During our latest trip to St. Cloud, Minnesota we stayed at the Homewood Suites. Homewood Suites is an extended stay brand owned by Hilton. I had stayed there before a couple years earlier but had never stayed there with a baby before. In an earlier post I mentioned I wanted to explore and seek out hotels to see if they were family friendly and what caused them to be so.

First off, as we were packing for our trip up North we called the hotel to see if we needed to cart our pack n play with us and check it on the plane. We were crossing our fingers we wouldn’t need to do so but you really never know. The hotel was very friendly and informed us they had new cribs and upon arrival it would be set up in our room. This was a major plus to us as a) we didn’t have to bring and check the pack n play and b) we wouldn’t have to set it up.

When we got there the staff was friendly and kind. We had booked a one room suite which was absolutely perfect. The baby crib was set up and cute and they even had rubber duckies for bath time (BabyTravels is a little young for bath time toys but it is the thought that counts). We opted for a one-room suite instead of a studio which we could have done with our small family, because we were able to put the baby in bed at night and close the door and go into the living area and watch some TV and hang out without disturbing the little one’s sleep. I loved that the hotel room had two big flat screen TV’s.

Even though BabyTravels is too little I did take mental note that the breakfast had kid-friendly options and the pool was spacious and even open late. All in all I think that the Homewood Suites is a great family friendly hotel that can accommodate even larger families with the option of getting a two-room suite.

So what exactly makes a family friendly hotel? Is it just offering cribs and free breakfast to children under 12? Perhaps it’s more. Perhaps it involves the overall attitude of the hotel. There are definitely hotels built for romantic getaways or hotels that are built to be five star extravagances catering to the rich and famous. Maybe family friendly hotels are built from the ground up with an attitude of fun and adventure. Maybe it’s more than just a checklist of a few amenities.

Look at the Nickelodeon Family Suites; it screams family friendly (although no one wants to be slimed upon check in). It boasts a huge water park, a kid’s spa, a mall and 4-D experience. I still think there is a difference between being kid friendly and family friendly because I think the thought of staying at this hotel would give some parents a headache, while others would probably love it. Maybe family friendly hotels have something for everyone, a place for the kids to have fun with a lounge for the parents to relax in.

I don’t think a hotel doesn’t have to be quite this extreme to be considered a family friendly hotel. I think some simple things can be done as well.  An example could be if a family has reserved a crib having it set up for them when they arrive in case they get in late, having foods in the continental breakfast that would appeal to younger folks, extra towels, etc. But really it’s the attitude and the combination of these amenities that the hotel takes on that I think makes the difference.

This year I plan to explore this concept and seek out hotels that claim to be family friendly and report my findings here. However, till then I’d love to hear your thoughts or hear of places you have stayed that you thought fit the bill and why.

*picture courtesy of www.nickhotel.com