Traveling With Kids Just Got a Little Easier

Summer is almost here, and that means road trips, airports and hotel rooms are part of the travel package.

Usually, this causes a few mixed feelings, especially when you have a little one. Vacation! (Yay!) Arranging a play yard or crib for the hotel room? (Not so yay.)

Luckily, participating Marriott hotels (Courtyard Marriott, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Springhill Suites, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites) have launched the complimentary Tots Travel Too program, which provides guests, upon request, with a travel crib and other goodies.

The hotel has also teamed with COVERPLAY, a business created by Allison Costa and Amy Feldman that specializes in removable play yard slipcovers. In addition to the travel crib, Marriott hotels will provide a freshly laundered COVERPLAY slipcover.

(I emphasize the "freshly laundered" part because I remember requesting a play yard at a Las Vegas hotel when CC was barely 1, and I thought it had been somehow plucked from 1965.)

Guests can also receive a complimentary animal squirtie for bath time, as well as outlet covers, nightlights and baby shampoo and lotion.

Several other L.A. moms and I had the opportunity to chat with Costa and Feldman last week, and learned about the ups and downs of starting a new business. (CC was happily entertained in the neighboring conference room, pic below, thanks to caregivers, books, snacks and other tykes her age.)

Costa, a mom of twin boys, knows about traveling with kiddos first hand. And in addition to getting her business off the ground (check out their web series here), she also mentioned that it's a challenge balancing business and motherhood.

However, she added that although her new endeavor is time-consuming, showing her kids a strong work ethic is its own reward.

Not only that, but she and Feldman are helping out other moms and dads by giving them a break.

With all the parental stress that comes with lugging car seats, toys, snacks and what seems like a warehouse full of clothing for a family getaway, I'm happy that COVERPLAY and hotels such as Marriott are helping to make parents' lives a little easier.

Bottom photo courtesy of Amy Anderson