Little Legs, Wanderful World

If you want a truly relaxing vacation where you don’t have to play cruise director or worry about what to do for the next meal or make contingency plans for poor weather, you need to stay at a family resort. It was the absolute best vacation of my LIFE.

To save me from writing out synonymous names, I’m going to call every family/child-centered resort a ‘kinderhotel’ or ‘family hotel.’ However, it’s very important to note that there are kinderhotels, familotels, familienhotels, familux resorts, etc. so don’t limit yourself to just Googling ‘kinderhotel.’

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1. What is a kinderhotel?
2. Kids Clubs
3. All Inclusive
4. Food
5. Indoor Children’s Play Paradise
6. Outdoor Play
7. Water Worlds
8. Wellness
9. Tips & Tricks
10. Which kinderhotel should I choose?

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What is a kinderhotel?

In short, they are the best gift to families! They are hotels literally designed for children to have an amazing experience while parents get to rest and enjoy the vacation without having to lift a finger.

‘Kinderhotel’ is German for “children’s hotel,” but Original Kinderhotels Europa is a brand – sort of. They’re not franchised, but more of a marketing co-op; you have to meet specific criteria to earn the right to be called an official kinderhotel under their brand. Original Kinderhotels Europa are primarily 4 and 5 star resorts in Austria and Italy.

Familux Resorts is a brand of four ultra high end, luxury family hotels – two located in Austria and two located in Germany.
Familotels is a brand with family hotels located across Austria, Italy, Germany, Hungary, and Lichtenstein. One nice feature about their website is that you can search for hotels with teen programs.

The vast majority of kinderhotels are all-inclusive (not including alcohol) resorts that offer swimming pools (indoor/outdoor), saunas, wellness experiences like massages and beauty treatments, indoor children’s play areas, outdoor playgrounds, and a weekly activity program put on by the hotel staff. (More about all this later.)

But what really sets these kinderhotels apart from regular hotels is…

Kids Clubs

At most kinderhotels, the big draw is their Kids Club programs which is, basically, “free” babysitting. Included in the cost of your stay is somewhere around 70 hours of group babysitting by providers in the hotel. Babies are often included from about 3-5 months old and a number of hotels offer teen clubs as well. Kids are grouped by age and each age group has a separate space in the hotel, equipped with lots and lots of toys/play structures and a daily activity program. Kids get to hang out with each other, do crafts, visit the petting zoo, play, and just generally have a lovely time with adult staff there to look after them.

This is one of the main perks of staying at a kinderhotel as it allows parents/grandparents time to themselves for even just a little bit. How great would it be to read by the poolside and then head for a massage and a soak in the whirlpool (aka hot tub) without worrying about your little one? Sounds amazing.

My child adamantly refuses to be separated from us and forcing him to do so is not in our parenting strategy (and we do truly enjoy his company!), so we do not use the Kids Clubs. But you can see in the reviews for many hotels why they are just so popular!

I have had a number of moms ask me why we would pay the money for a kinderhotel if we aren’t using the Kids Club Services. Where do I start?

All Inclusive

The vast majority of family hotels/resorts are all-inclusive. Some hotels offer only half or 3/4 board which usually means lunch isn’t provided, but most provide all meals and snacks. A few even include alcohol, but usually it’s unlimited juice, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and sodas throughout the day with alcohol offered for a price. Typically there are fruits available during the day in both the dining room and the sauna/wellness area,.

Over our Christmas stay, we actually got into quite the pleasant routine with my husband going downstairs to the dining room to grab a coffee and some hot cocoas for myself and our kiddo in the morning while we showered and got dressed.

Apart from the food (see more below), you have access to all the hotel’s amenities – spas, pools, game rooms, and activity programs – as well as equipment to borrow or rent. Most offer free use of their high quality strollers/buggies/prams. Some offer free rentals of toboggans/sledges, ski gear, hiking gear, bicycles, or they can be rented from the hotel for a fee.

Food

A huge perk to all-inclusive is the food. For an ADHD mom, not having to plan/worry about what we would do for all our meals is one of my favorite parts about staying at a kinderhotel. It’s a bonus that the food is such a huge sense of pride and so is very good!

Usually you are assigned a table for the duration of your stay which I found to be helpful in keeping us relaxed; no scrambling for a “good table” at each mealtime though if you can, I’d ask to be seated next to a window via email before your arrival. Being able to people or nature watch was a lovely perk! At your table, you’ll also likely receive a daily newsletter with information about the activities available for that day and the weather forecast.

