How to Quell Guests’ Concerns About Traveling with a Baby or Toddler

Children can quickly complicate a trip, and families many times find themselves anxious trying to plan for a bevy of concerns. Hotel staff can help.

Young children are wholly unaware of the havoc that can sometimes cause parents while they are traveling.

Hoteliers and other professionals can be proactive in helping parents if they know the situation, and there are myriad ways to do so without making families feel like there is too much of a hassle to complete.

Below are seven guest experience tips for hotel staff…

1. Provide wipes for parents

Flying or driving into some new city with new germs can be a daunting task, especially in this day and age. Bacterial wipes would go a long way toward helping guests feel like they aren’t just another group booking a room for a night or two. If you can, oblige them.

2. Bring blackout shades

Babies many times operate on a strict schedule, and those shades can help simulate the environment they would have had at home. It can be difficult for them to adjust to a new environment, but getting a good night’s rest can make the stay better both for them and for their parents. Many young children are used to sleeping in darkness.

3. Provide a room with a kitchenette if possible

What families might want is more room to take care of the obligations they have to their children, like changing diapers and preparing bottles. If you can ease that process by providing a certain type of room, then you should not hesitate to do so, especially since your guests will appreciate it.

4. Consider a clean crib

If you see a family with a small child, offer a crib or sleeper to them. Should they decline, they may appreciate the thoughtful gesture. Be sure it’s cleaned and sanitized thoroughly since families may have concerns about bacteria.

5. Provide extra towels

Kids make messes, whether they mean to do so or not. Don’t let a frazzled family have to call and ask for more if you can save them the trouble. For folks who might be changing diapers, wiping up spittle, or dealing with other fluids, an extra towel or two can go a long way.

6. If you have or can track down baby food, do so

Hotel food isn’t always baby-friendly, but finding some could go a long way if you have time and resources. You can’t necessarily guarantee a child will like the food, or that the parents will feel comfortable providing it to their child, but it’s a nice thought and will absolutely help distinguish you from others. Done well, it may take some concerns off the plate of a family that already has enough stressors while traveling.

7. Baby-proof if time and other circumstances allow

Kids are prone to running into sharp corners and causing other havoc. If staff can do so before a family arrives, have staff sweep to address any obvious concerns. Any parent will appreciate the forethought.