Theresa Jorgensen lives near Denver with her family.  She is the mother of four, including twins (14,11,11,8).  She blogs at SixSuitcaseTravel.wordpress.com and tweets at @sixsuitcasetrav.

If you’ve ever tried to squeeze your larger family into a hotel room meant for four, you know that arrangement just doesn’t make for a pleasant stay. If you try to make the kids sleep three to a bed, there’s a lot of “Scoot over! You’re hogging the bed! Stop touching me!“

If you try to let the youngest sleep with you and your spouse, there’s a lot of removing little feet and knees from your back all night long. Everyone is happier and sleeps better when they have room to spread out. However, finding rooms to fit a larger family can be difficult. That’s why I started SixSuitcaseTravel.com to help larger families find accommodations that fit their needs.

As I researched over 3,000 US cities, I noticed that some hotel chains were friendlier to families of 5-8 than others. What makes a hotel larger family friendly? Important features to larger families are the size of the hotel room, the bedding type, the type and availability of free breakfast, availability of kitchen, and of course for the kids, whether or not there is a pool. Based on these criteria, here are the five best hotel chains for larger families.

1. Homewood Suites

Homewood Suites made the top of our list because they have rooms that can accommodate eight. Many of their spacious two-bedroom suites have a king in one bedroom and two doubles in the second bedroom. Add in a sofa sleeper in the family room and a family of eight has plenty of room to spread out. Another great feature is a second bathroom which can be very important to families with older children. Fully equipped kitchens make saving money easy by cooking your own meals. Another money saving feature is the free Suite Start hot breakfast.

2. Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels includes the chains Comfort Inn & Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, and Ascend Collection. These great hotel chains make up one third of our 2750 hotel listings for families of 5 to 8. Most often, a Comfort Inn & Suites or a Quality Suites can meet your family’s needs. They have bigger suites where your family can spread out. Most rooms have a microwave and mini-fridge. Bedding type usually consists of 2 queens or 2 doubles and a sofa sleeper. Sometimes a room may have 3 double beds. – Jackpot! To save you money in the morning, they offer free continental breakfast. You’re sure to find a pool to please the kids at Comfort Inn & Suites. In popular attraction areas, many locations offer free shuttle service to the big attractions. Any choice from this family of hotels will certainly please your family and your budget.

3. Residence Inn

Residence Inn is another great chain with spacious rooms. Rooms come with a fully equipped kitchen and the convenience of free grocery delivery. Bedding type usually consists of 2 queens or 2 doubles and a sofa sleeper. Start off your morning with a complimentary hot breakfast. Tire the kids out with a game of basketball, tennis or volleyball on all-purpose sports courts. Hotel suites at Residence Inn feel like apartments and are very homey. You might not want to leave!

4. Staybridge Suites

Staybridge Suites is part of the Holiday Inn family of hotels. We have many listings from Staybridge Suites. Their spacious two-bedroom suites include full kitchens and a second bath. Bedding type in the two bedroom suite include a king and 2 queens. Bedding in a one bedroom suite may include 2 queens and a sofa sleeper. Fill your tummies with their free hot breakfast buffet. Bring your goggles and swimsuits, many locations have pools.

5. Hyatt Place and Hyatt Summerfield Suites

At Hyatt Place and Hyatt Summerfield Suites, you’ll find lovely spacious suites with separate living areas. Enjoy a full kitchen at Hyatt Summerfield Suites with complimentary grocery shopping service. Most rooms consist of 2 doubles and a sofa sleeper. Get your motor running with a free continental breakfast at Hyatt Place and a complimentary full breakfast at Hyatt Summerfield Suites. Many locations have a pool for a splashing good time.

All these hotel chains have locations with great rooms and suites for larger families. But is it that easy to find your larger family a hotel room?  Nope.  The easiest way to find a hotel accommodations for your larger family is to visit us at SixSuitcaseTravel.com. We’ve done all the research for you with over 2,750 hotels for families of 5-8 in all 50 States, Canada, and Mexico.

December 4th, 2009 | by travelsavvymom 17 comments