Hotel Tips for Families

Traveling with kids requires some extra planning when it comes to hotels! Here are some of our favorite tips.

Breakfast

Book a hotel brand that includes free breakfast so everyone can start the day full and happy without breaking the bank on another meal. Some hotels will even offer a “manager's reception” that offers late afternoon snacks and drinks.

Hotel chains we love that include breakfast

Hyatt Place
Hyatt House
Residence Inn (Marriott)
Holiday Inn Express (IHG)
Embassy Suites (Hilton)

Fridges, Microwaves, Kitchenettes

Look for rooms with fridges and microwaves — or even better, kitchenettes — to help save on eating out costs. Many hotels will allow you to request a microwave to be delivered to your room even if they don't have one for every room.

Hotel chains that include kitchenettes

Hyatt House
Hyatt Residence Club
Residence Inn
Marriott Vacation Club
Element by Westin
Springhill and Townplace Suites
Atwell Suites
Candlewood Suites
Holiday Inn Vacation Club

Occupancy limit tricks

Some hotel websites are set to lower occupancy rates than the room actually holds. If you are searching for a room for 3+ and aren't finding any availability, try entering just 1–2 people in your search. Many hotels in the U.S. aren't strict about the occupancy limit.

If you are traveling internationally, especially in Europe, occupancy limits tend to be stricter.

I often do a search to see which (if any) rooms a hotel might let me book with more than 2 people if I were paying cash and sometimes contact the hotel to see if they can move me to that room if I book the one with lower occupancy. This has worked for me in Europe as well as the US.

Timeshare/club properties

Most hotel chains also have some sort of timeshare program. Sometimes you can use points to book into these properties which is a great way to get more space and a kitchen! We've done this with Marriott Vacation Club (near Disneyland Paris where we booked a 3 bedroom villa) and in Las Vegas (where we booked a 1 bedroom Holiday Inn Vacation Club). Choice Hotels partners with Bluegreen Vacations which has timeshare condo options in a few great spots, too! My Marriott, Holiday Inn Vacation Club, and Choice maps all show rooms that specifically have larger occupancy limits.

Best chains for large families

Hyatt Place: many standard rooms sleep 6
Embassy Suites: many standard rooms sleep 6
Residence Inn: some standard rooms have multiple bedrooms with larger occupancy

Cribs

If you need a crib, most chains will provide them, but request it ahead of time to be sure. If you're using a portable crib, you may find it helpful to book an accessible room, which will have a larger bathroom that will usually fit a portable crib.