May 2025 • 3 min read

Why Hotels With Kids is free

We started Hotels With Kids to help parents. Here’s how we're able to make money, without charging you (and no, there's no catch).

When we launched Hotels With Kids, it wasn’t as a business — it was a labor of love.

Built by parents, for parents

We were tired of how hard it was to find great hotels that actually worked for families. The "family-friendly" filter on big booking sites wasn't helpful (what does that even mean?). The reviews were helpful, but spread out across various sites. And figuring out basic questions — like “Can I fit a crib in this room?” or “Is the kids’ club toddler-friendly?” — took way too much time.

So we built the resource we wished existed.

This site was created to help families confidently choose hotels that make traveling with kids easier and more fun. We hand-pick every property, obsess over room layouts, check kids club age minimums, and note whether the beach has calm water or the pool has a shallow end. We have over 45 family-focused data points that we collect and allow you to filter on.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours doing this research — and we don't charge you to use it.

So… how do we make money?

We earn a small commission from hotels only if you book through us. This commission is industry standard and is built into the best available rate shown on a hotel's website — so there's no markup.

In fact, you’ll often get extra perks like:

  • Free daily breakfast
  • Resort credits
  • Room upgrades
  • Early check-in / late checkout
  • A real person you can email when you have a question

Every hotel on this site is carefully chosen based on what we would want as traveling parents — not what pays the most. Our success depends on your trust.

When you book through us, it’s a win-win-win. No fees, no subscriptions, no catch (it really feels like there should be a catch, right?!).

  • You get exclusive perks at the same rate (or better) than booking directly
  • We earn a commission that helps us keep building the site for more families
  • The hotel gets a customer that's more likely to be happy (and therefore a repeat customer)

So... you could book that $400/night hotel room yourself  — or, you could book through us for $400/night and get a $40/day breakfast credit, $100/stay resort credit, and a free upgrade to a room worth $500. [As an example. Exact perks vary slightly by hotel, but we always confirm them with you before booking.]

Want to support what we’re building?

If you find a hotel you love on our site, the best way to support us is to book through us or reach out for help planning. You’ll get a better experience, and we’ll be able to keep this resource free for other parents.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of working with a travel advisor, read Why Use Us.

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