Must Have Essentials For Staying In A Hotel With A Baby

A few weeks ago I headed to Seattle with my 2 month old for a conference and a few weeks before that we stayed in a hotel in Palm Springs for spring break. During both of these trips we stayed at a hotel and I picked up some great tips on staying in a hotel with a baby.

You really don’t have to pack everything and the kitchen sink when traveling with baby however you do need some essentials to make life easier. Things like diapers, wipes, etc can be purchased at your destination but other things are easier to bring along.

Must Have Essentials For Staying In A Hotel With A Baby

1. Portable Toys

When travelling you don’t need to bring the whole playroom but a few essential toys are a must. We like to stick with a soft ball – the o-ball rattle is our baby’s favorite, soft books or board books, and something that moves (like this caterpillar).

2. A Waterproof Pad

Since you won’t have a changing station at the hotel, a waterproof pad you can use as your changing station helps a lot with diaper changes. No need to worry about baby leaving a little mess on the hotel bed or chair. And you can clean up any mess on the mat with a baby wipe (those things clean up ANYTHING!).

3. Bottle and Accessories

I’ve found that most times I travel, I am not travelling alone with baby. And that means that sometimes mama needs a night out. Travelling wiht a good bottle, like the Joovy Boob, and accessories like the new Nood nippes and a bottle brush with some dishwashing liquid is needed for bottle feeding. Since I am breastfeeding I also like to take along a manual pump instead of lugging around my electric pump.

The best thing about the Nood is that it mimics the feel of the breast and helps achieve a perfect latch just like on the boob. That way the transition from boob to Nood is a smooth one.

4. Medicine

One thing I almost forgot was our medicine cabinet. I kid, I didn’t bring the whole medicine cabinet. Just a few essentials including infant acetaminophen, saline spray (for runny noses), a nose bulb (you could also pack a Nose Frida), gripe water and some diaper rash cream. All of this fit into a sandwich size zip top bag easy for pulling out at the airport.

5. Inflatable Tub

Now you may only be staying overnight at a hotel one night but if you’re staying any longer, sometimes an inflatable tub for baby makes bathtime a LOT easier! We have packed along our small inflatable tub before and the kids love it. We also pack along one of their own hooded towels for after bathtime. They’re a lot softer than the hotel’s towels and work as dual purpose for the pool and tub.