term value of building loyalty. Families who have positive experiences and return to a hotel year after year – like those whose children grow up vacationing at the Mauna Lani in Hawaii – are highly likely to choose your hotel for their own family vacations in the future, creating a cycle of loyal clientele for family friendly hotels.
4) Welcoming Check-in Experiences for Kids
Small gestures can make a big difference, especially when it comes to welcoming children. Family friendly hotels understand the importance of making kids feel valued from the moment they arrive. Providing a small, thoughtful gift at check-in, specifically for children, can have a lasting positive impact. Think of simple items like colored pencils, coloring books, beach balls, small beach toys, or stuffed animals. These inexpensive items serve as instant entertainment, keeping kids occupied during the check-in process and setting a positive tone for their vacation. More importantly, these welcome gifts make children feel personally acknowledged and create an immediate positive connection with the hotel.
Stuffed bears from FAO Schwarz at St. Regis Aspen hotel, a delightful welcome gift for kids in family friendly hotels
Stuffed bears from FAO Schwarz were a huge hit with children at the St. Regis Aspen, showcasing a memorable welcome gesture for family friendly hotels. Photo: Eric Stoen/Travel Babbo
5) Proactive Recommendations for Kid-Friendly Activities
Planning activities in a new destination can be time-consuming, especially for busy parents. Family friendly hotels can significantly enhance the family vacation experience by proactively offering curated recommendations for local kid-friendly attractions and activities. Providing guests with a readily available sheet or booklet detailing nearby parks, playgrounds, aquariums, children’s museums, kid-friendly cooking classes, and other family-approved local gems is an invaluable service. Creating and maintaining such a resource requires a relatively small investment of time from the concierge team but greatly elevates the guest experience for families.
It’s frustrating for parents when, upon asking the concierge for kid-friendly recommendations, they are simply directed to the hotel’s kids club. While kids clubs are a valuable amenity, they are not a substitute for exploring the local area. Family friendly hotels empower families to make the most of their destination by providing readily accessible information on a wide array of off-site activities suitable for children of all ages.
A child sketching in a travel journal received at Westin Times Square, highlighting thoughtful amenities in family friendly hotels
A child happily sketching in a travel journal received at check-in at the Westin Times Square, illustrating thoughtful amenities appreciated by families in family friendly hotels. Photo: Eric Stoen/Travel Babbo
6) Generous Space in Guest Rooms
Families, particularly those with young children, often travel with more luggage and equipment than other travelers. Family friendly hotels recognize the need for extra space in guest rooms to comfortably accommodate families and their belongings. Cribs or Pack’n Plays for infants and toddlers are often essential. Beyond luggage, families simply appreciate having room to spread out and relax in their hotel room during downtime. While historical hotels may prioritize character over spaciousness, and room sizes are inherently limited, prioritizing rooms with a little extra square footage is a significant benefit for families. This extra space allows families to feel less cramped and more at ease during their stay, enhancing the overall family friendly hotels experience.
7) Kid-Friendly Pools and Hot Tubs
For many families, a pool is a must-have amenity when choosing family friendly hotels. To truly cater to families, hotels with pools should consider features that make them enjoyable and safe for children of all ages. A shallow section in the main pool is ideal for younger children to play safely while still being supervised by parents nearby. Similarly, hot tubs can be a relaxing amenity for families, but family friendly hotels should either offer a separate family hot tub or ensure that children are permitted in the main hot tub with a safe and comfortable temperature. When designing or evaluating pool areas, hotels should view them through the lens of a family experience. Is the pool a place where families would genuinely want to spend a day? Can parents comfortably supervise younger children in the shallow end without needing to be constantly in the water with them?
Furthermore, family friendly hotels should strive to create a welcoming and relaxed pool atmosphere. Avoid overly strict or bureaucratic towel policies that require guests to present armbands or room cards every time they need a towel. Families on vacation want to feel like valued guests, not just room numbers, even at the pool.
8) All-Day, Complimentary Kids Clubs
Kids clubs can be a fantastic amenity for family friendly hotels, providing children with engaging activities and parents with some valuable downtime. However, to maximize their appeal to families, kids clubs should be accessible and flexible. Charging exorbitant daily fees ($50-$100 per day) and requiring full-day commitments can deter many families from utilizing this service. The most exceptional family friendly hotels, like Four Seasons and Rosewood resorts, offer kids clubs that are complimentary and operate throughout the day, allowing children to drop in and out as they please. This flexibility is crucial, as children’s interest in structured activities can vary.
Ideally, kids clubs in family friendly hotels should function not only as childcare facilities but also as welcoming spaces where children can relax, engage in crafts, play games, watch movies, or participate in supervised hotel excursions, even for short periods. Families often appreciate the option for their children to take a break from the sun or structured family time for an hour or two in a stimulating and supervised environment. Kids clubs should cater to spontaneous visits and shorter durations, rather than solely focusing on full-day childcare.
