When traveling with extended family members, your group faces new travel challenges that a small party never has to deal with. One of the biggest of these difficulties is what type of lodging to choose to keep everyone together and yet not in each other's way.
To help you find the right answer for your family, here are a few options and what they're best for.
1. Hotel Suite. Most hotels offer at least a few rooms designated as 'suites'. A true hotel suite is great for large immediate families as well as extended relatives who may not be as close. This is because a true hotel suite is generally set up like a small apartment. It will likely have a living room, dining area, kitchen, and at least one separate bedroom. You can close the doors to all bedrooms, providing privacy when needed and a shared public space when wanted.
2. Junior Suite. If your family does get along well — or you're wrangling a bunch of kids with few adults — a junior suite might be an affordable alternative. Junior suites usually have a living room, kitchen facility, and separate bedroom. However, the bedroom often has no door to close. It does, however, provide some separation of the sleeping spaces. This is a noisier accommodation than a true suite, but you'll have more options for sleeping configurations.
3. Adjoining Rooms. A simpler solution for two units traveling together or a distinct set of age groups might be to request adjoining rooms. These rooms are side-by-side and share a common internal door that can be closed and locked from either side. Adjoining rooms are often just standard rooms, so you might find them less expensive while still allowing all the kids to play together until bedtime.
4. Residential Suite. Some hotels and chains specialize in providing accommodation specifically for longer-term travelers. These so-called residential suites are more stocked with what you need when staying for a while — or when traveling with a large group. You might find a better stocked kitchen with pots, pans, and other cooking utensils. It may also come with a larger stove and refrigerator, counter space to prepare food for a big group, extra linens, and sometimes a clothes washer.
Which of these hotel room setups is right for your traveling party? Whichever you choose, you're sure to find a space that gets everyone a good night's sleep and provides plenty of fun during the day.
