The hotel and hospitality industry thrives on customer satisfaction and takes so many steps to offer the comfort and convenience to provide baby-friendly vacations to the parents, who travel with their little ones. However, more often than not, as a travel bug family, we had encountered rooms and experiences which did not meet expectations.
Over the years, we finally have cracked the code of finding kid-friendly properties, that go beyond the simple form in most online portals, asking the number of guests and age group and then the list of smart suggestions keep filling up our screen.
Some key features make it an absolute non-negotiable when choosing the right stay on our trip, while we also have curated some nice-to-haves. We did all the dirty work, so you don’t have to, and now, we present a one-stop solution of finding the perfect baby friendly vacations when traveling with your new family.
As step 1, we definitely recommend contacting the hotel authorities prior to making the reservation. Before you make the call or write that email, do have the following list of questions for ease of conversation. Intrigued? So, without further ado, let’s get started!
3 Must-Have Features of Baby Friendly Vacations
Let’s start small and get our basics right. Here are the three questions we NEVER fail to ask before booking any property:
1. Are there any family rooms?
Though most hotels encourage big groups of guests, sometimes, they don’t have the space or plans of accommodating them. When hotels have family rooms with four beds, or suites with compartmentalized structures, or perhaps even bunk beds for kids, you know they aim at offering baby friendly vacations. More importantly, if you prefer co-sleeping with your kid(s), it’s better to ask about more space, if available.
2. Can you provide a crib or baby cot and high-chair for feeding?
This is a new trend that we have started seeing since the travel industry reset and restarted after the Pandemic. Earlier, AirBnBs or Homestays were the only options where designated and sanitized cribs were offered (other than the 5-stars), but now, mid-range hotels are upping their game too. On our trip to Vietnam, our hotel in Hanoi happily offered a cute wooden crib for Little A. Same went for the high-chair. Traditionally seen as one of the more expensive accessories at restaurants, with more families with young children going out for social meet and greets, properties are keeping a couple at bay to attend to such needs of the Millennial parents.
3. Can the room/property be baby-proofed prior to our visit?
Jesus said, “Ask and you shall receive”. Following his guidance, we don’t shy away from asking this question, however bizarre it may sound to the unversed. For new parents, please take note that more often than not, you will be at the receiving end of an amicable assistant, who will simply ask how can they help in ensuring that the room is baby-proofed. Smile, and simply read out this list:
- Can you add extra pillows or cushions to the room?
- Is there a way to add soft rugs or carpet on the floor, if not already provided?
- Can you put away any hazardous objects or place them at a higher level – hair dryers, glass wares, or breakable décor items?
- Can electrical sockets be covered? (Note: It’s also a good idea to carry some baby-proofing materials with your luggage! Check out these options for USA, and these items for India.)
Yes, you might not meet with positive response for every one of your questions, but at least you’ll know what to ask, and they will know the demands of such guests. Trust us when we say that the post-Pandemic hotel industry is more than happy to welcome the large demographic of family travelers, and they will try their best to ensure your safety and comfort.
Next, let’s move on to some more questions you can ask, which we categorize as negotiables and non-mandatory.
3 Nice-to-Have Features of Baby Friendly Vacations
As already mentioned above, when you’re travelling with a baby, you’re given some special attention. So, it’s good to acknowledge the hospitality, and based on the interaction, you can ask the following 3 additional questions to learn whether the accommodation offer baby friendly vacations:
1. Is there a Kitchenette or Hot Kettle available for use?
Most hotel rooms come with the hot kettle, and most AirBnBs and homestays will definitely have a kitchenette. However, it’s always good to ask for at least one of them where you’re planning to stay, because you’ll need them for a variety of reasons. Be it to boil water for your young one, sterilize the bottles, or simply cook some food for them, a kitchenette or at least a hot kettle is a really good feature to have in the property.
2. Is there a play room or kiddie pool?
While these amenities are more akin to the luxurious properties, nowadays, even mid-range and budget-friendly hotels or homestays are stepping up their game and providing some sort of engagement activities for kids, like sensory toys, children library section, or even some foam or plastic play set. Often, small beachside hotels even provide free sand toys, floats, and other entertainment items for kids, while log cabins have free marshmallows to roast over pitfire. We even had a restaurant in Gili Trawangan provide doctor play sets, sand toys, and crayons for little ones to entertain themselves, while the parents enjoyed a date by the beach.
3. Is there any family discount rate?
Most properties around the globe provide free stay for a child under 2 years of age. However, for families with slightly older children, hotels often provide a discounted rate for an additional room, if needed, or offer adjacent rooms with a connected door. We had this come to us as a pleasant surprise in our recent trip to Thailand. Additionally, properties allow complimentary breakfast for infants in most of the baby friendly vacations, but some even extend the offer to children under 5 with customized kid-friendly menus, when asked.
If the hotel meets most (if not all) of your items in the checklist, you can go ahead and make the reservation with confidence.
On reaching your destination, you know a family is more than welcome, if you notice the following actions made by the hotel authorities. These amenities fall into a third category that we have curated to identify baby friendly vacations.
Curious to know? Keep reading!
3 Great and Unexpected Features of Baby Friendly Vacations
This list is purely some great stuff that we experienced on certain properties.
They are by no means part of the norm and it perhaps only gave us more trust that the post-pandemic hotel industry is truly ready to create baby friendly vacations and embrace the new demographic – young families.
An important callout here is to acknowledge these as gifts and not expect them upfront or even ask about them. Remember, even you are scored as a guest, so never overstep the welcome.
Okay… now let’s focus on these little gestures that touched our hearts!
1. Farewell Gifts from the Hotels
On our trips to Hanoi, Vietnam and Dharmshala, India, when we checked out, we were given little souvenirs – keychains and magnets. While it absolutely was not necessary, we felt that little gesture came with a lot of warmth and we did recommend these hotels to whoever asked!
2. Toys for Kids
On our trip to Nagaland, India, our homestay owner loaned a basket of toys for Little A to play, and they included everything from building blocks to Legos, to even an airplane! Though we travel with ample toys to keep her engaged, it was noteworthy how she loved the new toys and the owners definitely earned more brownie points from us!
3. Complimentary Baby Sitters
This was one of the best experiences ever! During our cruise in the Ha Long Bay, there was a dedicated assistant who befriended our 4-month daughter and babysat her while we enjoyed some high tea and date time on our last night aboard. It was simply an amazing feel to get even 45 minutes to be boyfriend and girlfriend again!
Baby Friendly Destinations: The Perfect Checklist for You!
If you’ve reached till here, thank you for being with us till the end! As a small token of our gratitude, we have created something special for you!
Here is a customizable checklist with the features and questions to ask and identify baby friendly vacations. We have also kept some space to add your own questions, should you have any.
You can download it for your use and reference in the future. Simply click the image and download!
We hope these pointers will help you to choose the experience that works for YOU and YOUR BABY! After all, we want only the best for your new family.
Happy travelling!
