Sharing our first staycation at the Intercontinental Hotel Century City and five travel tips I've picked up from traveling with the baby.
Last weekend we stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel Century City on our very first family staycation. I love staycations as they're a stress-free way to create new memories and cultivate new experiences while retaining the ease of staying close to home. Des is walking, talking, and soaking up his surroundings like a sponge so it's really fun to go to new places with him. And at this age, it doesn't take much to keep him entertained. He loved snuggling in bed while eating a snack, a simple yet rare indulgence. We also spent hours in the lobby exploring the plush sofas, the bright lights, and every nook and cranny. We couldn't keep him away from the doors and the windows as he was fascinated by the pitter patter of the rain. At night, we headed two blocks down to Westfield Century City for shopping and dinner and retired back to our room for his early bedtime. He slept soundly in his crib while we watched TV in the other room and enjoyed macarons washed down with red wine. The next morning, we meandered over to Mari, the hotel restaurant, for a fabulous breakfast before our short drive back home.
It was such an easy trip and I feel like every time we travel or stay somewhere overnight I pick up new tips to make our next trip that much easier. Here are my top five!
{1}
Always call the hotel ahead of time to make sure they have cribs available. If you have the budget, book a suite. If not, ask for a complimentary upgrade as it never hurts to ask.
{2}
Pack light but don't skimp on bedtime items. I always pack our sound machine, his teddy, pacifier, and lotion and try my best to mimic his at-home bedtime routine.
{3}
Don't change his schedule. Des has been on a strict 7pm-7am bedtime schedule since he was four months old and we try not to mess with it when we travel. That means we stick with PST wherever we go which has worked out so far as we've only travelled east with him. Obviously, this won't work once we work up the guts to travel internationally.
{4}
Eat dinner early so you can try the hottest local restaurants without making a reservation. Most people don't eat at 5pm.
{5}
Pack a ton of baby food pouches. They travel well and make for great no-mess snacks. I always get the veggie ones to ensure he gets his daily servings.
