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Are the big hotel chains any good for families?
Some independent or small hotel chains have capitalised on the demand for quality family accommodation and offer targeted services to meet the needs of those travelling with children.
These specialist hotels go the extra mile to cater for all family members, providing everything from baby monitors and Ofsted-registered childcare, to in-room sterilisers and dedicated playrooms.
But what about the larger hotel chains? Their city centre locations make them appealing for short breaks and visiting relatives, but how do they fare when it comes to offering family-friendly facilities?
Which? hotel survey
To find out, we assessed hotels from four of the top 10 chains in the Which? members' UK hotel survey:
- Crowne Plaza
- Holiday Inn Express
- Novotel
- Premier Inn
(The Which? hotel survey included the opinions of 4,685 Which? members who had stayed in a UK hotel in the previous 12 months. Each hotel was given an overall customer satisfaction scores, and additional star ratings for cleanliness, customer service and value for money.)
We looked at three hotels from each chain in the UK's most popular cities – London, Edinburgh (in one case Glasgow) and Manchester – and found that some chains offer more facilities for babies and children than others.
Hotel chains compared
Family rooms - children's upper age limits
One of the biggest differences we found was the maximum age of children allowed to share a family room – ages ranged from 12 to 19 years. Your choice could be costly if you have to pay for extra rooms to accommodate children who exceed the age restriction. This is an area which can also be confusing. For example, it wasn't always clear whether ‘up to 18’ included those aged 18 or whether the age limit was 17.
Free children's breakfasts
Free breakfast for children appeared to be pretty standard, but check the terms and conditions of each hotel chain as you may only receive one free breakfast per paying adult – not ideal for a lone parent with two children. Our research also showed that the age restriction on the free breakfast doesn't always match that of the family room.
Restaurants with children's facilities
Holiday Inn Express was the only chain we looked at without an on-site restaurant. All except one of the other hotels had a restaurant with the option of early dining (from 5pm at the earliest), with children’s menus and high chairs also available.
Not all of the restaurants were suitable for pushchairs, but most would heat up baby food – although check in advance if this is an important consideration.
Early check-in and late check-out
In 11 of the 12 hotels we assessed, early check-in was free, subject to availability. All 12 offered late check-out, but eight charged a fee depending on how much longer the room was occupied.
Kids' play areas
Of the four hotel chains Which? has assessed, Novotel offers the best facilities for children. Not only do kids receive a welcome gift on arrival, they get the chance to use a specially designated play area with toys, books, and even an Xbox.
