The James Hotels' lil' james
The James Hotel is making family vacations more conducive to bonding with its lil’ james hotel amenity program that aims to engage children with creative projects.
The packages can be tailored to fit children’s interests and talents and incorporates local organizations and attractions into the mix. By crafting activities that overcome the one-size-fits-all mantra, families of most dynamics may find ample time to connect.
“The James strives to offer intuitive, creative family-friendly services that not only make traveling with children and families easier and more relaxed, but assists in enhancing the experience as well,” said Victoria Martinez Hart, senior vice president at Dan Klores Communications, New York.
“The hotel or destination families choose to vacation at becomes part of the experience and memories created on these trips,” she said.
“Kids and teens play such an active role in family vacations that it is important to consider their needs and interests as well.”
Dan Klores Communications handles public relations for The James Hotel.
Run-away artists
The program is available at and will feature elements from the brand’s New York, Chicago and Miami South Beach locations.
Children will receive a James welcome backpack filled with an activity crate from Kiwi Crate, a creativity company that delivers fun, hands-on, learning through arts, crafts and science kits.
lil’ james play space
Projects in the backpack feature various arts and crafts for children and parents to experiment with, relieving the need to pre-plan and hunt for activities.
Brochures for cultural partners, such as children’s museums, parks and bike paths, are also included for families that want to explore the area.
Lil’ james’ menus include dishes such as organic chicken sliders from Florida Cookery and can be tailored to fit children’s dietary restrictions and preferences. A portion of the proceeds from the restaurants will go to Common Threads, an organization that helps children appreciate cultural diversity through cooking.
At the Miami location, the hotel recently unveiled its lil’ james “Play Space,” an indoor and outdoor area designed with the help of Miami Children’s Museum. Artist easels, activity tables and sand and water play stations can be found in the “Play Space.”
To encourage bonding among children and parents, the “Lifeguard Station” has spots for family reading.
Lifeguard Station
“Inner City Artist” pouches can be acquired at any property when families choose to explore the area. The pouches contain crayons and a little coloring book by Urban Infant.
More practical amenities provided by the hotel include portable cribs, bathtubs for children up to 24 months, car seats, bikes and helmets.
The lil’ james “Family Adventurer” package is curated for parents interested in each city’s top cultural attractions. The package includes tickets to local children’s museums in each city, an Urban Infant recycled skip rope and milk and cookie service, per the hotel.
Mockingjay
Other hotels have recently concentrated on cajoling children and teens.
For instance, Waldorf Astoria’s Grand Wailea resort in Maui, HI, is tapping into the fervor surrounding the “Hunger Games” and other survivalist popular culture by immersing children and teens in the Hawaiian landscape.
The “Wilderness Survival Program” can be adapted for children ages 5 and up and teaches guests how to food source, build endurance, practice archery and other skills. Packages that align with popular trends are likely to maximize guest engagement because children may see the activities as having relevance outside of the vacation (see story).
Similarly, Fairmont Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico, is courting families with a new Teens Room by Playstation that aims to give teens a fun escape and parents a little freedom.
The new room continues the property’s quest to create environments geared toward the interests of children and teenagers. Due to the abundance of family accommodations, the property may see a spike in the amount of visiting families (see story).
Part of the increased focus on children-friendly packages it to dispel the notion that luxury hotels are intended strictly for adults.
“Luxury boutique hotels are not always thought of first and foremost as being kid-friendly,” Ms. Hart said.
“We are excited to showcase the family-oriented offerings each property has to offer and also make parents travelling with kids not only feel welcome but provide them with intuitive and creative services and amenities,” she said.
Final Take
Joe McCarthy, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York