Taking the Kids™
Staying at a Boutique Hotel
One recent Saturday morning, young travelers Julia and Maureen Gill were busy checking out the Hotel Giraffe in New York.
Not just any hotel will meet their exacting standards, either. The place has to be small and cozy but with loads of extra panache – whether they be automatic window shades that open and close with the click of a switch (like the Hotel Giraffe), funky lamps (Maureen likes to sketch them), or a goldfish presented upon checkin to keep guests from getting lonely.
The duo gave a thumbs up to the Giraffe’s ample complimentary breakfast (especially the chocolate croissants) and afternoon wine and cheese reception in the lobby that’s more like a large living room. Maureen loves the décor of one hotel so much that, like a growing number of sophisticated travelers, she wants to decorate her bedroom just like it – if her Mom will agree.
Maureen is nine; Julia six. Meet the latest crowd to discover upscale boutique hotels “Kids love surprises – and the beauty is each place is different. They love checking out all the unique features,” observes their mom Anne Coyle, the director of admissions at Yale School of Management.
Like a growing number of working parents, Coyle will take one of the girls with her on business trips as a special treat and makes it a point to seek out small, upscale hotels. Not only are the rates often a better deal than at big city hotels – often $150 or less a night, including breakfast and afternoon wine receptions – but she finds the staff more friendly to the girls. And the décor is guaranteed to be entertaining. “It’s anything but sterile,” she says.
No wonder more families of all shapes and sizes are discovering that when it comes to hotels, small can be the ticket to vacation happiness. And the hoteliers are welcoming their new guests with open arms, presents for the kids, and special packages. The tony Hotel Giraffe, for example, has introduced an Urban Safari weekend package complete with a stuffed giraffe and kids’ guide to the Big Apple. (See www.hotelgiraffe.com)
The Kimpton Group, meanwhile, touts family packages at many of their hotels from Boston to Chicago to the West Coast. Kimpton Hotels are known to be pet as well as kid friendly, affordable (rates can start at $129 a night), and stylish. They include the seven Hotel Monacos, where you can borrow a gold fish. (See www.kimptongroup.com)
“It was cool and hip but really kid-friendly,” said Los Angeles TV producer Reed Ginsell, a fan of the 50-room Acqua Hotel in Mill Valley, CA, that is part of the Joie de Vivre group of small northern California hotels (See www.jdvhospitality.com) “I didn’t feel like I had to apologize for having a little kid.”
And that counts for a lot.
© Copyright Eileen Ogintz 2005
