Tips for booking the best hotel for a family vacation

By Chris Hill

It will happen at one point or another. You book a hotel for your family vacation. It is in a great location, and you got a really good deal . You check in and the hotel looks beautiful. You get to the room and surprise — parking is $20 a day. You get to the room, and it’s smaller than you thought. The kids start yelling about doing something. You turn on the TV, and it is all news; so you look for the pool, only to find it does not exist. You realize that you just booked a business hotel for a family trip. It’s not a great start to a long week.

Okay, so maybe this is a little dramatic, but parts of this scenario have happened to me when I simply looked for the “best deal” while planning a family vacation on a budget. My wife and I have learned to look deeper than just rate, looking at what exactly we get for the money. Here are some of my best tips:

On a recent trip, we found two hotels that looked like they would fit our needs. Both were all-suite hotels, so they had the extra room we needed for our two young children, and both included a microwave and refrigerator. They both had good reviews on Orbitz, a nice pool area, and both carried the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. (Yes, we do call and ask that.) Hotel A was $69 a night, and Hotel B was $79 a night. We went with Hotel B because of one difference — it offered a full, hot breakfast each morning. For my family that is at least a $20 savings, making Hotel B net out cheaper for us.

Family vacation 2 I would suggest looking at the fine print when choosing hotels as well. A $20 per day parking charge can add up quickly. Is Internet included for free in the room or is there a fee? Are there resort charges in addition to the room rate? A “great deal” on a room can quickly turn into an additional $100 a day that you did not expect.

On longer trips, we look for hotels with kitchenettes instead of just free breakfast. It saves us time and money when we can make something in our room, rather than always heading out to a restaurant. I know, it is a vacation, and you don’t want to cook. But just having cereal, macaroni and cheese, and sandwich items can save you a lot, without actually cooking.

Our family just returned from Disney World, and while there, my wife spent a lot of time in line talking with other guests at the park. One mentioned that they were staying on Disney property and were having a hard time finding cosmetics at her resort. We mentioned a few stores nearby, but the guests did not have a car to get to there.

This brings us to “location convenience.” What if you need other things while at the attraction or venue? Manyhotels that are close to the attractions may not be close to other things you will need. It is important to consider what is in the area. Having the convenience of running back to the room for a nap during the day may outweigh any other issues that may come up, but it is for each family to decide.

The good news is that you have the ability to truly research a hotel before booking. Orbitz makes it easy by listing amenities, location with maps, reviews, detailed descriptions and photos of the rooms and hotel. I would suggest reading the reviews, looking at the pictures, and calling the hotel with any additional questions you may have. If they seem bothered by answering questions, this is probably not a good choice for your family vacation. After weighing your options and considering these tips, I hope you can book a great hotel for your next family vacation.

Related Orbitz resources:

Chris Hill currently resides in Texas because it is too cold up North. His family is self-proclaimed “theme park junkies,” including his wife, 6-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter, who are always looking for the next adventure.

Tagged: Family time