I booked a cute boutique hotel on the beach last month for a family trip and couldn’t wait.
But when I walked into our room with the baby on my hip, my heart sank.
The two-bedroom had everything—little Wes Anderson-inspired design touches like striped drapes, nautical artwork, and marble countertops—but I knew it would be difficult. The hotel advertised itself as a child-friendly hotel, but one look at the sharp-edged glass coffee table was the first sign that this was anything but.
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I used to think of my hotel as just a place to sleep. When I spent a lot of time in my hotel room, I did vacation wrong. However, now that I have a little one? I have hours of napping, playing and sleeping in the safety of a tiny room. Choosing the right hotel room is everything for a smooth trip.
After my failure, here’s what I learned about what to look for when looking for a toddler- and kid-friendly hotel:
Correct sleeping position
Set yourself up for success if you can by booking two queen beds instead of a king. That way, you’ll have a special place for the mountain of baby stuff you take with you and a place to sleep. If your budget allows, opting for a room or balcony will give you the incredible gift of sitting and chatting or (gasp!) watching TV after bed instead of sitting in the dark listening to white noise at 6:30 p.m.
Basic amenities for babies and toddlers
Many hotels say they have cots or play sets. I checked into the hotel only to find that the two available baby cots were already being used by other guests. That extremely fun night ended with me driving at 3am until my son stopped screaming and finally fell asleep Now I call ahead and make sure it’s on our reservation if I’m going somewhere I can’t take mine.
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Some hotels, like the Dagny Hotel in Boston, go above and beyond with kid-friendly amenities. When we opened the door, not only was there a set of children’s toys ready to borrow for the duration of our stay. When you make a reservation, call or email the hotel in advance to let them know you are bringing a child and ask what amenities they offer.
Tubby time > shower
No one wants to shower with a damp, wet and screaming baby to end the day. (Nothing says vacation like everyone in the family crying at the same time.) Many hotels offer bathtubs and affordable rooms, but as with anything, you have to ask. You may have to trade room location or organization, but if the time to rest is sacrilegious, call and request a bath in advance. If they don’t have a baby bath insert, see if you can find a laundry basket or get a portable one.
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However, it gets better. My toddler now looks forward to showering in a hotel room (and asks about it multiple times throughout the day).
Restaurant(s) that remain open
One of the unexpected challenges when traveling with a toddler is finding places to eat. Like most mothers of toddlers, I never know if I’m going to have an adventurous kid who will eat everything we put in front of him or one who digs into pasta and butter. I try to pick a hotel that has at least one restaurant that opens for dinner at 5pm (or better yet, never closes) so we can get in and out before bed.
If it’s a buffet, even better. AMC Highland Center in Crawford Notch hosts a nightly buffet after long days of playing in the woods or on the playground with a variety of comforting, kid-friendly dishes.
Kids clubs that cater to little travelers
Special drop-off services, such as camps, daycare centers, or babysitting services, give kids the chance to play all day and parents a little time for themselves. My toddler was literally buzzing with excitement to meet Elmo and Big Bird at Turks and Caicos Beach Kids Camp. It made my long awaited massage even sweeter knowing he was happy to play with his new friends. (He’s still talking about it months later.)
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But offering a kids club doesn’t automatically mean your baby and toddler will be able to go. Many hotels require children to be a certain age or potty trained to access daycare or camp, so double check before you go. If you plan to take advantage of the Kids Club (and you should! It’s your vacation, too!), be sure to bring medical records, extra diapers, wipes, clothes, and a water bottle in a backpack labeled for them, just like for ordinary kindergarten.
“Yes” locations throughout the area
A hotel room isn’t really a place where toddlers can be, well, toddlers. That’s why I look for properties that have a lot of common areas, ideally outside, to get some extra time. And wherever possible, I book a hotel with at least one pool. (Children under five should not go in the hot tub.)
When we stayed at the Wentworth Inn in Jackson, New Hampshire to put our son on Nordic skis for the first time, I didn’t realize we would get maybe 15 minutes of skiing. We spent most of the weekend cuddling up in the living room by the fireplace, reading books, coloring and playing hide and seek in their old fashioned phone booth. When we needed to pull out the real swings, we would pack up and go out on the lawn to make a snow fort.
Events and activities for the little ones
Making something “kid-friendly” isn’t the same as “toddler-friendly.” A hotel may advertise a movie night, but even a G-rated movie might be too scary (and too long) for a two-year-old. When I book trips with my toddler, I look for low-key activities that I know he can participate in, like singing or crafts. My truck-loving toddler giggled the entire time on the antique fire truck ride at Winnetu Oceanside Resort on Martha’s Vineyard. Every day at 3:00 pm, we would gather with homemade cookies in hand for our daily commute.
But know that it is not necessary for babies and toddlers need specific activities for them to be happy. They will be just as happy smelling the flowers in the garden or pressing the elevator buttons. Babies and toddlers will force you to slow down and stay at your destination, so let them.
What to do if it is not as comfortable for the child as you hoped
The types of hotel rooms I booked before I had kids no longer work now that I have a toddler who will find every delicate item that shouldn’t be touched in 10 seconds.
When we got to that Wes Anderson-esque hotel room, I threw my toddler in my backpack and got to work. It took some muscle to adapt the space to our needs, but I was able to move most of the furniture in the common area to the side, hiding as many hazards as possible. Covered the windows with garbage bags and masking tape (I’ll bring portables next time) and set up a cooler for bottles and milk. Very few hotel rooms are designed with small children in mind, so sometimes you have to make do.
Hidden happiness with all this? It forced my family out of the hotel room and out into the world a little more. We spent most of the day at the beach where we usually walked back and forth. The rest of the time we went to the pool or ran around playing lawn games. There’s something to be said for loosening up the routine a bit, even if it means we’re all a little tired. I ended up with less sleep but more memories, which is exactly what my pre-baby self would have wanted.