When planning a family trip to Japan, finding the perfect kid-friendly hotel is essential for a comfortable and enjoyable stay. Japan offers a wide range of accommodations that cater to the unique needs of families, providing amenities, services, and experiences that ensure a memorable trip for both parents and children.
In this post, we’ll explore seven essential features that make a hotel in Japan truly kid and family friendly. From extensive rental items and thoughtful facilities to engaging activities and delicious dining options, these features will help you identify the ideal hotel for your family’s needs.
To make your search even easier, we’ve compiled a list of recommended hotels with kid-friendly features for each city. If you’re in a hurry, check out our top picks.
BEST KIDS FRIENDLY HOTELS we recommend by cities:
Tokyo: Tokyo Bay Shiomi Prince Hotel (more)
Osaka: Hotel Universal Port (more)
Kyoto: Cross Hotel Kyoto (more)
Sapporo: Premier Hotel Tsubaki (more)
Okinawa: Renaissance Resort (more)
- 7 Kids Friendly Hotel Features in Japan
- 1. Hassle-Free Stays with Extensive Rental Items and Amenities
- 2. Spacious Rooms and Connecting Suites for Your Comfort
- 3. Thoughtful Services and Facilities for Little Ones
- 4. Well-Equipped Kids' Spaces and Play Areas for Endless Fun
- 5. Fun for the Whole Family: Nearby Facilities for Children and Adults (Yes!)
- 6. Kids' Menus and Meal Support at Restaurants
- 7. Engaging Activities and Reliable Childcare
- How to find kids friendly hotels in Japan
7 Kids Friendly Hotel Features in Japan
1. Hassle-Free Stays with Extensive Rental Items and Amenities
– Common children’s amenities you get at Japanese hotels, which are often provided in a yellow bag, include toothbrushes, slippers, and hand towels.
– Some hotels also provide additional items such as diaper disposal bins, baby wipes, baby soap, and yukata, which is a casual summer kimono.
– However, only a few hotels offer children’s pajamas, so it’s best to bring your own to ensure your child’s comfort during your stay.
– Baby beds are often available for free, but due to limited quantities, it is recommended to make an advance reservation to secure one for your little one.
2. Spacious Rooms and Connecting Suites for Your Comfort
– Japanese hotel rooms may be smaller than what you would be used to, so keenly choose larger rooms or family rooms for a cozy and comfortable stay to make your life easier. We’ve handpicked kids friendly hotels by cities.
– Spacious room options include those with a larger number of beds, such as triple or quad rooms, as well as family rooms, suites, and connecting rooms. Some rooms may also feature bunk beds or loft beds.
– In case your family wants to find the best themed room options near Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, check out our posts on Tokyo and Japan.
3. Thoughtful Services and Facilities for Little Ones
– Some hotels have nursing facilities that are often labeled as “Baby Rest Rooms” and typically include diaper changing, nursing, and milk preparation areas. In addition to hotels, airports and shopping malls also have these facilities.
– Hot water facilities for preparing milk often dispense water at an optimal 70°C (158°F) for making formula. The temperature can usually be confirmed on a digital display.
– Some hotels also have coin laundry facilities for washing clothes and microwaves for warming baby food are also important.
4. Well-Equipped Kids’ Spaces and Play Areas for Endless Fun
Keeping children entertained during your stay is crucial for a stress-free family vacation.
– If you hotel has an indoor playground at hotel like the photo above in Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay, your kids will surely enjoy their time during travel especially when it rains.
– However, not many hotels have indoor playgrounds like the one shown above.
– For hotels with recommended outdoor playgrounds and parks, in Tokyo, we suggest Tokyo Dome Hotel or LaVista Tokyo Bay. In Osaka, Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel near Tennoji Park is recommended.
5. Fun for the Whole Family: Nearby Facilities for Children and Adults (Yes!)
– Some hotels have nearby facilities like shopping malls, aquariums and movie theaters that gives your family a lot of choices on where to go, where to eat, and what to experience. Shopping mall often has food court too.
– Recommended hotels in Tokyo equipped with onsen are Nono Asakusaand La Vista Tokyo, La Vista hotel chain has highly favored in Japan, your entire family would love there.
‐ For shopping, please also refer to our post on finding children’s best clothing in Japan.
– If Onsen (hot spring) facilities is inside hotel or nearby, you can relax having Japanese onsen experience as well.
As probably is the case in your country, malls are congested in weekends so better to visit there on weekday if possible!
6. Kids’ Menus and Meal Support at Restaurants
– Many hotels offer buffet-style meals. It’s easy for children to select their food, and some buffets even have kids’ areas.
– While almost all hotels provide children’s tableware, not many hotels offer baby food or bibs.
– Some restaurants and room service offer kids’ menus.
– For needs on organic food, unfortunately few hotels are ready for the needs yet.
7. Engaging Activities and Reliable Childcare
– Some hotels have daycare centers or temporary childcare services within the hotel. That provides your children with a safe and comfortable environment, opportunities for interaction, and age-appropriate activities. For parents. you can enjoy meals and sightseeing, have peace of mind, and spend quality time in Japan. For hotels with daycare centers in Tokyo, we recommend Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel in Shibuya and Mesm Tokyo in Takeshiba. The one at Cerulean has discounted rate for guests.
– If you choose hotels that have children’s events, workshops, and hands-on classes, that gives your kids opportunities to learn and experience new things, expose them to local culture and language, and engage in fun activities with other children. Hotels with extensive kids’ activities are more common in resort areas like Okinawa (Renaissance Resort) and Hokkaido (Soraniwa). They are less common in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.
In both cases, book in advance is highly recommended!
How to find kids friendly hotels in Japan
When traveling to Japan with family, you may want to find a kid-friendly hotel, but it can be challenging to search for one on your own. The detailed features mentioned above are often only written in Japanese, and researching them yourself can be time-consuming. All the hotels listed below are kid-friendly hotels. We have compiled a list of kid-friendly hotels by city based on factors such as Kids meal, Free charge policy for kids, family rooms, coin laundry, and microwaves. Take a look at the list and compare it to your itinerary for reference.
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