Finding the perfect hotel room at the right price can be challenge for any traveller, but I found this became an even tricker proposition when looking for a toddler friendly hotel! When planning our first road trip with Wren, around the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, I wanted hotels with a room large enough to easily accommodate a travel cot, had a terrace or balcony for us parents to relax on when Wren slept, offered breakfast on site, had a pool and were in a quiet location. Add to this my usual criteria of air conditioning, wifi, free parking and less than £100 per night, I had a very long list of criteria. However, the choice and quality of accommodation in Mexico was excellent and we found some really good toddler friendly boutique hotel options.
The definition of a toddler-friendly hotel will definitely vary depending on the country you're staying in, your budget, the sort of holiday you're planning and your own personal preferences. While none of the hotels listed below offered baby sitting services, play parks or marketed themselves specifically for families with young children, we found that they suited our needs, were suitable for families on a budget and were all really accommodating.
We booked all of our accommodation in Mexico using Expedia, which we found to offer the lowest rates and many flexible booking options including free cancellation and payment at the property. It was really convenient to be able to view all of our bookings in one place, and every single check-in process was quick and easy.
Hotel Adhara Hacienda, Downtown Cancun
Located a 40-minute drive away from Cancun International Airport, Hotel Adhara Hacienda was a fantastic place to stay with a toddler in downtown Cancun. The room was very spacious, with a balcony overlooking the inner courtyard, and very quiet considering it's in a city. The hotel provided a very comfortable wooden cot and there were multiple highchairs available in the restaurant. The breakfast buffet had delicious options for everyone - fresh fruit, natural yoghurt, pancakes, French toast, frijoles and quesadillas. Wren absolutely loved the pool, which had steps for easy entry and exit and was surrounded by lots of loungers. Hotel Adhara Hacienda is a 20-minute walk from Parque de la Palapas for slides, swings and food (admittedly along some busy main roads) and is very close to restaurants and grocery stores.
Hotel Puerta Chichen, Piste We stayed in Piste for one night ahead of visiting Chichen Itza at opening time the next day. Despite the limited hotel options in this small town, we really loved our stay at Hotel Puerta Chichen. The room was basic and slightly on the small side, but we were easily able to push the two double beds apart to make room for the comfy travel cot provided. The onsite restaurant provided a highchair and served exceptional conchinita pibil as well as very toddler friendly spaghetti. The a la carte breakfast had delicious options, including pancake, pastries and avocado toast. The shallow pool was perfect for splashing in, and Wren enjoyed spotting lizards and birds in the beautiful gardens. Chichen Itza was just a five-minute drive away, making it a very convenient location.
Located in the heart of Valladolid, this beautiful boutique hotel was a short walk away from the central square complete with traditional Mexican dancing and countless amazing restaurants. All of the rooms are arranged around a tranquil, hidden inner courtyard with lush vegetarian and a small shallow pool, perfect for toddler fun! Our large ground floor room easily accommodated the travel cot provided (good condition but with a very thin mattress), and we had a small, private terrace as well as easy access to the courtyard. On our first day, the excellent breakfast menu included a bircher muesli that went down very well with parents and toddler alike (sadly the full menu wasn't served on our second day, as the kitchen wasn't open).
Villas H2O, Tulum
The amount of accommodation options in Tulum was slightly overwhelming, but we were thrilled with this beautiful toddler friendly hotel. We chose a king size room on the first floor over a double on the ground floor - worth it for the huge comfy bed. The room was enormous, with a lovely balcony to enjoy during nap time. The huge swimming pool had an excellent shallow end, although the lack of shade did make it very hot. The hotel provided a good travel cot but did not have any high chairs, so we were happy we had packed our foldable Chicco Pocket Snack. The free breakfast was simple but great for toddlers, with eggs, toast, pancakes and yoghurt. The location is very convenient for downtown Tulum and is just minutes away from Palma Central - a street food market complete with play park.
Villas de Rosa Beach Resort, Akumal
This dive centre and hotel combo is located in Aventuras Akumal - a 10 minute drive from Akumal Bay - on a beautiful beach known for its nesting turtles. We had originally booked a small pool view room but spontaneously upgraded to a beachfront condo so that we would be able to watch for turtles while Wren slept. Our condo was colossal, with a huge bedroom, full kitchen, dining area, living room with big TV and a lovely beachfront terrace. The hotel provided an excellent travel cot, but we had to use our own travel highchair here. The onsite cafe serves delicious breakfast and Mexican food all day (Wren loved the French toast and cheese and bean quesadillas), ordered via WhatsApp either to your room, the beach or the pool. The staff were especially accommodating of our toddler, allowing us to check out late when she unexpectedly fell asleep as we were preparing to leave.
Every single hotel we stayed at on our Mexican road trip offered fantastic value for money given the high quality of customer service and amenities we experienced. Most importantly, all of these options felt super toddler-friendly and welcoming - without compromising on style and quality for us as parents.
Have any questions about these hotels or other toddler friendly accommodation in Mexico? Let us know!
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