Why the layout matters more than the square footage

A big room is not automatically a good family room. Plenty of generously sized hotel rooms are one open box with a double bed at one end and a sofa bed at the other, and while that looks fine on a booking page, it means everyone goes to sleep at the same time and wakes at the same time. For young children, that rarely ends well.

What you are really looking for is zones — a corner where a child can settle while you read, a bit of wall between their bed and yours, a route to the bathroom that does not involve climbing over anyone. A 20 square metre room with a genuine divider will beat a 35 square metre room without one, every time.

Separate sleeping areas: the single most useful feature

If you can find a room with two distinct spaces, take it. In practice, that usually means one of the following:

• An interconnecting pair of rooms — the gold standard for families, though often priced as two rooms. Worth asking about directly, as some properties release these only by phone.
• A suite with a separate sitting room — the sofa bed or cot goes in the sitting room, the door closes, and you get an evening.
• A room with a proper alcove or former dressing area — common in older buildings, and often marketed vaguely as a "family room" with no further detail. Ask for a floor plan or a photograph.
• A mezzanine or split-level room — brilliant for older children, but be cautious with toddlers and steep open-tread stairs.

Be sceptical of the phrase "family room" on its own. In the UK it frequently means one room with a double, a single and a pull-out, all within three feet of each other. That is perfectly workable for one night; less so for five.

Windows, doors and the safety details parents notice late

Once you are in the room, the safety picture becomes obvious — but by then it is usually too late to change. Ask about these before you arrive:

• Window restrictors or child catches on any window a child could reach, particularly on upper floors. Older sash windows in period properties are the usual culprit, and Juliet balconies look reassuring but often have climbable railings.
• Ground-floor patio doors — convenient with a buggy, but check they lock from the inside and that there is no unenclosed water nearby.
• Staircases, balconies and mezzanines, including balustrade spacing. If a child can fit their head through, it is not suitable.
• Kettles, minibar fridges and trailing cables, which are best moved to a high shelf or the corridor on arrival.

Rooms on the third floor or above, away from the lift lobby and the stairwell, tend to be quieter and safer for a child who likes to wander at 6am.

Blackout curtains and the British summer problem

Between May and August, a child who normally sleeps until seven will be wide awake at half four if the room has thin curtains and a sliver of light down one side. It is the single most common reason a family holiday starts badly.

Ask specifically whether the room has blackout or thermal-lined curtains, and whether they are properly fitted — curtains hung well away from the wall on a short track let in a stripe of light that is remarkably effective at waking a toddler. Where blackout is patchy, a couple of large nappies or a folded muslin and some low-tack tape will seal the gap. A small plug-in nightlight is also worth packing, so the room is not pitch dark for a child who wakes in an unfamiliar place.

Bathroom access and the middle-of-the-night run

An en-suite is not a luxury with young children; it is the difference between a calm night and a corridor expedition. Look for a bathroom you can reach without leaving the room, and ideally without crossing the sleeping area of a sibling.

Think about what is actually in it. A bath is far easier than a shower for washing a wriggly three-year-old, and a non-slip mat matters more than marble tiles. Check whether the shower is over the bath, whether there is space to sit a child down, and whether the floor gets dangerously slick. If the only bathroom is down the corridor, ask for a room close to it and pack a small torch.

Questions worth asking before you book

A short, specific email or phone call saves an enormous amount of trouble. Ask: how many doors are there between the children's beds and the main bed; are the windows restricted; are the curtains blackout; is the bathroom en-suite; and can a travel cot fit without blocking the fire exit route.

Then ask for a photograph of the actual room, not the room type. A setup that suits a family with a baby is often quite wrong for one with a five- and a seven-year-old. Be clear about ages and numbers, mention any bed guards or cot you need, and confirm it in writing. Hotels handle these requests constantly and, in the main, handle them well — but only if they know what you are bringing.