All our hotels have been hand selected as family-friendly by our dedicated team of City Insiders who know the city well or have actually stayed in the hotels. We value the following criteria when making our selections:
- Ability to fit 3+ people in a room or interconnecting rooms
- Location – close to amenities such as shops, parks
- Service that goes above and beyond
Festive Hotel Family Suite in the heart of Sentosa Island, Singapore
As parents, we know an ordinary hotel search doesn’t always bring up the results you need when searching for something family friendly.
Simply having a larger room or handing out a kids pack won’t cut it these days. Discerning parents look for something that goes above and beyond to enjoy there stay. While resorts have the family market fairly well nailed, many city hotels have a long way to go in understanding this market.
What features do our Little City parents love?
We have worked extensively with the family travel community to determine what factors are most important to them.
All the hotels we recommend here on Little City Trips have been recommended by families and we have researched them for the features we know matter most. Parents value the following hotel amenities:
- Cots provided
- Rollaway beds
- Stroller access
- Kids amenities (such as bottle steriliser, baby bath, toiletries)
- Pool/Beach Towels included
- Beachfront
- 24-hour room service
- Onsite restaurant
- Kids menus
- Self-service laundry
- Onsite parking
- Kitchenette
- Nearby mini market
Not every hotel will match all the criteria we are looking for, but on Little City Trips we have tried to make it easy for parents to identify which hotels have the most important amenities to them. Location, convenience and those little extra touches can make a big difference too.
We have also done our best to find the very best family hotels in every budget bracket of the market: Luxury, mid-range and budget.
All our hotels come with coded icons to help guide you to the facilities that matter most for families.
Family Room at Grand Nikko Tokyo giving families the space they need in a city known for small hotel rooms
What do we really mean by family-friendly hotel?
5 star luxury conjures up images of seamless service, elegance and a relaxed atmosphere. This doesn’t always go hand in hand with family-friendliness but doesn’t mean with a few adjustments it can’t be achieved.
Let’s be clear being “family-friendly” does not necessarily mean plastering your walls in bright colours and introducing kids clubs either. Quite the opposite, it’s about keeping up seamless service without raising an eyebrow to the fact your little ones are there.
And a family-friendly hotel definitely doesn’t need to be a luxury hotel either. A more basic hotel with family-friendly amenities such as a self-service laundry and kitchenette will suit some families far more than a high-price 5-star hotel.
What parents are looking for is anything that can help make life easier, and make it feel like a home away from home.
Added touches to make families feel at home at Omni Berkshire Place New York
What hotels can do to make booking a hotel easier for parents
- Have a choice of rooms that can fit 2, 3, 4 extra people.
- If two rooms are needed, ensure they are interconnecting and offer this at a discount.
- Make more room – even if just for the duration of a stay, remove extra furniture to ensure more beds can fit.
- If the room has been booked for a certain number, make sure there are enough beds, towelling and water bottles ready on arrival for the appropriate number of guests.
- Be ready for the booked arrival time, especially if a cot has been ordered. After a long journey parents want to be able to feed and settle children immediately.
Helpful service extras that can make a big difference
- Provide a small gift bag to children on arrival to make the check-in process more enjoyable.
- Suggest quieter times for attending meals so families won’t be kept waiting, or offer to make table reservations in advance if you know dining can be limited at peak times.
- Offer discounted in-room dining for kids.
- Even if there is no kids club, suggest itineraries and nearby attractions that are popular with kids.
- Provide discounts for nearby venues by partnering with local attractions.
- Make parents aware of any babysitting services. Make it clear how it can be booked, how much notice is needed and how payment is made.
- Provide kid-sized amenities such as robes and slippers and toiletries. These little touches can absolutely make their day.
Rubens at the Palace in London has a Director of Fun and Adventure to make sure junior guests are happy
When it comes to hotels, people tend to be quite brand loyal. Make the right impression and they’ll be back!
Remember happy kids = happy parents = return customers!