Child friendly b and b

[jamcorrosion]

Hey! I’m hoping for some good ideas or thoughts - my friend has a guest house at the coast UK. He’s not getting many bookings and those he gets are generally elderly. He wants to get the word out more. I’ve stayed they’re and it’s really lovely, brekkie included and right on the seafront.

Now I know lots of places advertise family friendly but rarely they actually are more than the basics.

He is looking at marketing towards families with children and being really family friendly. What does this mean to you? And what would you love to see at a bed and breakfast that would make a difference for kids? Things that in the past you’ve been away and thought ‘I wish they had or did ….’

Any and all thoughts welcome!

First off it needs to be in an area that’s very good for family holidays. Beaches, family days out etc.

Then it’s quite easy. Have toys and books available. Highchairs and cots available. Depending on the size and layout, an area where parents can go in the evening with a monitor on. Do you have a garden? Make the most of that if so.

But tell your friend not to over index, families are constrained to high season so they will also want to attract other clients too. Making one room dog friendly for example.

Did you have to do two threads for this?

Also is there an outside space? It’s nice to have a coffee outside.

Well priced family rooms, a friendly breakfast area which you can access during the day with microwave to heat baby milk or small toddler meals, a kettle in the room. A bath is helpful rather than a shower.

I went to a b&b last year that was no shoes indoors - utterly brilliant. All sandy shoes were left in the porch, and indoors we were in socks or slippers. That was fabulous for the kids as the floor was spotless, feet on stairs were quiet, and toddlers could roam on the floor without getting mucky.

That place also had a shed outside with fixed bike locks so you could stow a buggy, it had a small lounge with a few books, games and toys for kids, and also it had a wind break, buckets and spades you could borrow so if you’d gone there by public transport not car you really didn’t need to take much.

Good size rooms with plenty of space for a cot and sofa bed. Interconnecting rooms and rooms you access via one door and then you have two individual rooms for older children who don't need to sleep in the parents room anymore.

Shower all a bath helps with younger children or a really large walk in shower so a parent can shower with a child.

Lounge with a fridge, microwave and kettle so parents can make an early breakfast or a snack like porridge or warm up a bottle. Fridge in the bedroom to store food as well.
Toys, books, games for a variety of ages they can take to their room to keep the child happy in the early morning.

Plenty of space in a locked shed to store bikes and buggy, maybe.

If it's near the beach, some beach toys and maybe some beach towels would be good.

If there’s a garden, something to play on.
Access to a fridge for snacks - DD consumes a lot of fruit and yoghurt and cheese
A kids menu for breakfast - ideally where you can just select individual items (eg 2 sausages, beans and fried egg) rather than a set plate.
Lounge area with some quiet toys, games, books and colouring

No obvious hazards - streams, doors that open on to roads that aren’t secure for bolters, unsecured gardens. I don’t have the same worries now DD older but some places are full of sharp corners, things to fall over/break so you have to hover constantly. Bit of toddler proofing basically.

There was an episode (possibly more than one) of hotel inspector where they made a hotel child friendly.
I’m not sure how you would find it ( them?) but it is probably worth a look.

Interconnecting rooms
Toddler size meals
Bed guards
Baths as well as showers
Clean and functional high chairs and cots included in the cost.

Bnb wouldn't be my first choice of accommodation to stay in with kids. However, if I were to stay in one, I would ideally like to see:

• interconnecting rooms
• Kettle, microwave and fridge in the room
• Soundproofing
• Basic child proofing : secure windows and balcony doors, no open fireplaces, no ponds or streams in the garden, fully fenced garden, preferably furniture with no very sharp corners like glass tables
• No fiddly ornaments in the room that children might want to play with and break
• Bath in the bathroom
• Baby equipment to borrow: highchair, cot, bed guard, bottle warmer, step stool etc
• Toys, games and beach equipment (toys, umbrellas, tents etc) to borrow
• Garden with play equipment, tables and chairs
• Access to washing machine and dryer
• Flexible breakfast times, kids friendly menu
• Place to store buggy
• Plenty of parking, preferably without gravel
• Fence around the pool, if you have one

I personally wouldn’t consider a BnB with v young kids as it means you have to eat dinner out in a restaurant off site. Self catering where there’s the option to eat in a few nights works as would a hotel where there’s restaurant is a few steps away from the room. And if was with older kids/as a couple I’d be actively put off if it seemed too baby/toddler focused. IDK where he is but it might be idea to focus on a younger but not necessarily young families market like look at the Artist Residence properties as those are BnBs with a cool cocktail bar.

I was trying to post in different topics and it wouldn’t let me cross post - does it really matter?

Perhaps to give grumpy old people with cats double the chance to post something constructive

This grumpy old person with cats only needs one chance to post something constructive. And I did on the OP"s other thread. 🤣

Sorry for the late responses! It’s Llandudno. He was after marketing it exclusively to families and really focusing on that but thinking about I doubt that will work

Yeah this is what I’ve realised after lots of responses! His mum also lives there in a self contained flat and she wants to move to her own place so he was thinking of using that as a self catering space that’s dog friendly

There is a small space at the front not sure at the back but good idea!

That all sounds really good! It’s the simple things that make all the difference really and all those are things that can be packed away when there’s more older guests in term time

Thanks for all the suggestions - not sure if the rooms stuff would work with the way the property is laid out but all worth thinking about

Fridge is a good idea and really practical even if it’s in a shared space.

he’s pretty flexible on breakfast so that’s easily implemented and he was thinking of stuff like make your own pancakes or decorate your own for kids.

There is a small lounge as well as the breakfast room.

The front door has a lock that each rooms key opens and it’s higher up so kids can’t reach! Mine ran right into the road when I was there not where the place is but still absolutely terrified me!! I was never overly concerned with that kind of stuff like toddler proofing I didn’t really do any of it at home I’m more of a learn by mistakes parents but appreciate not everyone is the same!

I don’t think any of that sounds unreasonable obviously location and property dependent

Is that a rule that you can’t eat dinner or tea for me at the place you’re staying? I’ve not come across this? Yeah the other stuff I agree it needs a good balance

I thought B&B meant Bed and Breakfast i.e. no restaurant serving dinner because that would be a hotel and it wouldn’t have a kitchen because that would be a apartment/self catering type place. So if you want to eat in the evening you’d have to go out. Which wouldn’t massively appeal to me with young children.

Well they serve breakfast so must have a kitchen - he is trying to do some evening meal nights too with pop up kitchens from the local area.

Theres another separate lounge or even the breakfast room that maybe a takeaway or something could be eaten in? Totally get why you wouldnt that restriction with young children though. Mine is3 and I was not ready haha