The Truth about Staying at a Hotel with a Toddler

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The truth about staying at a hotel with a toddler is that it is not as difficult as it may first seem. With a little bit of planning and some helpful tips to keep in mind, you can have a wonderful hotel stay with your child with as little hiccups as possible.

We’ve collected some tips and essential items to help make your hotel stay less intimidating.

man arms opening a hotel room door, hotel bed and window in the background
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Staying at a Hotel with a Toddler

Have you ever stayed at hotel with your toddler? Well, we have and more than just a handful of times. Toddlers love adventures and they LOVE new places. This is both fun and worrisome because as you know toddlers love to climb, pull, peel and destroy.

The best way to take a toddler to a hotel is to explain to them ahead of time the situation. Get them excited about being in a hotel and make them feel like it is a special occasion.

We’ve laid out some of the tips we learned through trial and error. Remember, the better you prepare ahead of time the more relaxed you will be.

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Book a Family-Friendly Hotel

A family-friendly hotel is absolutely essential to having an enjoyable vacation. Research ahead of time prior to booking your stay if your hotel is family-friendly.

So, What is a family-friendly hotel?

A family-friendly hotel is designed to cater specifically to families. These hotels will have amenities such as cribs, strollers, high chairs and baby monitors available for guests to use. Not only will they have amenities for infants but they also provide areas of entertainment for you children including a play area, children’s pools, game rooms, and even clubs.

Don’t Forget the Toys!

The worst thing you could do when staying at a hotel with a toddler is forgetting all of their favorite toys. Depending on how you are traveling it may be difficult to bring a ton of options, but even just having a few will help make them feel comfortable in a new environment.

Bring things like toys, books or even their favorite stuffed animal. Pack them in a cute little box if you are traveling by car to keep them organized and contained while traveling and in your hotel room.

Choose Your Room Ahead of Time

Have you ever used a hotel laundry room? No? me neither, but plenty of people do. Make sure you stay. away from noisy areas like elevators, ices machines. or even laundry rooms. Request a room away from areas you know could keep your toddler up at night or wake them up early in the morning.

Just give the hotel a call and request a room that is more likely to be quiet than one close to a hotel amenity or service.

Pack a Travel Bed

Unfortunately not all hotels are family-friendly, which means you have to sometimes bring EVERYTHING with you. If you have no choice but to stay at a hotel that is not accommodating, just pack it all yourself.

There are many different portable beds for toddlers but our favorite is the hiccapop toddler travel bed. We love this bed because it is easy to use and has bumpers to ensure your child’s safety throughout the night.

Easily stored in a suitcase and perfect for hotel rooms.

Pack a Monitor

This only really applies if you are staying in a suite, but is super helpful and something you won’t want to forget. When your toddler goes down to bed earlier than the rest of the family, its great to have an eye on them without disturbing their sleep.

A monitor is usually not something you first think of packing, but it can be reassuring in an unfamiliar environment. Toddlers are ALWAYS quiet when they are doing their best exploring. Keep an eye on them without worrying your night away.

Research Kid-Friendly Restaurants

Prepare to not have enough snacks or meals ahead of time. Research the local restaurants, cafés and grocery. stores to see if there are kid-friendly options nearby. The more information you have ahead of time the less likely you are to run into a problem like a hangry toddler.

Map out on your phone walkable cafés that you can easily bring your child to when you need a break from the room.

Baby Proofing the Hotel Room

Your toddler may not be a baby anymore but they are still just as curious especially in an untapped environment like a hotel room. Immediately upon entering your hotel room, start going around and make adjustments to help keep the room a safe environment.

Baby Proofing Tips: Move any breakable or hazardous items out of reach. Bring and use outlet covers. Secure any loose cords or wires to prevent tripping hazard.

Overpack on the Essentials

Yes, overpack the essentials. Your toddler may still be in diapers or pull-ups. If so, make sure you overpack and over-prepare for accidents. Pack an emergency first-aid kit that includes things like medicine to reduce a fever and nail clippers. Sometimes it is the most random things you cannot think of beforehand that end up happening.

Hotels will have a little shop but almost never supply baby items that you will need to take care of your child.

So, what’s the truth about staying in a hotel with a toddler?

The truth is that it takes a lot of planning ahead of time to make the stay pleasant. Kids are unpredictable and you have to prepare for as much as you can by including their toys, a special travel bed, essential care items, and even researching the area ahead of time. Your toddler will feed off of your energy so prepare and then allow things not to always be perfect.

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