The food situation varies widely between kinderhotels, but there is always a page dedicated to culinary delights on their websites so be sure to read up on their offerings. For a full board stay, you will typically have a breakfast buffet with some additional adult sides to order (e.g. omelettes, pancakes, etc.), a smaller lunch buffet or set menu, afternoon cakes and snacks, and a 3, 4, or 5 course menu for the adults and a children’s buffet. What food is served to children is really dependent on the hotel and I encourage you to read reviews that specifically relate to the children’s food as parents have reported some kids’ offerings are only chicken nuggets and pasta. Kinderhotels will often host theme buffets, international cuisine nights, “gala dinners,” barbecues, and fondue nights so there is always some sort of culinary fun around the corner!

Every hotel that I’ve researched offers Hipp baby foods as well. Since I no longer have a baby, I can’t speak to the offering for our littlest travelers, but I have noted plenty of baby food options on site.

Indoor Children’s Play Paradise

All kinderhotels are going to have some sort of play area for children outside of the Kids Club where parents are allowed (they’re not allowed to stay in the Kids Clubs usually) and must supervise their children. These vary widely among hotels, so it’s important to look at photos and decide what your family needs.

We are not (yet) a skiing family. Therefore, in winter we look for things to do inside the hotel when it’s super chilly outside and it’s not a day we’re up for tobogganing or snowshoeing. Usually kinderhotels have multiple spaces for kids to play indoors – kids kitchen where you can literally bake food, sports halls, etc. Many offer massive climbing structures like Discovery Zone (shout out to us 90s kids), ball pits, and play blocks. Some have a variety of rooms that might offer trampolines or ninja courses. They almost all have some sort of ‘soft play’ area where kids can run around and play. Most also have a Chill Club for teens with Playstations and sofas. You’ll also usually find a room with foosball, ping pong, air hockey, and this interactive screen table where 4-8 people can all play tech games together like Mah Jong or racing games.

I highly encourage you to look at the photos (impressions) or their virtual tour if they offer one on their website to see what you’re getting into. Sometimes the explanation in words doesn’t quite match with the reality. 🙂

Outdoor Play

The amount of outdoor space is really dependent on region for access of outdoors activities and location; if you opt for a kinderhotel in a downtown area, you’re not going to have the same experience as, say, a kinderhotel further out in the mountains.

Summer: Most kinderhotels have at the very least a small playground out front. Your bigger hotels will offer far more. Some have natural swimming ponds, very large play/climbing structures, sandboxes, gokarts for kids, water play areas, trampolines, outdoor pools, and access to hiking/biking trails. You might also find sports pitches, tennis courts, archery ranges, and horse stables.

Winter: You might choose a kinderhotel specifically for its location right on the piste. Ski in-ski out hotels are great if you want that direct bed to ski access. Ski instruction for the littlest also might take place right at the hotel instead of needing a shuttle to a ski school nearby. There also might be a practice hill for skiers and for those who just want to slide down a hill on a comfortable toboggan!

Water Worlds

This is the term often used to describe the swimming pool situation.

Almost all kinderhotels that I’ve seen offer at least an indoor swimming pool. Some are quite tiny or very dated while others offer panoramic views of the Alps while swimming in a beautiful pool. Many offer baby/toddler wading pools, some have kids’ pools with a slide, and others offer indoor or outdoor whirlpools (hot tubs). A number offer outdoor pools as well, but they may not be heated so are only in use during summer months.

Most offer some sort of lounge area near the pools – big comfy loungers or partially screened cushiony mats for families to play a game of Uno during swim breaks. I encourage a look at the photos as some “lounge areas” I’ve seen are super small rooms with few windows and a handful of what look like zero gravity camping chairs. Others are picture perfect relaxation heaven in front of floor to ceiling windows with views of beautiful pastures.

One other staple of many kinderhotels is the Trio Slide. Go down it. Even if you feel silly, too old, like you’re going to fly off if you even try, just do it. My husband and I had the most ridiculous fun on this thing! I don’t know the last time I felt like such a kid! There are three slides together. One has a big drop in the middle, one is a nice 45° straight angle, and the other is a bumpy one. Seriously, we went down that thing over and over for about a half an hour until my kiddo didn’t want to wait for us any longer. 😂

Wellness

The vast majority of kinderhotels offer some sort of wellness services – from infrared cabins to saunas (family and adult-only) to massages and beauty treatments. Many even offer massages for kids with parents present in the room and beauty treatments tailored to teenage skin. This will vary widely from hotel to hotel, so be sure to check out what services they offer and if there are any voucher discounts on their website. (Some hotels offer 40€ vouchers just for signing up for their newsletter.)

