Make no mistake, family travel is big business. Hotel chains, even city properties with no supervised programs for youngsters, compete for family bookings by going that extra mile to make your stay more fun.
With literally thousands of hotels to choose from worldwide, it’s not always easy to know which are good bargains for your family and which are best avoided altogether. That’s what led us to track down the hotel chains that actually cater to families—and now we’re putting the spotlight on five such hotel chains notable for both family-friendly service and affordability.

1. Loews Hotels
Through the Loews Loves Kids program, there are numerous amenities for families that go well above and beyond the norm and many of their competitors. Every Loews features a Kids Kloset where guests can borrow everything from car seats, baby bath tubs and child proof kits for babies to DVDs and game systems for teens.

They have partnered with Fisher Price to offer play yards, baby swings and toddler potties. Certain Loews resorts offer classes for babies as well. Although it isn’t part of the family program, another great family benefit is that Loews recently banned all trans fats from its hotels.

2. Kimpton Hotels
From child-size animal print bathrobes and welcome gifts to complimentary pet goldfish for the duration of your stay, Kimpton hotels know how to have fun. Whether you want to rent a bunk room equipped with video games (Hotel Helix, Washington, D.C.), play Guitar Hero on a big screen in the lobby (Hotel Monaco, Seattle), or have your palm read by a psychic (Hotel Monaco, Chicago), Kimpton’s got you covered. You’re going to need a crowbar to get your kids to actually leave and go sightseeing.

3. Affinia Hotels
Tired of impersonal hotel rooms? Affinia hotels allow guests to customize their rooms prior to arrival by requesting everything from golf putters and Ibanez guitars to rubber duckies and cupcakes. While the wisdom of fueling kids with sugar then arming them with guitars and golf clubs is debatable at best, there’s no denying that something… fun is going to happen when you do that.

4. Wyndham Hotels
Wyndham offers many hotel amenities for families, including family suites including bunk beds and art tables at certain locations, nutritious children’s meals such as fruit pizza and babysitting available at all hotels. They have a Family Retreat Program featuring family activities like cooking classes and parent-and-child spa treatments.

Through Jet Set Babies, Wyndham hotel guests traveling with babies can avoid the nuisance of lugging tons of supplies in their luggage. You can have the necessities like diapers, wipes and formula waiting at your hotel.

5. Four Seasons Hotels
From the Four Seasons Teen Concierge, on hand to offer teen-specific destination advice, to indulgent child-sized robes, Four Seasons does a great job of making a stay special for families at their hotels. Their hotels also feature free baby furnishings and bath products.

6. Hyatt Resorts
With rates starting at $185 per night, you’ll have to splurge a bit for a family vacation at a Hyatt Resort. However, the 17 Hyatt family resorts in the U.S. and Caribbean have a “Family Plan” rate that lets parents book a second room for the kids at half-price. The resorts also boast kid-friendly amenities and activities such as pools with waterslides and evening s’mores roasts. Kids ages three to 12 can also participate in Camp Hyatt, which features activities and educational programs that highlight the culture, history, and environment of the destination. Activities range from hula lessons at Hyatt’s Hawaiian resorts to hunts for Native American arrowheads at the Hyatt resort in San Antonio.

Go to the Hyatt website to read more about Hyatt family resorts.

All the hotel chains mentioned here frequently offer sale rates and other promotions, so check the chains’ websites for special offers before booking. SmarterTravel.com also keeps tabs on deals from these and other family-friendly chains in our Hotel and Family Travel sections.