How to know if a hotel is really suitable for babies
I booked a cute boutique hotel last month on the beach for a family trip and couldn’t wait.
But when I walked into our room, a toddler on my hip, my heart sank.
The two-room suite should have had it all—little Wes Anderson-inspired design touches like striped curtains, nautical artwork, and marble countertops—but I knew it was going to be difficult. The property advertised itself as a baby-friendly hotel, but one glance at the sharp-edged glass coffee table was the first sign that this was definitely not the case.
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Before, I thought of my hotel as just a place to sleep. If I spent a lot of time in my hotel room, I would vacation fake. But now that I have a little one? I have nap times, playtime, and bedtime locked in the safety of a small room. Choosing the right hotel room is essential for a smooth trip.
Following my failure, here’s what I learned about what to look for when searching for a toddler or baby friendly hotel:
Good arrangements for sleeping
Set yourself up for success by booking two queen beds instead of one king if you can. This way you have a designated space for the mountain of baby stuff you bring with you. And a place to sleep. If your budget allows, choosing a suite or balcony gives you the incredible gift of sitting and talking or (gasp!) watching TV after bed instead of sitting in the dark listening to white noise 6:30 p.m.
Basic equipment for babies and toddlers
Many hotels say they have cribs or play packs available for you to use. I checked into a hotel to find that the two available cribs were already in use by other guests. This super fun evening ended with me driving at 3 a.m. 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 bring my own.
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Some hotels, like the Dagny Hotel in Boston, go all out with baby-friendly amenities. Not only was a pack n’ play ready to go when we opened our door, but they also offered a selection of children’s toys to borrow for the duration of our stay. When you make your reservation, call or email the hotel in advance to let them know you’re bringing a baby and ask what amenities they offer.
Bath time > shower
No one wants to take a shower with a wiggly, wet, screaming baby to end the day. (Nothing says vacation like everyone in the family crying at the same time.) Many hotels offer accessible bathtubs and rooms, but like anything, you have to ask. You may have to compromise on location or room arrangements, but if bath time is sacrosanct, call and request a tub in advance. If they don’t have a baby bath insert, see if you can find a laundry basket or bring a portable one.
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But it’s getting better. Now, taking a shower in a hotel room is something my toddler looks forward to (and requests repeatedly throughout the day).
Restaurant(s) that remain open
One of the unexpected challenges of traveling with a toddler is finding kid-friendly places to eat. Like the mom of most toddlers, I never know if I’m going to have the adventurous child who will eat everything we put in front of him or the one who will eat pasta with butter. I try to choose a hotel that has at least one restaurant open for dinner at 5 p.m. (or better yet, never closes) so we can be in and out before bedtime.
If it’s a buffet, even better. The AMC Highland Center in Crawford Notch offers an evening buffet that’s a hit after long days playing in the woods or on their playground, with plenty of comforting and kid-friendly dishes.
Kids clubs that cater to young travelers
Child-specific drop-off services, like camps, daycares, or babysitters, give kids the chance to play all day and parents some time to themselves, too. My toddler literally buzzed with excitement to meet Elmo and Big Bird at Beaches Turks and Caicos Kids Camp. It made my long awaited massage even sweeter knowing he was happy to play with new friends. (He still talks 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 their daycare or camp facilities, so check carefully before you go. If you plan to take advantage of a kids’ club (and you should! It’s your vacation, too!), be sure to bring your medical records, extra diapers, wipes, clothes, and a bottle of water in a backpack labeled for them, the same way you would for a regular daycare.
“Yes” spaces throughout the property
A hotel room isn’t really a space where toddlers can be toddlers. That’s why I look for properties with plenty of common areas, ideally outdoors, for more play time. And whenever possible, I book a hotel with at least one pool. (Children under five should not go in hot tubs.)
When we stayed at the Wentworth Inn in Jackson, New Hampshire to introduce our son to Nordic skis, I didn’t realize we’d have maybe 15 minutes of skiing. We spent most of the weekend huddled in the hotel’s common room by the fire, reading books, coloring and playing hide and seek in their old-fashioned telephone booth. When we needed to blow off some steam, we bundled up and went out to the lawn to build a snow fort.
Activities and events specific to toddlers
Creating something “kid-friendly” is not the same as “toddler-friendly.” A hotel may advertise a movie night, but even a G-rated movie may be too scary (and too long) for a two-year-old. When booking trips with my toddler, I look for low-key activities that I know he can participate in, like sing-alongs or craft sessions. My truck-loving toddler laughed the entire antique fire truck ride to Winnetu Oceanside Resort on Martha’s Vineyard. Every day at 3 p.m., we saddled up, homemade cookies in hand, for our daily ride.
But know that babies and toddlers don’t necessarily do this need specific activities to keep them happy. They will be just as happy smelling the flowers in the garden or pressing the elevator buttons. Babies and young children will force you to slow down and stay present at your destination, so let them.
What to do if it’s not as baby-friendly as you hoped
The types of hotel rooms I booked before I had kids won’t work now that I have a little one who will find every fragile item you shouldn’t touch in 10 seconds flat.
When we checked into this Wes Anderson style hotel room, I threw my little one in the pack n’ play and got to work. Adapting the space to our needs took some muscle, but I managed to push most of the furniture in the common area to the sides, hiding as many dangers as possible. I blocked off the windows with trash bags and painter’s tape (next time I’ll bring portable ones) and set up a cooler for bottles and milk. Very few hotel rooms are designed for small children, so sometimes you have to make do.
The blessing in disguise in all this? It forced my family to leave our hotel room and open up to the world a little more. We spent most of our day at the beach when we normally would have gone back and forth. The rest of the time we went to the pool or ran around playing games on the lawn. There’s something to be said for loosening up the routine a little, even if it meant we were all a little more tired. I ended up with less sleep but more memories, which is exactly what my pre-child self would have wanted.
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