Keeping your child calm at a hotel is never easy. It’s a brand new environment and it can be boring for them when you’re not out and about.

Unless you’re staying at a five-star hotel where your every need is accounted for, you have to get creative. Here are some of the ways you can help your child relax at a hotel.

Plan Ahead

The first step is to plan ahead. Is the hotel you’re choosing used to catering to children?

There’s a big difference between Motel Six and the Hilton when it comes to this. Of course, you have to keep in mind you have a budget, but make sure you look into a type of hotel that’s likely to be quiet and a hotel that may have other families inside.

The goal is to avoid those toddler tantrums when on the road!

Keep Them Entertained

Make sure you have a smartphone or tablet with you for some entertainment time. It could involve playing a game or watching a movie.

But you should regulate their screen time. Don’t let them spend the entire night playing on your tablet. And make sure you’re supervising them at all times.

To keep yourself secure, you should install a VPN. Remember that hotel WiFi is a public connection so it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you need help installing one, Troypoint offers a tutorial to help you do it.

Maintain the Same Schedule

Travelling is a lot of disruption for a child. This is part of what stops them from being relaxed in the first place. So try to maintain the same schedule at home.

For example, if they have a bedtime make sure they stick to the same sleeping schedule. If they’re used to having dinner at a certain time, make sure you have dinner in the hotel restaurant at roughly the same time.

Attempt to maintain a level of normalcy.

Does the Hotel Offer Kid-Friendly Activities?

The worst thing you can do is spend too much time in the room. Try to keep your child busy, which is also ideal for helping them sleep at the end of the day.

Look into whether your hotel has any kid-friendly activities for them to participate in during the evenings. This is where planning ahead really comes in handy.

Rearrange the Room

Most reputable hotels understand that families with children need to rearrange the furniture to accommodate the needs of their children. Always ask before you start moving anything around.

For example, you may want to move a couple of single beds together with young children. Sometimes you might want to move the beds further away from the window to counter any traffic noise outside.

Don’t Be Too Strict

These tips may imply that you have to be strict in order to keep your child relaxed. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The best way to help your child relax is to focus on family fun. That way they won’t have any time to dwell on any fears they have.

You know your child best and you know what makes them happy. Even if you’re on a business trip and not a family vacation, focus on your kids.

Last Word – Planning is the Key

Our number one tip is to plan ahead. Your choice of hotel will make or break your time away. Sometimes you may have to spend a little extra on a room to have your needs fulfilled.  But if it means your child feels more relaxed when they’re away from their familiar surroundings, it’s worth it.

Do you have any experiences taking your children away to a hotel?