Having comfortable accommodation is one of the most important ingredients of a happy family holiday.
In places you are planning to visit, look for a local boutique accommodation offering great sized room in a central location. Don’t simply choose hotels because your friends have stayed there, or solely based on brand names.
Here are 6 Steps to Choosing the Right Family Travel Accommodation:
1. Go Big
Make it comfortable. Make sure there is enough room for everyone plus your luggages. When we visited Japan as a couple, one of the hotel rooms was so tiny that it was like playing Tetris. We had to jump over our luggage to get to bed!
If possible find accommodation with a separate living area. This will make a huge difference when travelling with little ones. After a long day of travelling it will be nice if you can have your own space. Such places can be easily found in Asia, but not as common in other places like Europe.
Consider staying at an Airbnb. It is a nice experience and makes you feel like living as a local.
2. Keep it Central
If the central part of town and sights are within easy walking distance, this saves you from commuting cost and time. Also you will have the flexibility to come back during the day if you need a rest or if you accidentally left something behind. But make sure the room isn’t facing a noisy street.
Central location may be costly, so if you are staying outside of the city centre, make sure your accommodation is within close walking distance to the bus or train station.
3. Get that FREE extra bed (or cot)
Keep the same sleeping configuration as you would back home. Our son prefers to sleep on his own bed – ever since our first family travel! Rather than going for triple room, book hotels that give you free extra bed or cot.
Over the course of your trip, this will save you A LOT. Most hotels will offer complimentary cot or single bed for young travellers. Contact the hotel directly to confirm cot’s availability on your travel dates.
4. Bath tub Fun
For younger children, having a bath is a good opportunity to have some fun in the comfort of your hotel room. Baths can be incredibly entertaining on their own. If baths are not something you do on a regular basis back home, then this will be absolutely special for all of you. You can also use hotel bathroom supplies for a game of float and sink.
As for parents, it will be a bonus to relax and have a nice warm bath after a long day of sightseeing – the kids will usually give you about 5 minutes before they start knocking on the bathroom door!
5. Elevator Please
Remember that hotels in some places (like Europe) may only have stairs. Read the accommodation’s description carefully. Carrying heavy luggages up multiple flights of stairs is no fun.
6. All the other bits and pieces
Know what you will be getting into. Read trough what amenities are on offer from free Wi-Fi, safe deposit box, kids’ play area, swimming pool, fridge, washing and ironing facilities. Know your personal preferences and choose your accommodation to suit your family’s needs.
So how do we book our accommodation?
We prefer to make reservations via Booking.com primarily because of their FREE cancellation policy. Yes FREE! It is very useful especially when you are still on planning stage and haven’t quite finalised your holiday plans (or even got your holiday leave approved). You can lock in hotel rates in advance (this will save you heaps when travelling in high season like school holidays). Plus if your plans change or you find better deal closer to your travel date you have the flexibility to cancel and make changes.
We also like Booking.com because:
- Detailed room description provided. They list exact room dimensions (and square metres) plus description of views, Wifi, bathroom amenities, safe deposit box, fridge etc etc. So you know exactly what you’re getting.
- No fees. What you see is what you pay for. Other booking sites show a cheap rate at front, and adds all the “fees + taxes” at checkout. Booking.com keeps it simple.
- If you prefer Airbnb style accommodation these are also available.
- Discounted prepay rate or pay when you arrive
- You can read reviews from many other travellers including from families travellers.
- You can easily search all available accommodation in your preferred area based on map search
