Last weekend, my husband and I took a babymoon little road trip. It was our *last* trip before our baby girl is to be born. Traveling without my son is filled with mixed emotions. I always feel like the trips are too short and too long. But coming back, even from being gone for just 2 days leaves me feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
As we prepare for baby number 2, my husband and I realize that our trips alone are going to be few and far between. We don’t like leaving babies and tots for any length of time, particularly during the first year. But we still enjoy traveling, especially to places that are within driving distance. More and more I’m searching for Kid-Friendly Hotels in my area (Los Angeles), when I book my travels. Price, comfort, and cleanliness are very important. But extra points are given for those hotels that make a special effort to include activities that don’t have an 18 or over requirement on them (for children).
So what do I look for in a Kid-Friendly Hotel? One of the best tips I could give a family traveling with children is to try and find a hotel that includes a mini-kitchen. At the very least, ask the front desk for a refrigerator and a microwave. My husband travels a lot for work and my son and I often go with him. You’d be surprised at the number of times we’ve had the hotel include these two items in our room (even if they are not specifically mentioned on their website). The ability to store essentials such as milk and heat up a quick meal is what has saved us many times in the middle of the night.
My next tip would be to try to find a hotel that includes breakfast. After a long night of fasting (breakfast means to break the fast), there is no better way to start the day than to eat breakfast (and at a decent time). If you wait to get everyone ready, leave the hotel, and eventually find a place to eat (I haven’t even included wait time) you’ll have a cranky bunch and a not-so-great start to the day.
When it comes to entertainment, you’d be surprised at how little you need to do, and how affordable it can be, to keep kids from becoming bored. While I’m not a huge advocate of television (or DVDs) for the under age 2 group, I do make an exception during travel. Some hotels offer free DVDs and house video game consoles in the room for children. However, I should mention that the point of a vacation is to relax and enjoy the location you are visiting. So be sure not to spend the entire time in the room! Get out and see the sites!
And speaking of seeing the sites, try to stay in a central location. Trying to juggle 2 children and all of the “stuff” they require can be very cumbersome if you have to walk a long distance or take multiple forms of public transportation.
The nearest big cities to where we live include Los Angeles and San Diego, both about an hour or so away. Los Angeles is a popular tourist destination and has a ton of kid-friendly hotels and activities. Before we had children, my husband and I stayed at the Lowes Santa Monica Beach Hotel. To say it’s luxorious is an understatement. But did you know that it’s actually very Kid-Friendly? Some of the highlights include a pool, a lively beach-accessible location (Santa Monica Pier), and kids’ menus poolside and for room service (and might I add affordable at $8 an entree). You can request a crib and childproofing for your room before you arrive and they have several kids’ channels on their televisions. And if you’d like an evening without the children, consider arranging babysitting services through the concierge.
What are your tips for traveling with kids? I’d love to hear them!
This is a TravelingMom dedicated post
All pictures from Oyster.com
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