Comments

1. Maria on August 21, 2008 at 5:54 a.m.
   

   I like the hotels with kitchens/kitchenettes, because a toddler needs to eat multiple times per day, and eating out is expensive! I also go for the separate sitting area/suite style rooms.

   My best hotel stay with my son and husband was in DC. We stayed at a Residence Inn just off The Mall, and the staff got to know us quite well. I worked during the day (which is why we were there), but at the end of the stay, the staff kept asking where my son had gone. (They left in the morning, I left after work.) The friendly nature and care in which they took is what makes that hotel where we will stay the next time I need to do some work in DC (and there will be a next time!).

2. Marcie on August 21, 2008 at 2:34 p.m.
   

   I think my wants are fairly typical of families but here's my list:
   1. Pool- A pool always helps the family wind down after a full day of sightseeing. If there's a pool we generally go swimming right before bed.
   2. Suite- It's a definite plus to be able to put the children to bed first. These are best if they have a door between the living and sleeping areas.
   3. Queen or King size beds- I don't like double beds especially for co-sleeping or when my children want to snuggle in bed with us.
   4. Bathtub- I've had to give my babies showers before and it isn't fun.
   5. Breakfast buffet- I don't love them, but my girls sure do and it makes starting the day a lot easier.
   6. Internet- Free WiFi is practically a necessity for my husband.

3. Aviva on August 21, 2008 at 5:21 p.m.
   

   I love Embassy Suites, and suites hotels that have door between the bedroom and the sitting room in general. What I've found great about that is when our daughter is unhappy during the middle of the night, we move to the sitting room. Even on the nights that she has spent most of it crying and screaming, because we moved to the sitting room, the folks next door always said they couldn't hear her at all while they were sleeping. (Last thing you need is someone calling the manager to complain about your crying baby/toddler!)

   I also like that they have refrigerators and microwaves in the rooms.

   What really impressed me about Embassy Suites is that when my daughter was an infant and I discovered that the in-room refrigerators didn't have freezer space, the folks at the main desk would keep our ice packs in their staff refrigerator's freezer. That meant we could always head out for a full day with pre-made formula and/or regular milk in tow. (My daughter preferred formula cold from the refrigerator.)

4. jamie on August 21, 2008 at 10:04 p.m.
   

   We don't always allow our children to indulge, but now that they're older we also like:

   1. On demand video games
   2. On demand movies
   3. Room service

   Jamie
   www.travelsavvymom.com

5. Debbie on August 21, 2008 at 10:32 p.m.
   

   @all. We love suites too (or even better, apartments with a washing machine in them) Evening, after the kids are asleep is when I write and it's also when I plan the next day.

   @aviva we've also discovered that some hotels with the "don't pull anything out of the refrigerator or we'll automatically charge you" style mini-bars will deliver up a dorm fridge. In a real pinch, we've even used the ice bucket to keep things cold. My son always liked his milk cold too ;)

   @jamie. I've become a fan of room service too. I would have never dreamed of ordering breakfast in before we had kids (i'm too frugal) but now I think it's a fun treat for everyone when we get pancakes or waffles in the room.

6. CodeCrafter on August 22, 2008 at 9:03 a.m.
   

   I agree with a lot of what has already been said! I would like to add. Easy to baby proof is nice. So sturdy furniture that is not easily tipped, minimal decoration with breakable things like ornate lamps.

   We had a pretty nice experience with staff on the cruise we went on. They were pretty quick to get us things we needed and the staff really interacted well with my son. They would sing for him and make him animals out of napkins. They also were very nice even when he made a HUGE mess every night at the sit down dinner.

   The room on the cruise though was pretty much the exact opposite of family friendly! We did not have a suite so there was almost no room for our son to play, there was no fridge and only a shower. After the first day or so our son just didn't want to stay in the room at all unless he was asleep.

7. Scotti on August 22, 2008 at 9:27 a.m.
   

   @Marcie - you made the list I would have made!
   With a toddler who goes to bed early and still takes long afternoon naps, where are you going to go if you don't have a separate room? We've resorted to sitting in the hallways reading for hours - no fun!
   The breakfast buffets aren't gourmet, but they work wonders for an early bowl of cereal or a banana and some yogurt.

   If they don't have a mini fridge - ask. When I traveled for work and was pumping (so I needed cold storage for the milk), I often called to ask to have a mini fridge delivered to my room. Several different hotels did this for free! They don't list this as a service, so just ask.

   I've also had great luck with Residence Inn (not fancy, but great space with kitchens!). Stayed in a lovely Residence Inn (without kids, but I picked it for the kitchen and that milk storage!) in downtown Philadelphia - separate bedroom, a full kitchen, great location, breakfast buffet.
   Three cheers too for the Sutton Place in Vancouver, BC (thanks Debby for the recommendation). Wonderful staff - fabulous conceirge - babysitting service!

   And a gripe too - we once asked for a new room when our room didn't have a tub. They moved us to a room with a jacuzzi tub and then tried to say we should pay for the upgrade! All we wanted was a tub for our son to take a bath - is that too much to ask???

8. Marina K, Villatoro on May 8, 2012 at 6:51 a.m.
   

   I prefer hotels with pools, there are also some that have play rooms for kids. Having big open spaces helps too.