The Best Part About Staying in a Hotel as a Kid, According to 63 People
Montage Laguna Beach, CA | Image via Opulist
As a kid, the world tends to hold more wonder in general. Life experiences are brand new. Imaginations are big — allowing even the most mundane items a part in an elaborate fantasy world. Everything feels big and special.
Traveling as a kid, and specifically getting to stay in a hotel — no matter if it was a resort or a roadside motel — felt like the ultimate escape. A whole new world that became your temporary home for the duration of the stay. There was the thrill of a landline that connected directly to the front desk, the luxury of room service, the adventure of exploring new nooks and hallways, the promise of night swims after dinner, and privileges that simply didn't exist back home. And the very likely possibility that these memories would stay imprinted well into adulthood.
We asked you all to share your standout memories of staying in a hotel as a child, and reading through the responses was such a sweet — and insightful — peek into our collective, shared nostalgia and the elements of hotels that really seem to stick. While "the pool" was the overwhelmingly popular response (hence the imagery theme for this post), there were some fun, niche answers mixed in — along with the reminder that it often doesn't take much to delight kids and adults alike.
Enjoy reading through the responses below, and don't miss the takeaways pulled from the themes that emerged — and what hotels and humans could learn a thing or two from them.
Photos via Opulist: ARRIVE Palm Springs | Four Seasons Oahu
Your favorite hotel memories as a kid
Hot tub!
The bathroom meeting your expectations!! That's my real deal breaker
i LOVE the feeling of the lamp light switch being right next to my bed
Yesssss walking back through the halls dripping wet
The pool and the smell of chlorine
Room service 🤓🤓🤓
Flopping on to a huge, well-made bed
The complimentary buffet breakfast was always amazing
Pool
Jumping from bed to bed
Definitely checking out the pool and what features it had.
Getting dressed up for cocktail hour (hello Shirley Temples) and dinner.
Same! We called the jacuzzis zucchinis 😂
Room service + bath time with bubbles!!
Easy! Night swimming! Still my kids favorite part!
the chlorine smell of the pool is so nostalgic. and chicken fingers by the pool! Luxury!
Cozy room service! Either late night or waking up to breakfast 🥞
Wandering the gift shop
Room service & the pool!
POOL!!!
Photos via Opulist: Hotel Wren | Oceana Santa Monica
Kid club, the pool, buffet brunch!
Night swim and the quest to find anything but mainly a sweet treat
Room service (but I didn't have to pay haha)
The pool and if there was any fun dining. I miss Gaylord palms in Orlando 😩
The pool and finding out what color the bedspreads were 🤣
The very specific basket of snacks my mom packed. I can still picture it 😂
The pool!
Jumping on the beds & getting candy from the vending machine
Morning breakfast buffet!
Ice cream and burgers room service
Night swim + room service in a fancy robe
The breakfast buffet - eating good food has always been my favourite hobby 🤩
Turn down service! Returning from dinner & the room set for sleep was the best! Still is 🛏️
Access to a pool!
I never did. But as an adult my favorite part is treating my mama to a hotel stay ♡
Room service
The pool!
My kids like room service and the pool.
Pool, always.
Being able to smell the pool the moment we stepped into the lobby ✨💧
Room service & movie rentals
Photos via Opulist: Commodore Perry | Pelican Hill Resort
Elevators!
My kids love remotes and landline phones!
One time we stayed at a hotel with bunkbeds and my siblings and I talked about it for yearsss
And hotels on the beach
My memory of getting the best upgrade at the Ritz in Chicago is always a good one
The smell and humidity of the pool and racing down the hallways.
The crappy hotel breakfast lol. Especially the waffle machine lol
pool pool pool
Breakfast ✨
For sure, the pool.
100% the pool. And I've always been a hotel breakfast buffet fan.
Pool!!!
I evaluated hotels on its ability to be explored haha my sister & I would walk down every floor!
Freshly made bed/room after being out all day doing activities
Pushing the elevator buttons
Movies on the tv!!
Indoor pool was my favorite, it felt so extra! 😍
Ice machine and chomping down
Room service ice cream
Folks let me have sugary cereals at continental breakfast - not allowed at home! 😆
POOL!!!
Kid club, the pool, buffet brunch!
Photos via Opulist: Ingleside Estate | Thompson Palm Springs
The moments and touches that matter
It's not wildly surprising that luxuries like room service and returning to a room that's been turned down made this list. What felt notable, though, were the tiny details and simple things that have stuck with us — things like the smell of the pool, the wonder of elevator access, and movie choices we actually got to control.
If I had to pull a takeaway for both hotels and humans, here's what I'd remind each:
Hotels: Don't underestimate the power of engaging our senses. A signature scent we'll forever associate with your property, a snack or beverage upon arrival, and amenities that add a special touch — like room service or a simplified evening or morning routine even when a full turndown isn't on the table — go a long way. Palisociety's bedtime cookie delivery comes to mind as a perfect example. Oh, and obviously: have a pool.
Humans: Notice how so many of these memories are simply you being a kid and leaning into that freedom and magic. A night swim, jumping on the bed, or just being somewhere new was all it took to create something sweet and joy-filled. A good reminder for the next time you're feeling low or uninspired — even when a hotel stay isn't in the cards, try placing yourself somewhere new and doing something your inner child would love. Tea party at the bottom of the Pelican Hill pool, anyone?
Photo via Opulist: Let Petit Pali Laguna Beach
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