8 Secrets to Plan a Stress-free Vacation With Your Kids

Kids and relaxation are often considered two opposites. How many times have you come back from a holiday with your family feeling more stressed and tired than before? It seems parents and children on holiday can not find a balance, the right way to make both of them happy.

Yet planning a vacation that can be serene and relaxing for mom and dad, but at the same time entertaining for children, is not impossible.

I am mom, and I have hosted many families at the Blu Suite Hotel, I know what families need to do it and today I want to share my little secrets with you. Those secrets that helped me turning the Blu Suite into one of the best family hotels in Rimini neighborhoods.

Choose a not-so-popular location: a crowded place with lots of shops, clubs and nightclubs offers plenty of entertainment for children, but little rest for parents. Find a central destination without too much movida. Bellaria Igea Marina for example is a perfect location for a hotel like ours because it is child-friendly without the excesses of Rimini and Riccione: we have gardens with bicycle paths and play areas, we are close to fun parks such as AcquaFan or Mirabilandia, but there are also quiet and well kept beaches, with shallow and sandy backdrops, perfect for kids.
Find a hotel with a "services and smiles" philosophy: before booking a hotel, read online reviews. Hospitality and kindness are fundamental to enjoy a holiday, but it’s not enough: be sure you get all the best family services. This is exactly what we do at Blu Suite, matching smiles with great services.

Be sure the hotel is a real family-friendly hotel: look for a real family-friendly property, where children are welcomed and pampered, not just “accepted". Be sure the hotel offers plenty of spaces reserved to them, as play areas, close and safe beaches, pool for babies, nurseries, etc.

Look for Kids’ Club: games and activities are fundamental if you want a great vacation with your children. Find a hotel with an engaging but not intrusive activities program, kept by professionals who are able to play but also to properly interact with children, helping them feel safe and make friends. Take a look at the Kids’ Club of the Blu Suite, which lasts all day and is also available during meals, so you can even arrange a nice candlelight dinner while the kids is having fun.

Leave the kids’ equipment at home: when you start off with children, preparing the car with all the stuff for kids and babies is stressful indeed. There are hotels, such as the Blu Suite, which already provide many of these things without having to take them from home.

Kids-friendly restaurant: Eating out with kids when you are abroad can turn into a drama for parents. It's hard to get the little ones eating strange dishes made with unknown ingredients. Find a hotel where the restaurant prepares personalized children's menus, with simple, tasty and healthy dishes like the ones you cook at home.

Book the right family room: to enjoy a relaxing holiday with children, you need a very spacious suite, where everyone has their own privacy: you, your children and maybe your nanny, if she travels with you.

Doctor and pharmacy service: the child's unexpected health problems are on the agenda while you are travelling. That's why the hotel needs a partnership with a 24 hours trusted doctor. Check if it also provides a pharmacy service on commission like us: bring us your medicine requests and we will deliver them to your room.

Katia Foschi, director of the Blu Suite Hotel