Can a hotel make a family feel at home?

22nd May 2019

Why we’re doing more to accommodate families

As the hotel build moves into its final stages, there are many decisions to be made about the type of service delivery we offer guests.

Being of a boutique nature, we’re grateful not to be beholden to the cookie cutter approach of larger establishments, where customised tweaks to the service are seen as unnecessary and even an inconvenience. We definitely see ourselves as the polar opposite of that.

Small touches can be stress busters

Having travelled for years, and with a young family of our own in tow, we knew that with a few thoughtful inclusions we could make life a lot easier for families during their Hidden Lake Hotel stay, and it wasn’t difficult to know how.

Families with small children are under enough stress when travelling. Routines are upset and children don’t always settle straight into a new environment, which can cause tears and tantrums.

Already weighed down by the extra luggage necessary to travel with very small children, you can really miss not having the essentials on hand, like a change table and a baby bath, both of which will be available at Hidden Lake Hotel.

For toddlers, a few new bath toys can make all the difference between fun and frustration at bathtime, so we’ll have plenty on hand.

Essential furnishing inclusions parents will love

Infants who are used to the comfort and security of sleeping in a crib can find it very unsettling to suddenly be moved to a bed, no matter how many extra pillows you use to build a wall around them! Having a crib in your room should, we hope, alleviate that so everyone gets to sleep.

New Mums and Dads also know the value of a rocking chair to soothe infants back to sleep in the middle of the night after a feed. So on the list rocking chairs went.

You don’t need to make do

A hotel should welcome all its guests and provide them with the essentials of what they need to stay, and unexpected extras that make that stay special.

Introducing the customisable hotel room

Every family is different. The number of children and how old they are – your needs are going to change as they get older too. The best way we could think of to accommodate every young family at Hidden Lake Hotel was to devise a kind of menu of what we have in our family reserve. Just tell us which items you’d like us to customise to your room.

Inside and out

One of the advantages of being situated in Lakewood – a contemporary hub of convenient shops and cafes – is that the peace and tranquillity of the Town of Trees is right outside your door. Fresh air, nature, and paths that lead through it into the beautiful Waikato. Room to run and play and enjoy being a family while staying at an exceptional hotel.

Glenda Hamilton and Chris Turner are the owners and operators of Hidden Lake Hotel, Cambridge, New Zealand.

Have a question about Hidden Lake Hotel or want to make a booking enquiry? Contact us.