City Family Holiday Accommodation – 5 Must Haves 24


This post is in collaboration with Accor Hotels

Different types of family holidays require different types of family accommodation.

For me if I am planning on a relaxation holiday then I want the accommodation to provide me with all the bells and whistles as we will be spending quite a bit of time lazing about the hotel.

However if we are taking a sightseeing family holiday based in a city then my needs for the family accommodation are completely different.

So what are my city family holiday accommodation must haves?

city family holiday accommodation

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It starts with life’s 3 essentials to survive: shelter, food and clothing.

1  Shelter

Basically I just need somewhere to sleep and shower, it doesn’t have to be anything elaborate as we don’t spend very much time in the room on sightseeing holidays.  I just need to make sure that the bedding configuration can sleep 3, and there is a TV to watch a movie after Lewis has gone to sleep.

However if you know your little ones can’t sleep if there is noise, then an apartment style hotel might be for you.

city family holiday accommodation

IBIS Melbourne – Double bunk room

I don’t really need much more extra facilities.

  • If we have flown in from interstate and we have decided to hire a car then I might require parking.  Of course if we are just relying on public transport to get us around like we do on most holidays then I won’t need parking.
  • If we were travelling in the middle of summer I probably would like a pool to cool off in after our excursions.  But if it’s the wrong season or we are going to be too busy then I won’t need that either.

It’s all about your personal needs for that particular trip.

2  Food

Though I am going to need to eat.  Personally I prefer to be able to eat breakfast within the hotel – even in my backpacking days I preferred hostels that included breakfast.  First thing in the morning I am not in the mood to hunt for somewhere to have a coffee – yes I’m one of those coffee people 🙂

city family holiday accommodation

IBIS Melbourne – Continental Buffet Breakfast

During the day as we explore it is easy to find somewhere to grab some lunch (even supermarkets have salad rolls in the deli department).  Then it’s just a matter of scheduling the park to be on our itinerary for lunch time.

In the evening we like to have a choice of restaurants available a short walk from our hotel.  So worth doing a bit of research before we book to ensure they are nearby.

The other alternative is to opt for a self-contained apartment style accommodation where I will have access to a kitchen, to alleviate these issues by cooking – but I don’t like to do any work on holidays 😉

3  Clothing

Whilst I don’t like to do any work on holidays the laundry seems to be the one thing I can’t avoid.  So if there is a laundromat nearby or at the hotel that is certainly easier than hand washing.

Then we need to consider:

4  Location

I’ve mentioned sightseeing, public transport, restaurants and even the laundry.  Our hotel has to be easily accessible to all these things.

I always double-check where the actual location of the hotel is in relation to everything else.  Part of my pre booking research includes viewing the map on the hotel’s website and Google Maps to help determine where everything is located.

city family holiday accommodation

IBIS Melbourne – location

Of course it all comes down to budget.

5 Budget

Now the horrible part – paying for it.  Whilst I would love to be able to afford to stay in the plushest of hotels, I usually can’t justify the expense; because they are often offering much the same facilities as the more budget option like this Melbourne CBD Hotel.

Plus I would prefer to save my money on the city family accommodation so I have more to experience the city.

Basically my city family holiday accommodation is just a base from which to explore the city.

What does your family need from a city family holiday accommodation?

Tell me in the comments.

city family holiday accommodation

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About Sally-Ann Brown

I am Sally-Ann the author of Toddlers on Tour. I am a wife and mother who has always had a passion for travel. I love sharing my experiences and lessons learned to help you have a better family holiday or day trip. Read "All About Me" under the "Home" tab to discover my story and what lead me to here.

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24 thoughts on “City Family Holiday Accommodation – 5 Must Haves

  • Rebecca Bowyer

    If we’re staying for more than a couple of days I also like to have kitchen facilities – it’s often much easier than dragging little kids out again in the evening. Though takeaway is also an option! #TeamIBOT

  • Bumble Bee Mum

    I am somewhat the opposite when it comes to hotel breakfast. Precisely because I am a coffee person, hotel breakfasts seldom come with good coffee. And I end up buying another cup of coffee elsewhere even if I have had my breakfast at the hotel. And I love chilling out at local cafes.

    But laundry is extremely important to me! Especially when travelling with kids. My friends always ask me why my luggage is so small – my simple answer: I do laundry.

    I am totally someone who scrimps on accommodation. I know what you mean why wishing you could stay in a plushy hotel, but ending up back in a budget hotel. Somehow I can never convince myself to part with the extra $100 for a better hotel room.

  • hannah

    Totally agree with you! although we tend to find accommodation through he likes of AirBnB these days as having an entire house/apartment is so much more comfortable with kids…I love being able to put them down in their own rooms and then my husband & I can chat/sing/dance and not disturb them. If we stay in hotels then we like to stay in ones that offer breakfast too.

  • Zoe | A Quirky Bird

    All great suggestions Sally-Ann. I haven’t really travelled much with my kids apart from camping at a friends block and staying with relatives. So I’d say kitchen facilities would be my thing. We’re currently at my Brother-in-laws and finding a kitchen a god send. You can make lunch before you head out for the day, so that saves a bit on the budget too, as well as having dinner in. My kids are ready for bed straight after dinner, so it’s good to be home at dinner time after a tiring day adventuring. Zoe xx

    • Sally-Ann Brown Post author

      Zoe to me it doesn’t matter how far you travel or what type of travel you do with your kids, it’s just about having fun together as a family, and if a kitchen makes it easier to you then do what puts you in the positive frame of mind.

  • UK Family Fun

    Location is certainly key to me – I like to be able to walk to attractions or catch local transport easily. I also like free and decent wifi plus the kids to have a tv if possible 🙂 #MondayEscapes

  • Keri

    A must when travelling with young children for us is having a small kitchenette area (at very minimum kettle and a fridge) for dealing with bottles and small snacks. Another thing we very consciously check for in city accommodation is whether there is a lift so we don’t end up lugging children, prams, shopping upstairs. My husband would argue just find a coffee shop but I say go the in-house buffet and find coffee later once kids are stuffed full and ready for the day! #MondayEscapes

    • Sally-Ann Brown Post author

      Totally agree about the fridge and kettle Keri. Lifts are something really have to check for when travelling in old European cities as many of the pensions date back to before electricity.

  • Kassie O'Driscolll

    I recently took a trip with my family, but we’re all adults. It was the first time in years that we’ve all traveled together so it was interesting to see what everyone’s must-haves were. My sister and I planned it, but looking back we should have made my parents make a list like this so we could accommodate their needs better!

  • Lisa (Travel Loving Family)

    Completely agree re coffee! I also am not at my best without a cup of caffeine especially after a night in a hotel where one of my boys usually wakes up very early!! I also ideally like to have a suite so my boys are in a separate area however this is not always feasible so we have had many nights where hubby and I have laid in the dark on our phones in hotel rooms whilst our boys sleep!! #MondayEscapes

    • Sally-Ann Brown Post author

      We are starting to prefer rooms with a separate area for our son as well Lisa, though we are lucky in that he will sleep through the quiet noise and light of the TV – it’s just those early morning wake-ups that are the killer.

  • Ting at My Travel Monkey

    All great points. There’s no need for a super luxurious hotel room when you’re not going to be in it. I have to have a clean room then I am happy. Location for me is key too, on a city break it’s worth being able to explore mostly by foot. Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes