Top 5 tips for staying in a hotel with young kids

Hotel stays with kids can be a lot of work, but it helps to stay organized! These top 5 tips for staying in a hotel with young kids are perfect for any busy family on the go.

I am a minimalist and don’t like packing anything that isn’t serving an important purpose, so each of these items is very crucial to our hotel stay!

1. Bring a collapsible laundry basket

The Laundry baskets that can be twisted into a tiny disk are a perfectly inexpensive addition to your hotel stay. They take up virtually no room in the suitcase and will keep the hotel room nice and tidy.

If you bring a couple of these, you can even use one for shoes in your hotel room to avoid the massive pile of shoes by the door. No more having to trip over muddy snow boots to get to the bathroom!

2. Bring a small fan

A small fan may seem like a silly (and rather large) unnecessary item to drag along on a road trip, but it’s been invaluable to us!

When we are all snuggled in to our beds in the night, it always seems to get so warm. The fan creates a wonderful air flow to keep us all comfortable and not feeling so hot and stuffy. AND we have also had the joy of getting a room near the elevator, and the fan helps to drown some of the extra noise.

When you’re trying to keep young kids asleep in a hotel with neighboring doors slamming all through the night, it’s great to have a little extra help with the noise!

3. Bring an essential oil diffuser

Between the smell of last night’s pizza, or the drying swimsuits on the heater, there are plenty of interesting aromas in a hotel room. Having an essential oils diffuser helps to bring a familiar calming smell to an otherwise overstimulating environment.

Bringing an essential oil diffuser can also be a huge help for any kids who may struggle with sensory processing. Some of our kids are extremely sensitive to strong smells. By bringing along the essential oil diffuser, we are able to (literally) just take a breather and relax for a moment before moving on to the next leg of our adventure.

You can find really small essential oil diffusers for easiest packing. Don’t forget a little bottle of your favorite smelling essential oil! (The bottle fits in the empty diffuser for the most concise packing.)

4. Use packing cubes

These have been invaluable to our family hotel trips! Each kid gets their own little pack to keep their clothes in, and it helps SO much to keep the clothes somewhat organized. They used to get all jumbled into a big swirly mix of chaos, but not anymore!

We can easily fit 3 of these packing cubes into one large (carry-on sized) suitcase. These can even be placed in the drawers of the hotel room to keep the room nicely tidied during the stay. Everyone’s clothes stay neatly folded in their own seperate packs, it’s the best!

I’ve even seen these packing cubes used for toiletry items or busy bags as well.

5. Snacks!

This is not something we bring, but something we acquire once we get settled. Of course, when traveling with kids, there must be snacks galore. But after so much fast food and crackers, sometimes you just need some fruit or jerky.

One parent will typically run to a local grocery store to gather some healthy snacks. We always love to get some fruit, cheese, nuts, and popcorn.

It is so important to still be nourishing our family even while we are on the go!

When packing for a few (or lots!) of kids it can be so important to make sure to only pack the very important essentials. These top 5 tips for staying in a hotel with young kids is concise, and minimal on purpose. We only have so much room in the van and need to use it wisely!

What are some of your favorite essentials for staying in a hotel with young kids?

Happy travels!