5 Amenities and Extras That Will Delight Family Travelers

Add these family-friendly features to make your hotel a go-to destination for family groups.

More than eight in 10 parents (85%) say they are likely or very likely to travel with their kids in the next year, according to the 2022 US Family Travel Survey from the Family Travel Association. “Demand for travel in larger family groups also remains strong,” the survey states, noting that almost half of travelers (47 percent) have a multi-generational trip in the works.

Both multi-day international trips and city family vacations are on the rise in the wake of the pandemic, and a large share of survey respondents say their kids are their biggest reason for planning this travel.

Want to attract these traveling families to your hotel? Here are 5 amenities that can inspire families to book a stay and keep them coming back to your property:

1. Family-friendly food options. The way to a traveler’s heart is through their stomach, so make sure you offer a range of food that will appeal to everyone—and that your kids’ menu offers an array of healthy and appealing options. Take inspiration from the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, which created the healthy and fun FoodieKiDS menu based on feedback from parents and kids. (Hint: fun presentation is key.)
2. Babysitting services. With family travel on the rise, more hotels will have to consider whether to offer on-site babysitting, offer childcare service recommendations to guests or stay out of the process altogether. With either of the first two options, there are liability issues to consider. And if you opt for on-site babysitting, you’ll need to set up a safe, child-proofed space for the service. If you go that route, traveling parents will surely appreciate the chance to take a break from childcare during their vacation.
3. Family fun and events. Hotels that cater to business travelers or couples on vacation often offer happy hours or evening wine tasting events. Likewise, hotels aiming to attract family travelers will want to offer family-friendly events that appeal to kids and adults of varying ages. One great option: offer a family game night, with prizes, in your lobby. Or you could host a family treasure or scavenger hunt around the property. As an alternative to events, you could install a game room at your property. And offering evening milk and cookies in your lobby may also sweeten the deal for families.
4. Bedding options for children. Parents with small children in the room may need more options for sleeping. Many hotels offer rollaway cots and similar options, but you can go the extra mile and offer fun sleeping options tailored to kids. Hotel Management suggests offering a Privacy Pop Bed Tent to give kids their own little space to play and horse around in the family hotel room. Some hotels even throw in extras to amp up the “camping” adventure, such as story books, flashlights and snack bags.
5. Entertainment extras. Keeping the whole family happy and entertained is always a challenge for family travelers. So the more you can do to ease boredom and spark joy, the better. Consider extras like an array of family TV programming, a board game library and other easy-to-add amenities that will appeal to families. The Tips for Family Trips travel blog points out that parents look for cable channels beyond just the Cartoon Network and love to see: the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, ABC Family, HBO Family and Discovery Family channels.

“With families and multi-generational trips, there will likely be differing styles of travel and preferences within the group,” Megan Boley writes on the Cvent hospitality blog. “The key is to have something for everyone.”