There have been a few notable moments during our time in Central Europe where it’s clear that gender roles are still rather rigid, so there was some surprise that my son wanted fingernail polish, but the nail tech covered her hesitation fairly well so he didn’t pick up on it (I hope). I mention this in case it’s helpful information to have in prep for what experience or comments you might receive.

Most kinderhotels will provide adult and child sized bathrobes free of charge during your stay. There some hotels, however, that charge a rental fee + refundable deposit, so be sure to check. My son loved his bathrobe so much! 💁🏽‍♀️From a plus size perspective, I figured that I would not fit into their bathrobes (and I was right) so I bought a really pretty, thin robe that was easy to pack and I am so glad that I did. From wearing it to the spa to the walk to/from the pool two floors below us, I used it constantly and will bring it with me everywhere.

Tips & Tricks

I learned a lot from my first stay and here’s what I would recommend to have a truly spectacular experience:

• This is the absolutely most important piece of information about booking family hotels in Austria – Don’t rely on their booking on the website for best prices or actual availability. Always hit the “enquiry” button and wait for the hotel to send you an offer. I have discovered many to have availability or lower rate rooms that did not appear on the ‘book now’ page.
  
• Look for offers and specials. Sometimes you will find this under the “Rooms” category on their web pages. Check to see if they have any ‘5 nights for the price of 4’ specials, for example. If you’re traveling just one parent with child(ren), look for the ‘Single Parent’ weeks for a much cheaper rate.
  
• Research the area your kinderhotel is in for those extra special moments. Can your kinderhotel arrange a horse drawn sleigh ride for you in the snow or a carriage ride in summer? Are there little extras that can be added to your room to make your stay that much brighter? Is anyone celebrating a special day while on your trip?
  
• Traveling by train? Many kinderhotels will send a shuttle free of charge to pick you up from the nearest train station. Also, remember those mobility cards! Check to see if your kinderhotel offers one and you might just get your train travel for free!
  
• If your kinderhotel does not have a map for you, ask for a tour or take a wander around as soon as you drop your bags off in the room. You’ll never know what you might find that you wish you would have had more time to do!
  
• Ask ahead of time (via email a few days before your stay) if you can have a table by the window for meal service.
  
• Book your massage and beauty treatments ahead of time over email to avoid scheduling issues and maximize your time.
  
• Check to see if your hotel offers use of a washer and/or dryer. If so, make sure you bring a bunch of 1€ and 2€ coins as you will likely need them. Plan to do your washing late at night or during breakfast as there might only be one washer and many, many guests who want to use them.
  
• Plan to use the pool at off peak times – when everyone is on the slopes or after dinner when families are winding down. It was our favorite time when we had the whole area to ourselves!

Which kinderhotel should I choose?

This is such a tough question! There are so many family resorts and hotels that you can choose from. I would suggest asking yourself the following questions to help you narrow down your choices:

Do you plan to spend all your time at the hotel?

If so, what kinds of activities are you looking for?

If not, what kinds of activities are you looking for in the region directly surrounding the hotel?

Do you want a luxurious feel or something more rustic?

Some kinderhotels are absolutely gigantic (e.g. familux), so while they are 5 star quality there also may be many guests.

Some kinderhotels are smaller and offer plenty of activities.

❄️Do you want guaranteed snow?

In order to find snow, you’re going to need to go high up. You can email the hotel directly and ask how “snow sure” they are for your travel dates. For truly guaranteed snow, find a glacier.

Some hotels might also use snow cannons to keep their ski runs available even during dry winters.

☀️What kind of outdoor experience do you want?

There are more animal (farm or horse) based kinderhotels, more sports oriented, some right on a lake with direct beach access, and still others right next to a gondola to take you up for mountain hikes with playgrounds.

What activities are you hoping to do?

Campfires and roasting marshmallows? Picnics by the lake? Lots of swimming, hiking, or cycling? Crafting? Host led talks and walks? Read up on what each hotel offers and see if you can get a look at their weekly program online.

If this all seems overwhelming…well, it is. There are just so many to choose from! When I first started researching our very first kinderhotel trip, I spent weeks and weeks reading hotel websites and compiling information into one easy to read spreadsheet. I share it here in the hopes that it helps another overwhelmed parent! This is by no means an exhaustive list and as I find more hotels and information, I will continue to update. I’ve focused mainly on Austria as that is currently where my heart is being (willingly) held captive, but I will add more to the other countries as we expand our traveling!

(The embedded spreadsheet below may be challenging to read on your device; click here to be taken to the actual spreadsheet.)