Features > Family > Family Friendly Lodging: Is it Just a Name or a Style of Business?
I have stayed at so many so-called ˜family friendly' places of business, and I must say that just because a place says they are family friendly doesn't necessarily mean that they are. In my eyes, a family friendly place of business does everything in their business to welcome families with children, not just allow them to be there. If you have ever stayed at a place that was supposed to be friendly toward those who came with their little ones just to be disappointed with the services, I am sure you know exactly what I mean.
So, what does it mean for a business to be family friendly? I have some ideas, and maybe you do too.
They Don't Upcharge
Some places just love to make extra money off of the fact that we come with our kids. Charging extra money for children at hotels, even when they don't need their own beds is an example. If we want to share our beds with a kicking little one, let us. Shouldn't it be my problem if I am too cheap to get a room with an extra bed for my kids? Why charge extra just because they exist?
Kids' Meals
I stayed at a (so-called) family-friendly resort in the Islands for 11 days and was excited about the prospect of kids' meals to make my life easier. Not that I was going to cook anyway, but meals like that make the menu game so much easier for me. When they don't have anything but a certain selection, they can't complain and they tend to just go with the flow.
This particular resort had no kids menu. Not a sparse one, but no kids' menu at all. What? A family friendly establishment with no special chicken fingers and fries meal? I just knew those people had to be out of their minds. They used the ˜family friendly' term and lured me in, just to disappoint me.
Activities for Kids
A family friendly hotel that truly is friendly toward families understands that sometimes we don't want to be bothered with our little ones. It isn't that we don't love them, but who wants to be around short people with runny noses every single minute of every single day of a family vacation? I need some me time sometimes, and a lodging that is truly family friendly should allow for that.
I've seen it all”video game rooms, toddler areas, baby-sitters, field trips, fun activities. These types of places have a way of making trips fun for kids as well as the adults who aren't charged with the responsibility of entertaining them. Ahhh, yes. Daytime activities for kids have made plenty a vacation much easier for me.
I could go on and on. Establishments that are truly friendly have game rooms, employees that know how to watch their mouths, treats for the kids, don't have drunks staggering out of the bar, and are overall kind people. Just because a place says family-friendly doesn't mean it's true. Maybe they should change their signs to Kids Welcome ¦ I Guess.
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