Choosing a Sensory-Friendly Hotel~snagglebox

When holidaying with kids who have sensory issues, a little pre-trip planning will go a long way towards helping you to cater for their needs while you're on the road.

Choosing a hotel is one of the biggest decisions you'll need to make, so here's some things to think about.

Book early

Always choose and book your hotels in advance. You need the peace of mind that comes from not only knowing that you have a bed for the night, but having some control over where that bed is and what it looks like.

Location, location, location

Check out potential hotels on Google maps to see if there are major roads, nightclubs, restaurants or a railway nearby that might keep kids with sensitive hearing up at night. If your kids are selective eaters, check whether there's a supermarket close by which is easy to get to or delivers to the hotel.

No smoking please

Choose hotels in which all the rooms are non-smoking (not just selected floors, kids with sensory issues can be very sensitive to the smell of cigarettes).

Come on in, kids

Make sure the hotel is kid-friendly - they’ll have more space, amenities you actually need and you'll worry less about the noise and mess your kids make.

Shhhh

Request a quiet room away from noisy stuff like the pool, laundry, vending and ice machines, elevator, kitchen or gym. Once in the room, turn the air conditioner off if you can - sensitive kids might not like the noise it makes when it's running or the hiss when it switches off (not to mention the cold air itself).

Safety first

Request a room on the ground floor and check whether the room has a balcony - if so, make sure that the sliding doors are lockable.

Food and fridges

Check that there’s a fridge in the room if you want to take food with you for selective eaters. Ask if they can remove the mini bar before you get there - you can’t lock them, and it’s hard to explain to your kid why that twenty dollar chocolate bar in the fridge isn’t for eating.

Rub a Dub Dub

Make sure that the room has a bath if your kids don’t like showers (not all hotel rooms do).

Nighty Night

Hotel sheets can feel rough and weird (although some kids really like all the lovely pressure from how tightly they make the beds). If your kids like it soft, bring some cuddly sheets from home to put on instead. The same goes for pillowcases. I find having something that smells familiar to them also helps to counter the strong smell of detergents and cleaning agents.

And lastly, a quick word about hotel elevators. Be prepared that your kids might find the sensation of riding a lift scary (depending on their sensory needs), so you might have a problem if you’re not staying on the ground floor.

There’s also a chance that they'll find it soothing and/or exciting, and given that number pads can be endlessly fascinating and obsession-worthy, you might end up spending a good deal of the trip riding those suckers. Just make sure you hold on tight when those doors open. I once lost both kids on different floors of a hotel in Paris, and it was the longest twenty minutes of my life. Although I did manage to laugh about it when I got home and realised I'd been running around the halls yelling "I have seen your children!" at a lot of startled French cleaning ladies...

Adieu!

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