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Family hotel stays are getting a royal upgrade.

Sonesta International Hotels Corporation is introducing Young Royals, a new family-focused experience designed to turn an ordinary hotel stay into an imaginative adventure for younger travelers.

Rather than simply giving kids something to do while their parents check in, the new program incorporates activities throughout the stay. Children can make their own crowns, meet locally inspired hotel mascots, go on scavenger hunts and discover special surprises around participating Royal Sonesta properties.

For families looking for hotels that put a little more thought into entertaining younger guests, it is an interesting addition to the travel experience.

A Hotel Stay Designed Around Young Travelers

The Sonesta Young Royals program begins from the time families arrive at the hotel.

Young guests are invited to become royalty for their stay, with experiences built around storytelling, creativity and exploring the property.

One of the central ideas behind the program is to make the hotel itself part of the vacation rather than simply the place where a family sleeps between sightseeing adventures.

Kids can participate in property-wide quests, interact with royal-themed characters and activities, and take home keepsakes from their experience.

What Kids Can Expect from Young Royals

Sonesta has created several components for the program, each adding something different to the stay.

Once Upon a Stay

Young travelers receive a specially created coloring and storybook featuring a collection of royal mascots and destinations.

The book combines illustrations with interactive activities intended to encourage creativity and give parents and children something they can enjoy together during the trip.

Meet the Royal Court

Participating properties will have their own locally inspired royal mascot.

Young Royals receive a plush version of the mascot to accompany them during their stay. The characters are also incorporated into storytelling, activities and photo opportunities around the property.

It is a nice way of connecting the children’s experience with the destination they are visiting rather than using the same character at every hotel.

Crown Yourself Royalty

Of course, becoming hotel royalty requires the proper attire.

Children receive a hands-on crown-making kit that allows them to create and decorate their own crown. They can wear it while exploring the hotel and then take it home as a souvenir from the trip.

A Castle Fit for Young Royalty

Some of the biggest surprises may come from the castle-inspired elements of the program.

Sonesta says Young Royals experiences can include dedicated play areas along with in-room or banquet-room castle setups designed to create a memorable moment for younger guests.

For kids who already love castles, princesses, princes and imaginative play, this could easily become one of the highlights of the hotel stay.

The Royal Quest Turns the Hotel Into an Adventure

One of the more interactive elements is The Royal Quest.

After being crowned, children can head out on a scavenger hunt around the property. Along the way, families follow clues, complete challenges and experience storytelling connected with the hotel.

There is also a practical benefit for families: it gives everyone a reason to explore more of the property.

Instead of heading directly from the room to the pool or restaurant, families may discover hotel amenities and other spaces they otherwise would have missed.

Even Mealtime Gets the Royal Treatment

The theme continues when it is time to eat.

Participating hotels will offer dedicated Young Royals food and beverage options, including a kid-friendly menu and branded cups.

For parents traveling with younger children, small touches like these can make dining at the hotel feel less like another meal to organize and more like an extension of the vacation experience.

Where Will Sonesta Young Royals Be Available?

The Young Royals program is scheduled to debut at select Royal Sonesta hotels, including:

• Royal Sonesta Boston
• Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown
• Royal Sonesta San Juan
• Royal Sonesta Washington, DC Capitol Hill
• The Benjamin Royal Sonesta New York
• The Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel Toronto

That initial lineup gives families several very different destinations to choose from, ranging from city getaways in Boston, Chicago, New York, Washington and Toronto to a tropical escape in San Juan.

Making the Hotel Part of the Family Vacation

Hotels have traditionally focused many of their family amenities around pools, larger rooms and children’s menus. Young Royals takes a different approach by adding an imaginative storyline to the stay.

A scavenger hunt can turn a walk through the hotel into an adventure. A stuffed mascot becomes a souvenir connected to the destination. Making a crown gives kids an activity that does not involve a screen.

Those may sound like simple additions, but for younger travelers, they can change how they remember a trip.

And that may be the biggest appeal of the program.

Parents still get the accommodations and amenities they expect from a Royal Sonesta property, while children have an experience designed specifically for them.

A New Reason for Families to Consider Royal Sonesta

For families deciding where to stay on an upcoming getaway, kid-focused hotel experiences can sometimes make the difference between simply finding a room and finding a property everyone is excited about.

The Sonesta Young Royals program appears designed with that idea in mind.

From getting crowned at the beginning of the stay to completing a Royal Quest and taking home a new plush companion, Sonesta is giving younger guests their own part of the vacation to look forward to.

For parents, it could also mean hearing something every hotel hopes to hear from its youngest guests:

“When can we come back?”

HotelsEscape.com will continue following the rollout of Young Royals as the program makes its debut at participating Royal Sonesta properties.

Planning a family getaway? Visit the official Sonesta website for additional information about participating Royal Sonesta hotels, accommodations and current offers.