5 Tips to Drastically Improve your Hotel Travel with Kids

Hotel travel can be a daunting experience for anyone, but hotel travel with kids? Could you ask for any more of a nightmare?

First off, you are throwing them, and yourself, into a new and different environment, and now everyone has to function like normal human beings. Sounds great, right?

No worries, hotel travel with kids doesn’t have to be like something out of a scary movie. As a matter of fact, I have found that with a few, simple steps, staying in hotels with my kiddos can actually be a lot of fun! All you have to do is make sure you have a couple of extra things in check and, viola! A great time is had by all.

Recently, we stayed at the Hampton Inn by Hilton in Corydon, IN, and the Hilton in downtown Fort Wayne, IN on separate trips for the blog. During both of these trips, these tips were developed as I stumbled, melted, and reassembled my crew through our say. Therefore, I thought I would share these with you so that you could learn from some of my mistakes.

Don’t forget to Pack their Snuggles

Being in a big, new bed, in a big, different room that is not in your home can be scary for a kid. Guess what though? It totally doesn’t have to be! Remembering something as little as your kiddo’s favorite teddy, or that blanket that they always sleep with can make all the difference.

Without this object, everything is new and full of wonder right up until bedtime. As long as they have that little piece of home though,

it is much less scary for them, and much less headache for you.

Make sure to bring plenty of Snacks

If your kids are anything like mine, they could live off snacks. Just woke up? Need a snack. Favorite TV show over? Need a snack. Just finished lunch? Oh my goodness, they may die without a snack!

All of these snacks can get super pricey if you have to order them from room service. On the other hand, your kids can get super whiney if they feel they are going to waste away on nothing. Therefore, stocking up on ten dollars or so worth of crackers, pop-tarts, and granola bars is a life saver when the kids start getting those hunger pains.

Pools are a Must

Going to a hotel for a kid is cool. Going to a hotel with a pool however? You mom, are now the best parent in the world.

Seriously though, having a hotel with a pool is just as much for you as a parent as it is for your child. They are excited because they get to go splash and swim around in an aquatic wonderland. For you? You get the joy of wearing your child out to the point of exhaustion, making a quiet naptime or bedtime much closer to a reality than a dream.

And you thought those pools were just to give you one more thing to argue with the kids over.

Pack your “Rainy Day” Activities

This is a tip for hotel travel with kids that I have learned the hard way.

Whether you are expecting rain or not on your trip, pack at least a couple of your usually rainy-day activities. Coloring books and crayons, look and find books, heck, even your kids’ tablet. These items become life savers when you want nothing more than a quick shower, and there is nothing on TV that your kids are interested in.

Sometimes you just need that five minutes of peace and quiet, and a plain Jane hotel room just isn’t going to cut it in entertaining your kids.

Make sure the Hotel knows you are Traveling with Kids

There is absolutely nothing worse than having a child crying in a hotel room because they woke up scared.

Well, except the hotel staff knocking on your door because the people in the next room called in a noise complaint.

Many people I know choose not to list their kids on their hotel reservations for fear of having to pay extra fees, but letting the hotel know who is coming is actually super helpful in most situations. Making sure that the hotel knows that you are traveling with kids ahead of time, means that they can do their best to coordinate your room to a less populated area of the hotel if they have it available. It also means that they are much more courteous to your situation when they have to come knocking at 2 am. You would be surprised at what hotel staff can help with when they are aware of your crazy.

Ok mama’s, that is what I have for you to smooth out your hotel travel with kids. While you are still bound to have a few bumps along the way, I have found that ensuring I do these things generally makes the trip go much better for the whole family.

Thanks again to the Hampton Inn by Hilton in Corydon, IN, and the Hilton in downtown Fort Wayne, IN for hosting me and my crazy crew on our recent trips while we ourselves learned how to better accomplish hotel travel with kids.

Do you have any additional tips for hotel adventures with your babies? Please, let me know in the comments section below! (I may need them for our next big trip!)