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Finding a Child-friendly Hotel
By Shel Franco
Vacation. It's a time for relaxation and exploration. And while you dream of lavish trips to tropical islands, chances are, if you're traveling with kids, spending a night in paradise seems like a disaster waiting to happen.
So what's a parent to do? How can you satisfy your desire for comfort and still end up in a child-friendly hotel?
Large chain hotels and motels are often an affordable choice for traveling families. And it is nice to know that over the years, the service and decor in some of these establishments has grown to be down right impressive. Add to this the perks that many hotels and motels offer to patrons, and you just might have yourself a real deal.
Parents like Mara Berkley of Bristol, R.I., look for hotels that have two key ingredients: a pool and free breakfasts. It might seem silly to some, but there is more to this than cooling off and filling up. "[These hotels] always welcome children," Berkley says.
Vanessa Mullins of Milan, Mich., couldn't agree more. When she's traveling with her family, Mullins takes the availability of activities such as pools and game rooms as a sure sign of child-friendliness.
And there is another advantage to chain hotels and motels: their literal presence all over the map. "If you go to [one of these hotels], in your room they have a brochure that will tell you which of their hotels across the country have what accommodations, for instance game rooms, pools and whether they accept pets," Mullins says. "[This] was very helpful to me when we made the trip from Michigan to Arizona, back north through Montana, and back to Michigan with three kids and one dog."
But wouldn't it be nice, just once, to stay in a place that has room service and maybe even a bellhop? Before you roll your eyes at the thought of carting your crew through the lobby of a five-star establishment, you owe it to yourself to call the hotel's concierge.
