What makes holidays with kids easier?!

[SGB7]

I’m setting up 10 self-catering holiday apartments in on the South coast of Devon, and I’m desperate make them as family friendly as possible as when my own were little it was always so hit and miss.
What would make your holiday easier with babies / pre-schoolers (and older ones)?

Blackout blinds/curtains, bed guards, travel cot, high chair and kids tableware is perfectly sufficient. Everything else, I’d prefer to take my own stuff.

Self catering makes it harder in my opinion. Even having just one meal catered for would make life easier.

A truly toddler safe space - no near vertical stairs, mezzanines with super low railings, rat poison in the cupboard of the kids room (!!!) These are all real world examples of airbnbs I've had the misfortune of staying in, and all had baby cots advertised as included, implying some though for kids. Sick of having to give the kids the main bedroom and split the bunk beds with DH.

Information is key!

Don’t have little children any more but my (nearly) 13 year old is a top end competition at a sport so our summer is going to involve a lot of travelling to far ends of the country competing. So we spend a lot of time reading details of hotels / apartments to try and figure out if a place is suitable. (Eg 13 year old girl can’t share a bed with dad!)

Because of the equipment involved (expensive and bulky) we need parking as close to the accommodation as possible. That’s a bloody nightmare to work out.

So - ideally - floor plan of apartment, including what beds there are and where they are. Detailed description of parking including distance / are their stairs etc. Detailed description of exactly what you get in the apartment (and then stick to it to the letter).

Agree with the many people saying that safety is the key thing! I don't want to be removing ornaments, or working out how to keep a door closed, or having the room sweltering as opening the window isn't safe. Stairgates and empty bedrooms. Cot and high chair a fantastic bonus.

Sockets in the right place in bedrooms, or extension leads (either already set up or in a drawer somewhere and marked in instructions/info, etc). I’ve been in lots of otherwise really well set up places that it’s almost impossible to plug in a baby monitor/groclock/perfect prep machine where I wanted to. Also a suitable bedside table/shelf where baby monitor can be put so it shows the bed/cot.

Also, perhaps unlikely in the UK, but a fan and thermostatic radiator controls so you can have different rooms at different temps (Eg warmer bedroom for baby/make sure baby isn’t too hot).

Somewhere secure for prams, bikes ,scooters etc

Great ideas here, but looking at it from the perspective of a family with older kids now, can I ask that all these things be hidden away in cupboards or be available on request. I hate going away and seeing all this kid stuff laying around in an otherwise very nice self catering space - unless you want to appeal exclusively to families with young children.

We have a holiday let - I would say you don't need to leave all the baby things in each apartment but have them available on request - assuming there is someone who can put them in at changeover. Ie sterilizer / child step / baby bath / high chair etc. We had a proper cot because I hate the noisy mattresses on the travel cots and it's larger.

Wooden toys without loads of small parts / children's picture books / family board games.

I also have a jigsaw foam floor mat as it's all hard floors. - somewhere for a baby to sit and play without cracking their head open! Plastic cutlery & cups.

Somewhere to wash off sandy feet / wet suits etc outside the apartment.

Beach / outdoors toy library.

Enough loo roll.
Hand soap in bathrooms.
Washing up liquid etc.
teabags

If you want to be very nice we offer a food / breakfast starter shop so people can at least have a cup of tea when they arrive & have something for the morning if they arrive late. Bread / croissants/ butter / milk / cereal / eggs / bacon / fruit.

Very good info pack detailing how everything in the apartment works, what to do if there's a power outage / similar. Where local shops / restaurants / attractions are & opening hours or if it's obvious already, where you recommend.

I went to one recently with a round cork coffee table, absolutely ideal and looked good too.

Dryer is a necessity I think for British seaside as often it's not warm enough for towels to dry outside.

A bath.

Not necessarily just for kid friendly properties, but please, pretty please, have some half decent kitchen equipment.
A method of draining veg/pasta/potatoes - ie a sieve or colander, and a sharp knife would make life much easier!

