Look, I’m going to be honest. Traveling as a family of five can get expensive. And when two adjoining rooms or an Airbnb aren’t within the budget, here’s how we can make it work in one hotel room. It may not be ideal, but my five hotel travel tips with kids will help simplify your trip and hopefully make family travel more enjoyable.
RELATED: Traveling with kids? Read my best tips when taking a road trip with kids first.
What to expect
They say family vacations are more like trips, which is often true.
In the early years, traveling with toddlers and preschoolers requires all the necessary travel gear. We need blackout curtains for a dark room, blow-up mattresses, and duct tape to cover the sockets. Oy! (This post has all my favorite travel gear for young kids, including my favorite travel high chairs.)
Conversely, traveling with older kids takes up more space, and the room is louder. Everyone may not have their own bed, and at the same time, three in a bed is no longer an option. The hotel stay may feel near impossible without a second room.
RELATED: Headed to Disney? Here is everything we noted about our Disney trip with three kids.
Travel Toys
Here are my favorite travel toys to help manage downtime.
As a mom to three boys, I want our bedtime routine to be predictable(ish).
However, the last ten years of travel with small children have nudged me to be more flexible with sleep patterns. I consider that a win if I get close to a good night’s sleep.
A little planning (and maybe a little room service) will go a long way.
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PRO TIP: Bring a sound machine for a little white noise on your next trip. This portable sound machine is a favorite.
Things I look for in a family hotel
When traveling with my family of five, I look for a few survival essentials, such as a larger room, pool, and sitting area. If the room does have a sitting area, I ask the front desk for an extra blanket to drape over the couch.
Family-friendly hotels like the Hyatt House, Springhill Suites, and Embassy Suites often have bigger rooms with a small space to prepare a few meals. As a family with a food allergy, I first use Lysol wipes to give the room extra cleaning.
Here are a few things I look for when planning a family trip:
- Bigger rooms
- Free breakfast
- Grocery stores nearby (You can do grocery pick-up.)
- Hotel pool (Indoor pool is best!)
- Kitchenette or full kitchens
- Living room or couch
- Washer and dryer
We recently stayed in a Hyatt House with nice bathrooms and a walk-in closet. It was a huge bonus to hang dresses and store suitcases.
PRO TIP: Bringing board games and engaging travel toys will help calm the chaos between leaving the hotel room. A little downtime will help everyone catch their breath. New items should be kept quiet until needed to enhance excitement. This list of fine motor toys is another excellent list of ideas to take on the go.
5 Hotel Travel Tips
Drumroll, please! Here are five hotel travel tips that simplified our last trip with our whole family in one room.
1. Organize outfits
I know it can be difficult to plan outfits ahead of time. It is a great idea to help get your child involved so they can eventually take the lead.
I created this packing list for your child to help you get what you need before leaving on your next trip.
Once I have everything laid out, I roll it up, attach a rubber band, and label it with a day of the week. Organizing the outfits like this made a huge difference in the amount of clothes on the floor. It’s nothing fancy and does the job!
Packing Cubes
These are the packing cubes I use with my kids and for myself.
2. Bring something for dirty laundry
On our last trip, I packed this garbage bag for dirty laundry. Next time, I am bringing a collapsible laundry basket for the next trip.
Mesh Foldable Hamper
This foldable laundry hamper stores dirty clothes to keep everything off the floor when traveling.
3. Pack a caddy
Before leaving, I organized what we needed to bring into two caddies. The first caddy held what we needed to wash dishes and laundry, and the second held all our disposable plates and kitchen gear.
4. Bring a foldable wagon
Hotel rooms have limited counter and storage space. This foldable wagon helped us transfer items from the car after the long ride to the hotel room. Inside the hotel room, we used the wagon as a storage area for snacks and swim gear.
Foldable Wagon
I use this foldable wagon for all the things! Great tires to take with you to the beach.
5. BYOMattress
An easy-to-blow-up mattress may be key to getting a good night’s rest. We bring this twin mattress when a couch or spare bed is unavailable.
Blowup Mattress
This mattress has been a lifesaver for many trips. When my boys were younger, I also slept on it.
Travel extras
But what is travel with a few Would You Rather Questions for Kids to help pass the time? I have a collection of fun conversation starters for every reason and season.
Tell me in the comments! What’s your best family travel tip?
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