How to ensure hotels have family-friendly accommodations ready upon your arrival

Traveling with kids can be quite the adventure, especially after a long day. No matter how stocked you are with snacks, toys, and games to keep spirits high, by the time you reach your hotel, you likely just want to unlock the door, drop your bags, and get everyone comfy for the night.

Sadly, it's not uncommon for families to find their plans derailed when they discover that the crib, rollaway bed, or linens for the sofa bed they requested are missing.

Communication breakdown

Recently, TPG's director of content, Nick Ewen, encountered this issue at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel located at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).

"After nearly two hours of delays and another 55 minutes spent waiting for our luggage, we finally made it to our room, only to discover a fitted sheet on the sofa bed and a solitary pillow tucked away in the closet," Ewen reminisced. "What was I meant to do with that?"

Ewen reached out to the front desk, and promptly, the necessary bedding was brought to his family's room. However, it wasn't the warm welcome they had hoped for, and hotels often struggle to provide immediate solutions for guests' needs.

Scott Mayerowitz, executive editor at TPG, has encountered similar issues multiple times.

"It seems like nobody manages this correctly. Even when I notify them in advance that morning and check in an hour before arrival, the room is still not prepared properly," Mayerowitz stated.

Initially, it was about needing a crib for his daughter. Now that she’s 7, the issue has shifted to not having sheets for the sofa bed or a rollaway bed in their suite.

"It's not that the front desk clerk isn't reviewing the notes in the reservation; they usually acknowledge the special requests at check-in. The problem is that this information often doesn't make it to the housekeeping team," Mayerowitz shared. "There's nothing worse than arriving late at a hotel with a tired, cranky child and then having to wait an additional 45 minutes for someone to deliver sheets and pillows for a sofa bed."

Other employees shared similar experiences of cramming their teenage and pre-teen kids into one bed while waiting for a rollaway or spending hours waiting for a pack-n-play after arriving at their hotel at midnight with a baby.

However, TPG senior writer and seasoned family traveler Lori Zaino has observed that smaller, boutique hotels usually have a higher success rate in meeting requests than larger hotel chains, though she too frequently encounters missing items during her travels.

"One of my most memorable experiences was at the Hodelpa Nicolás de Ovando in Santo Domingo [in the Dominican Republic], where they had a crib ready in our room at check-in and even set up a sound machine to help our baby drift off to sleep with soothing rain or lullaby sounds," Zaino recalled.

To mitigate a hotel's potential lack of readiness, Zaino makes a point to request a crib when she books her reservation and follows up with a call to confirm either the day before or the day of her trip. She also reiterates her request at check-in, yet she still finds that about "80% of the time" the request remains unfulfilled when she arrives.

To be fair, many TPG team members have also arrived at their hotels to find the requested crib or rollaway bed already set up and waiting for them. The real concern is the unpredictability; you can never be sure if the items you requested will be in your room when you walk in or if you'll end up having to contact the front desk and wait indefinitely for the sleep essentials you need.

So, what options do families with cranky, crying, exhausted children have?

Does the hotel brand really make a difference?

We went directly to the source and spoke with representatives from prominent hotel chains to gain insight into how they manage these kinds of requests.

Karen Cole, director of corporate communications for InterContinental Hotels Group, provided an overview of how some of IHG's family-oriented brands handle these requests.

"Although our hotels strive to prepare in advance for guest arrivals and do their utmost to fulfill requests, it isn’t always feasible," Cole explained. "We recommend that traveling families do two things: make their requests at the time of booking through our IHG app or by phone, and then, on the day of arrival, contact the hotel directly with their estimated check-in time to increase the likelihood that requested items will be ready in the room upon arrival."

All IHG-branded hotels are required to have cribs available, except for Candlewood Suites, where they are optional. If you need a crib, it's advisable to check with the property before making your reservation.

Having cribs on-site doesn’t guarantee they will be in your room upon check-in, but Holiday Inn Express hotels mandate that cribs must be in the guest's room before arrival if requested in advance. Availability of rollaway beds at IHG properties can vary by location, so it's essential to confirm that the property has them in stock before booking.

John Wolf, vice president of global communications and public affairs at Marriott International, expressed a similar viewpoint.

He mentioned that the day-to-day challenges of hotel operations can hinder the fulfillment of requests before check-in, but he urges guests to contact the hotel ahead of their arrival via phone or chat to reaffirm their requests. The Marriott Bonvoy app can also be utilized for mobile check-in and to provide your expected arrival time.

A representative from Hilton chose not to comment on this matter.

It's entirely reasonable to recognize that due to limited inventory and the complexities of preparing a hotel room in the brief hours between check-out and check-in, a hotel may not always be able to fulfill every request before your arrival.

Helpful Tips

Families have every right to expect the items they requested to be available upon check-in, particularly after a long day of travel.

While there are no guarantees, there are steps you can take to improve the chances that your room will be equipped with the requested items upon your arrival, as well as to quickly address any issues if items are missing:

• Make your request for a crib, rollaway, sofa bed linens, etc., at the time of your reservation, whether by phone or online.
• Reconfirm your request just before check-in, and inform the hotel of your expected arrival time on the day you arrive.
• Upon checking in, verify whether your requested items are already in the room or if they can be delivered promptly.
• If all else fails, consider bringing a portable crib or pack-n-play; it may take up some valuable packing space, but it will provide peace of mind.

The Bottom Line

Given the numerous factors involved in securing family items for hotel rooms—ranging from your arrival time to the hotel's inventory and interdepartmental communication—it seems impossible to ensure that your room will be fully prepared for you and your children every single time.

While there's no straightforward solution (and believe us, we wish there were), remember that if you've faced a similar issue, you're not alone. We understand your frustration.