The weekend just before Christmas, we had the “pleasure” of having two of the grandchildren with us at the Nickelodeon Holiday Inn Suites Hotel in Orlando. They really do it up big there – and it’s ALL about the kids. First the selection of the room suite: We chose a two bedroom suite – we had our own bedroom with king size bed and television and the kids got their own bedroom with stackable bunk beds, their own TV, game player, etc. The living room has a mini-kitchen, a pullout sofa and big screen TV. We were in the “Jimmy Neutron” suite which we figured would be most appealing to our youngest, the grandson.
Even though we were experiencing some cooler temps for mid-state Florida, they enjoyed the waterslides, two pools, hot tubs, the game room arcade, the free quiz shows, the slime experience show (we paid for this one) – where they got to taste slime, feel slime, and have their hair painted green, plus participate in contests to win credits for the arcade. Our kids were a bit old for the character breakfasts, but enjoyed helping themselves to the other buffets and wandering about the fast food court tailored to the children’s tastes.
Got me to thinking about all the kids programs. Everyone is probably most familiar with Disney’s kids programs, their character meals, etc. These full-fledged kids programs are not the only ones around, however. Family-friendly services abound at a lot of hotels – from Holiday Inn’s kids eat free program, the Hyatt Kids programs, and Omni’s Sensational Kid programs. Now some of these are just amenities – like including special kid menus or providing a video game room. Remember when providing a baby sitter meant finding an employee looking to make some extra money in their off-time? Now babysitters are screened, fingerprinted, and certified in first aid. And then there are the relatively new popular programs like the Spa programs for kids (the Ritz).
Some programs include the parents (or grandparents) and some are providing safe, fun activities while the parents are elsewhere. So, south Florida – what do you provide at your properties for families with kids? And how are you tapping into the “kiddie” market?
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