Taj, Accor and Starwood take childs play seriously

Catch them young and watch them grow. Indian hospitality chains are the latest to have taken to the age-old adage. If you were checking into a Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces (Taj) resort with your kids, the hotel would now offer its junior guests a special passport stamped with the propertys location and dates of stay, along with an official certificate to commemorate their holiday. The initiative is a part of Tajs recent Kids@Taj children programme. Having launched the initiative in its international hotels in London, Sydney, New York and Dubai among others, Taj is replicating this exercise in their properties in India.

Considered as the customers of tomorrow, kids are a vital consumer segment hotels cannot overlook, especially, if they are catering to families. In a family, kids play an important role in choosing the dining place for the outing. Besides, in todays fast-moving world, due to the lack of family time, business travellers prefer getting their family along, says Jean-Philippe Lagarde, hotel manager, Novotel Mumbai.

The European hotel chain, Accor has created a dedicated kids corner in Novotel, Mumbai with branded games, toys and special menus down to a detailed kids-placemat with quizzes and riddles to keep the young ones engaged.

The Starwood group also offers a special Kids Pass to allow all inclusive access to its dining options. Its Westin hotel even has a kids club with special itineraries for children between the age of 3-12 years. The idea is also to let the parents have a nice time without having to worry about their toddlers. Can you think of a family without children no. Younger guests have always been recognised as an important driving factor in the hospitality industry. We are tapping into this through multiple channels, says Sanjay Sharma, complex general manager, The Westin Gurgaon.

The kids segment has always been crucial for the success of leisure and food and beverage business. Quick service restaurants like McDonalds have done well to have recognised this opportunity over the past few years. Our primary objective is to drive more families to the hotel by offering a deal of services for children, Lagarde adds.

Internationally, hotels curate out-of-the-box and special experiences for kids as well as their parents such as in-room amenities, concierge services etc. This concept has made its way with those discerning Indian parents who love travelling and want hotel brands to keep their kids happily engaged and entertained, a spokesperson of Taj says.

Also for foreign travellers choosing India for a family vacation, it is important to know that the hotel will take good care of their children. Several hotels now provide baby-sitting facilities, as well, to their guests.

There are hotels which do not allow children on the premises, so as not to disturb the peace and quiet that their guests have come seeking. But families with children would easily lap up kid-friendly options at hotels.