Have you ever been tasked with planning your family’s vacation? Did you realize when you started looking for hotels, the large number of them available for your review? In some cities there are more than 700 hotels in a variety of price and location categories. A large number of options can be great because you can enter your criteria and thus narrow the field of options to your top 5 hotels, for example. When you’re planning a vacation for your family, you’ll obviously have different hotel amenities wanted or needed than if you were traveling alone, with your spouse, or on business.
Today, many hotels cater to families. For example, they may offer rollaway beds, have rooms that have a walled-in area, or have separate rooms for the kids and mom and dad. They may also include free coloring books and crayons and small games for children. If you were to get a hotel room somewhere geared toward kids of all ages, like Orlando or San Diego, hotels may offer separate kids’ sinks or step stools for kids to reach. Some are also outfitted with princess or character beds, Disney décor, and discount deals that incorporated all things Disney.
There are hotel services that, while not important to you if you are traveling alone, can be a deal breaker if you are traveling with your family. For example, a free continental breakfast would save you perhaps $100 over an extended weekend stay. A swimming pool may not be of interest to you when you are in a hotel on business, but many families look for accommodations with swimming pools as hotel services because it is something that can be done to tire out children, ensuring that they sleep through the excitement of vacation. As hotels renovate, some are replacing the tub/shower combination with a walk-in shower. While this is fine for adults, it won’t work for families.
On the other hand, hotel amenities like a business center can be essential when you’re traveling for work, but completely irrelevant when you’re with your family or spouse. A hotel bar is wonderful if you are with your spouse or traveling on business. Hotels with large bathrooms are useful for families but unnecessary for business travelers. Hotel supplies like irons and ironing boards are great for business travelers, but probably not very useful for families. At the same time, durable ice buckets are great for families because even the youngest kids can carry around a small, sturdy ice bucket with ease.
In general, the hotel supplies and amenities you’re looking for will vary depending on who you’re traveling with or the purpose of the trip. Once you’ve selected hotels with similar required amenities and narrowed them down, make your reservations and get ready to make memories! Remember that hoteliers want to impress you and make your stay a memorable and pleasant experience. They often offer amenities that will help you or give your family more value for money. Of course, their ultimate goal is for you to return to them repeatedly, as this has a positive effect on their occupancy rates.