Last updated on August 21, 2023
What’s the best type of accommodation for staying with a baby? Some will swear by family hotels, others by self-catering apartments. We’ve tried them all, from baby-friendly hotels to Airbnbs and doing home exchanges around the world. They all have pros and cons, and the best will depend on what you’re looking for personally.
Here are some of our tops tips for choosing accommodation with a baby, and the pros and cons or the different options.
Also see our complete guide to travelling with a baby, and our flying with a baby survival guide.
Top tips for choosing where to stay with a baby
Try to book somewhere that has a separate sleeping and living area.
By booking somewhere with a separate sleeping and living area, when the baby goes to sleep at night, you and your grown-up travel companions can have some time to chill out and relax.
Airbnbs, apartment rentals and home exchanges are great for this. But hotels can work too – some have suites with separate living areas (which can be costly), or if you’re going somewhere warm, even a balcony will do. Steve and I have had lots of lovely evenings, eating takeout food and drinking wine on hotel balconies.
Also, in some hotels where we’ve had big hallways (or even a large bathroom in one case!), we’ve put the baby to sleep in there for the start of the evening before moving them into our room for the night.
Doing a home exchange is a fantastic option
If you can set up a home exchange with another family who has a baby around the same age as yours, it’s perfect because they’ll likely have all the necessary equipment set up already. For example, high chairs, cots, baby baths, toys etc. Wondering what a home exchange is? See our ultimate guide to home exchange (it’s our favourite way to travel).
Think about noise
Before booking anywhere, check the reviews to see if noise is ever an issue. I try to avoid hotels where people have complained about how easily the noise travels from room to room. Or in some hotels, you might want to avoid being close to the evening entertainment.
Essentially try to avoid anything that might wake your sleeping baby (or make it harder for them to fall asleep in the first place). And be sure to ask the accommodation if there’s any construction work happening nearby or anything else that’s causing noise.
Consider how you’ll get there (and get around while there)
If you don’t plan on hiring a car, make sure there’s a suitable way for you to travel from the airport/train station to your accommodation. It might be that the accommodation can arrange a transfer, or you can book a taxi in advance. Or perhaps there’s a bus you can take. Bear in mind that not all taxis have car seats, so you’ll need to book this too if you aren’t travelling with your own.
When we went to Barcelona, we knew we wouldn’t need a car in the city so we didn’t take a car seat. And instead of hiring one with a taxi, we simply took the airbus to the city centre, which was a cheaper option anyway. Just make sure you have a plan!
Check that babies are allowed!
You need to include your baby in your accommodation booking. Some hotels are adults-only, so don’t make that mistake and get turned away on arrival.
Decide if a family hotel is what you want
A family-friendly hotel has pros and cons. On one hand, you’ll have all the facilities you need, from bottle warmers to babysitting services. And you won’t feel bad about having a disruptive baby (you’ll simply be part of the family vibes!). But on the other hand, you’ll be surrounded by kids and parents, which might not be the holiday style you’re looking for.
Sometimes there’s a middle ground with hotels that are baby-friendly, but not specifically aimed at families. A lot of the places we stayed at on our California road trip were like this. For example, the Kimpton Goodland (now The Leta) is somewhere we’d have definitely stayed before having a baby and is well suited to couples, but it was also kitted out for babies too.
We’ve also stayed at some really stylish family hotels that really challenged our stereotype of a family holiday (for example, Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall, Lucknam Park in the Cotswolds, Woolley Grange near Bath and the Martinhal Hotel in Lisbon).
Remember you can stay in normal hotels and accommodation!
I’ve already touched on this, but I think it’s important to emphasise that you can still stay in most types of accommodation (aside from adults-only places) even with a baby in tow. We’ve stayed in all sorts, from tiny houses to yurts to hip boutique hotels. Have a look at our itineraries for our road trips in California, Portugal, Southern USA to see some of the places we’ve stayed with babies.
Pros and cons of baby accommodation options
Normal hotel with baby facilities
Pros
Cons
Family hotel (aimed at people with kids)
Pros
Cons
Package holiday accommodation
Pros
Cons
Self-catering rentals like Airbnb or VRBO
Pros
Cons
Home Exchange
Pros
Cons
Staying with family and friends
Pros
Cons
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