Toys and goldfish delivered to your room, goodie bags at check-in, kid suites, and baby sitting services—now that’s my kind of hotel.
Hotel chains such as Embassy Suites and Omni, which consistently rate well with business travelers, are stepping up efforts to please pint-sized guests–just in time for the busy summer travel season.
In fact, Embassy Suites (which is a Hilton-owned chain) recently launched a children-only website — embassykids.com — where kids can build their own online drinks and omelets and print out packing lists and coloring sheets. Meanwhile, Omni Hotels has started giving out free backpacks with small toys to children at check-in. The property also has milk and cookies delivered to the room each night at no extra charge.
This summer, Kimpton Hotels will start handing out tote bags with yo-yos and bath sponges to its young guests. The lodging also provides goldfish in some rooms for kids who have to leave their pets at home while they are on vacation. Loews Hotels is also jumping on the kid-friendly bandwagon. It just partnered with Fisher-Price so guests can now borrow the toy maker’s electronic “Smart Cycle,” to keep kids busy while their parents relax on the couch.
Personally, I applaud Omni Hotels for its clever (and practical) idea to connect two rooms and convert them into kid suites with bunk/twin beds, beanbag chairs and denim couches. The suites are currently available at just a handful of properties and are converted back into regular rooms when they not being occupied by families.
If you don’t have to worry too much about your family’s budget you could opt to stay at Swissotel Chicago. The luxurious hotel recently introduced suites with aquatic, dinosaur and planetarium themes. The downfall: each suite starts at about $800 a night. If you have the cash your kids can kick back in the hotel’s aquatic room, which is filled with toy whales, a child-size table and DVDs/books about fish and the environment. The suite also comes with four tickets to local museums (which is about a $100 value).
Then there is Marriott International, which leads the pack by taking the kid-friendly concept to new heights. The chain is partnering with Nickelodeon to create hotels designed specifically for families with children. Its first hotel will feature a 100,000-square-foot water park, and is scheduled to open in San Diego in 2011. The resort will also feature Nickelodeon-themed amenities, including live shows starring Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants and children’s suites decorated with popular Nick characters.
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