How to turn a head ache into a head start

Australian accommodation owners agree that having children stay can be something of a headache, yet it’s an unavoidable fact that thousands of parents holiday every year with their children. The problem lies in the fact that families with older children are restricted to school holidays. This means your income from these guests is also restricted to certain times of the year and the competition is fierce for the school holiday dollar.

However, there is a market that is able to travel outside school holidays, and can be attracted to your venue at very little additional marketing expense or major change to your facilities – the family with pre-schoolers.

Not only do these families provide the opportunity to top up your bookings in off-peak periods, but becoming recognised as a venue that caters for small children can give your business a fantastic edge over your competition.

So how can hoteliers and other accommodation house owners capitalise on the travelling pre-school family market, without incurring enormous expense and resources?

1. Target families with pre-schoolers

95% of accommodation websites and brochures sound alike, promoting similar facilities, views and descriptions. If you are willing and able to cater for families with small children, let the world know! You don’t see many websites that proclaim a wholehearted welcome to guests with small children so you’ll be setting yourself apart just by letting visitors know upfront.

There are many websites dedicated solely to families, in particular mothers of young children. Mothers of pre-schoolers are generally an educated, sophisticated lot, mostly in their late 20s, 30s and even early 40s. They are often on a break from their career, and are avid internet users, actively seeking out products and services that will make their life easier. Ensure you are promoting your venue on the websites visited by these women. They are the ones making the decision on the family’s next holiday. The ‘Family’ section on the Take-A-Break website is a great start!

2. Offer an in-room play solution

Parents of pre-school children will tend to spend more time in their room, as small children require periods of rest throughout the day. They can’t be sent off to a games room or a playground alone, as can be done with older children. It’s a good idea to have a safe, compact play solution available to be placed in rooms when required.

A good choice is the commercial quality Child Friendly Solutions Play Panel. It takes up very little room and is designed to occupy children from 6 months to 6 years. Because all the toys on the panel are fixed, it is a safe, tidy option. There is no risk of choking or tripping, and you won’t have the cost of continual replacement of toys that go missing!

Also ensure that you have a safe cot that can be placed in the room if required (one that conforms to Australian Standards – both mattress and cot), as well as few plastic mattress protectors on hand!

3. Child friendly eating areas

If you have a restaurant or barbeque area, set up a toddler-safe area beside the dining area so mum and dad can keep an eye on their child. With solutions like Play Panels available, this needn’t take up much valuable space. The advantage is that, when children are safely occupied within view, their parents will tend to stay longer and order that dessert or that extra drink. It’s not too hard to figure out that this translates into a healthier bottom line for your business.

Also keep one or two good quality, compact high chairs and booster seats on hand and make sure your public restroom has a fold-away baby change table installed.

4. Provide a welcome package for children

When a family checks in after a long journey, the process can be made smoother and calmer by providing children with a welcome show bag (non-plastic if possible!) This could contain a small age-appropriate toy, colouring books and pencils and perhaps a healthy snack treat or juice. Just be sure to get the parent’s permission prior to handing over the show bag to their children, as they may have allergies or some other reason for not wanting their child to have it.

Another wonderful distraction at check-in time is to allow the children to browse through your collection of kids DVDs or videos and select one to watch in the room. Again, check with mum and dad that this is allowed.

Again, a safe, compact play solution set up on one end of the counter or in a corner of reception is another highly effective way of keeping children occupied so that check in and check out can be done with minimal distraction.

5. Toddler time!

If it is within your budget and scope, setting up a weekly toddler activity time is a great idea. Employ one of the child care professionals from the local child care centre to set up some toddler activities on the weekend (dress ups, stories, play dough and obstacle courses are big hits!). Again, you will need to get parental permission before children will be allowed to attend.

6. Child friendly info pack

Along with your usual in-house information folder, provide an insert for parents of toddlers. This can contain information on local child friendly venues, tourist attractions and contact details for local babysitters.

7. Put mum and dad on the mailing list

This wonderful marketing tool is not restricted to families with toddlers, but it’s worth a particular mention for this market. Sending out reminders, newsletters or special offers to this market is essential. Mother’s groups are alive and well in Australia, full of women who meet weekly and talk about everything to do with their children. Make sure your accommodation house is a topic of conversation by keeping in regular contact with your visitors three to four times per year.

Of course, with a large budget and vast spaces, you can create toddler heaven with play areas, a crèche and even a full time, but most accommodation houses

Investing a small amount in creating and promoting a toddler friendly environment is a key strategy accommodation houses can implement to attract and retain customers and increase sales, particularly in off-peak periods.
Make it part of your regular marketing strategy and reap the rewards.

For more information on creating child friendly environments and safe commercial play solutions, visit www.childfriendly.com.au