Pictures can mislead. A hotel room can look spacious in rental photos, but can quickly feel small once the travel crib and bags are in the room. Knowing what information to look for and what to read between the lines will help avoid the hotel horror story that so many families have experienced when they realize the truth after booking.
Space you’ll actually use
The space needs to be adequate for two adults and a travel crib, and the photos are never enough. Sometimes you just need to look at the details. Is there a separate sleeping area? Is there a way to fit the travel crib without blocking the door? An extra square meter of a fancy bathroom can’t compete with not having a travel crib blocking the exit.
Connecting hotel rooms and family suites are the best options, but can be hard to find and expensive. As the kids get older, having a family suite will be more desired since they can have their own space, but don’t have to be trusted to have their own hotel room.
Kitchen or no kitchen
The addition of a kitchen in a hotel can be a game-changer. Having hotel breakfast and snacks in the room or having one less meal to schedule around when your little one is napping. Having a fridge or a kettle can also provide the same experience.
Safety. (Pool)
Signs indicating water depth aren’t enough. The shallow end must actually be shallow. It’s actually better for pool safety to be able to see the pool from the deck than for the pool to have an elaborate design.
Location vs Convenience
Rooms with a direct ocean view have a big price increase, despite the experience being the same. The ocean is right outside. It’s much more economical to get a room that is a short walk away from the beach and you will be making that walk multiple times a day with little kids anyways.
Outdoor and communal space
Even a small balcony where you have some privacy makes an enormous difference. You can escape the tiny, cramped hotel room where you can’t move if you have a balcony. Most listings will look very similar, but the ones with outdoor space differ very greatly in how large and spacious they feel.
You’re much more limited in options when you have older kids and you need somewhere else that isn’t your hotel room. There are many ways the place you stay on a vacation can transform the experience from a place you sleep to a real part of the vacation. Remember that when looking over different hotel options.
What the Reviews Really Mean
Star ratings don’t mean anything for family-friendliness. Reviews matter. We look for mentions of noise complaints, the level of actual thought put into a “kids’ menu,” or if parents actually reviewed the kids’ stay. Recently posted reviews from families actually tell you what you want to know about a hotel.
The Summary
Finding the right hotel for the family doesn’t rely on finding the hotel with the best photos. You want the hotel that most closely matches how your family actually spends the day. From nap and meal times to how much space everyone needs, you want to pull apart how a family spends a day. Once you arrive at the hotel, you want to avoid the unhappy adult kids’ complaints that you didn’t design and plan around their needs. You can do that by focusing on the practical details first.