Complimentary pinball at Four Seasons Orlando Resort kids arcade, highlighting kid-friendly amenities in family friendly hotels
Playing complimentary pinball in the kids’ arcade at the Four Seasons Orlando Resort, showcasing complimentary and engaging amenities in family friendly hotels. Photo: Eric Stoen/Travel Babbo
9) Convenient and Kid-Friendly Dining Options
Dining with children can sometimes be challenging, and family friendly hotels understand the importance of providing convenient and appealing food options for families. Having a casual restaurant with a diverse menu that caters to both adult and children’s tastes is a significant advantage. Including a dedicated kids’ menu as a backup option is also a smart approach. For hotels with more formal dining establishments, offering a casual dining section, perhaps outdoors, specifically designed for families can be highly appreciated. These casual spaces allow children a bit more freedom to move around while waiting for their meals, creating a more relaxed dining atmosphere for everyone.
Furthermore, family friendly hotels should consider offering convenient takeaway options. Providing families with the ability to easily order food to go and bring it back to their rooms is a valuable service, especially for evenings when families prefer a more relaxed in-room dining experience.
Enjoying wine while kids play at Ristorante Del Lago at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, showcasing family friendly dining at hotels
Parents enjoying wine while children play at Ristorante Del Lago at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, illustrating relaxed and family friendly dining experiences in hotels. Photo: Eric Stoen/Travel Babbo
10) Accessible and Affordable Laundry Services
Families with children inevitably generate laundry, especially on longer trips. Family friendly hotels recognize the need for accessible and reasonably priced laundry options. Relying solely on expensive per-item laundry services (“The List”) is not practical for families. Providing complimentary washers and dryers, as offered at the Mauna Lani and Four Seasons Bora Bora, is an exceptional amenity. Alternatively, coin-operated laundry facilities are a good compromise. Ideally, family friendly hotels should offer guests access to laundry machines or provide an affordable per-load laundry service (e.g., a flat rate of $15 per load). Knowing that laundry facilities are readily available makes packing for family trips significantly easier and less stressful.
The Chedi Club Tanah Gajah in Bali sets a gold standard for family friendly hotels laundry service by offering to wash six items per person per day, completely free of charge. This level of service demonstrates a true commitment to guest convenience and goes above and beyond to support families.
Kid-sized bicycle at Sonesta Hilton Head, highlighting kid-friendly amenities beyond rooms in family friendly hotels
A kid-sized bicycle available at the Sonesta Hilton Head, showcasing kid-friendly amenities beyond just rooms in family friendly hotels. Photo: Eric Stoen/Travel Babbo
11) Kid-Sized Amenities
Small details can make a big difference in making children feel comfortable and catered to. Family friendly hotels pay attention to providing kid-sized amenities throughout the property. Offering kid-sized robes in guest rooms is a thoughtful touch that children appreciate. Similarly, considering the height of bathroom sinks and ensuring they are accessible for children, even if they need to stand on tiptoes, is important. Some hotels have sinks positioned so high that children are forced to use unsafe improvisations, like overturned trash cans, to reach them. Simple adjustments like providing step stools or designing sinks at a more accessible height demonstrate a hotel’s commitment to being truly family friendly hotels.
12) A Genuinely Kid-Friendly Atmosphere
Ultimately, the most crucial element of family friendly hotels is the overall atmosphere and attitude of the staff. Families want to feel genuinely welcome and valued, with their children treated as respected guests, not potential disruptions. Even the most luxurious and formal hotels can cultivate a kid-friendly vibe by ensuring their staff interacts positively with children. Staff members who take the time to speak directly to children, ask about their vacation, or offer suggestions for activities, whether they are housekeepers, managers, or pool staff, create a welcoming and memorable experience. Positive interactions with hotel staff, regardless of the hotel’s size or formality, can significantly enhance a family’s stay and make them eager to return to family friendly hotels.
Kid-sized robes at Rosewood Mayakoba, a thoughtful amenity for children in family friendly hotels
Three kid-sized robes awaiting children at the Rosewood Mayakoba, perfectly sized and showcasing thoughtful amenities in family friendly hotels. Photo: Eric Stoen/Travel Babbo
These twelve points represent the key elements that define truly family friendly hotels. By focusing on these areas, hotels can significantly improve their appeal to families and create exceptional vacation experiences that foster loyalty and positive word-of-mouth referrals. Hoteliers, consider this your checklist for becoming a dream destination for families. And parents, use this guide to inform your choices when seeking out the best family friendly hotels for your next unforgettable family getaway.
