Family-Friendly Hotels: What to Look For Before Booking Your Holidays with Children

When planning a family vacation at a hotel or resort , it's very common to see the "family-friendly" or "family-friendly" label. However, the reality upon arrival can be very different: from finding endless flights of stairs without ramps for strollers, to discovering that the "children's menu" is limited to fried food, or that diaper changing facilities are nowhere to be found in the common areas.

A truly family-friendly hotel isn't just about welcoming children; it's designed to make things easier for caregivers and ensure safe entertainment for little ones. Below are the key criteria to consider before confirming your booking.

1. Infrastructure and hygiene in common areas

Comfort during your stay depends largely on the small, everyday details within the hotel facilities:

• Changing facilities and hygiene in common areas: The main restrooms in the reception area, swimming pools and restaurants must have clean and accessible changing facilities for all parents.
• Barrier-free accessibility: Check if the hotel has spacious elevators that can accommodate unfolded baby strollers and access ramps to the pool, beach, and restaurants.
• Safe children's pools: Children's pools must have a gradual entry or zero depth (beach type), non-slip paving around the water basin and ample areas of natural shade or umbrellas.

2. Smart equipment for the hotel room

Transforming a hotel room into a cozy and safe space like home requires having some practical accessories that guarantee a good night's sleep for the whole family:

• Blackout for naps: Many hotel rooms don't have fully blackout blinds. A portable blackout blind with suction cups will allow you to create the necessary darkness for your baby to nap during the day without being woken up by the sunlight.
• Cortina estor oscurecedora portátil con ventosas para viaje
• Nighttime safety: If children sleep in single beds instead of a crib, installing a foldable and portable bed rail will prevent falls during the night.
• Barrera de cama portátil plegable y ultraligera para hotel
• Travel baby monitor: If the room has a terrace or separate living room, a monitor with a camera will allow you to relax at night while the children sleep.
• Cámara vigilabebés portátil con pantalla y visión nocturna sin wifi

3. Adapted catering services

Mealtimes can become a stressful experience if the hotel restaurant is not prepared for the logistics of children:

• Availability and cleanliness of high chairs: The hotel restaurant must have a sufficient number of sanitized high chairs to avoid waiting at buffet or dinner time.
• Flexible hours and purees: Positively value accommodations that offer the possibility of bringing forward the opening time of the dining room for children's dinners or that facilitate the preparation of freshly made vegetable purees and baby food at the request of the parents.

Find verified accommodations with theChanger

Before making your hotel reservation payment for your next vacation, check out the real experience of other families on elCambiador .

Through our global platform, you can check the ratings of parents from all over the world regarding the actual cleanliness of the facilities, the friendliness of the hotel staff towards children, the presence of well-equipped changing rooms and the quality of the play areas.

Download the free elCambiador app, find your ideal family-friendly hotel and contribute your own reviews to help the international community of traveling families.