Floor plan
Decent sheets on the bed
High chair/step stool on request
Washer/dryer - won’t stay anywhere without one now as can pack half the clothes we usually need
Proper kitchen equipment (once stayed somewhere without a bread knife!) and pepper/salt
No ornaments
Generic white plate and glassware so easily replaceable so will all still match
Buckets and spades as near the beach
A picnic bag and freezer packs would be a nice extra
Lots of ice cube trays already filled!!
Details of the type of coffee machine so people can bring the right coffee/pods
Parking next to the accommodation

Also the big travel cots that have soft sides and wheels as they double up as a playpen and can be moved around!

i think whatever you provide I would clearly list it so people are aware and bringing things twice.

Also if providing any toys make sure they are fully wipeable, cleanable and cleaned.

Washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, Anti bac spray, brillo pads, tea towels, kitchen roll, towels, baking trays, tea bags, coffee pods if a machine, sugar, saccharine.

A guest book with wipeable covers detailing nearest doctors, dentist, pharmacy, nice pub, nice walks, nearest small shop, nearest supermarket, details of rubbish and recycling, local play park, things to do in the local area within easy walking distance or within a short drive. Info about what you would like guests to do when they leave.

For slightly older children. Decent WiFi, body boards if near a beach are great. Info on best local beaches and description, shallow, sandy etc. Info on nearest play area and child friendly restaurants nearby.

For clarity, you could sell nappies and basic formula.
In shared spaces, children's dvds, used good condition toys. Even if a child has that same toy at home, they will likely enjoy that toy again when out.

A cart to take stuff down to the beach and a windbreak.
Clean high chair.
A booster seat for the dining table
Plastic backed picnic rug
melamine plates and cups and small sized cutlery
a night light or dimmable lamp in the kids room
safe fenced off garden area

Harder for what?

if the op was to start providing food… it becomes a hotel

Wifi
lots of sockets
washing machine plus a few capsules
hanger
blackout blinds
plugs for nightlights and baby monitors
nightlights in corridors
sharp knife.
Oil / salt / pepper
offer of a breakfast basket good idea
floorplan
coffee maker
really good guest book.
jigsaws / pack of cards etc
body boards and bucket and spades too !
Nice cushions for lounging around.

tho my parents had a holiday let and said families with small kids were the most demanding so maybe see how you go…..

@Gwen82 yes sorry I totally missed that she was providing accommodation and so my post makes no sense at all.

Contact details for recommended/affiliated baby sitters so parents can have an evening out

Good lighting in corridors and on stairs.

Particularly if tots will be roaming at night or trying to find parents' bedroom.

Bolts at top of back doors that littlies cannot reach to open when unsupervised.

USB ports. Alexa or Sonos or iPod docking station.

Good quality tv and streaming service.

Comfy seating. Books. Binoculars if there's a view.

Plenty of good glasses. I hate going somewhere and there's only tumblers rather than wine glasses.

Sharp knives.

Dishwasher and dishwasher tabs.

Coasters for bedtime water glasses.

Cushions for toddlers to sit at dining table if they're too big for high chair.

Baby monitor?

Buckets, spades, crabbing nets, body boards. Beach towels/haman towels. Cool boxes.

Extensive list of things to do, places to go. Vouchers and coupons and discount codes.

List of gps, pharmacies, supermarkets etc.

As you’re close to the beach I would definitely have bits for that. Adults are pretty good at turning up at the beach with just a towel but kids need all sorts. I’d have a beach parasol, small beach tent for babies, windbreaker and a cool box for snacks.

For the accommodation I’d definitely get a baby monitor, we went away with friends when our children were a few months old and they forget theirs. It really put them on edge and it took them a couple of nights to settle without it, having one would just take away that potential panic.

We stayed at a couple of farms who converted outbuildings into flats, we loved:
Big playground, also useable for pre-teens, not just small children
Toy room, either for them to play in (making friends) or taking games and books out for a day
Cycle shed with bikes to borrow
Proper washing and drying facilities
one had an outdoor shower shed, great for sandy children, with proper changing room
All bedrooms children safe
Baby items on request, useful but can be cluttering if your child is older and doesn't need a highchair
Plastic tumblers and plates
I hated the plastic cutlery for DD, we loved one who had proper metal cutlerly for children

Netflix and Disney plus available on the TV
Wifi working
list with restaurants/cafes