Teens and Hotels: What Do They Really Want?

There are many things that a hotel should have to appeal to a teenager. Here are a few amenities that make my time in any hotel more enjoyable.

 My Top Five Requirements:

1. A TV with full cable and VCR or DVD player and a video game system that you don’t have to pay to play (or you pay a small one-time fee.)

2. A swimming pool or multiple pools with such things as water slides, squirt guns and play areas for kids.

3. The hotel should be located near or in an area of interest such as a theme park, a big city, many restaurants or nightclubs, etc. 

4. If the hotel is near a theme park, it should include tickets to the park and/or first-in-line passes, VIP passes, vouchers for food or something that makes your time in the park more fun.

5. Have a kids themed restaurant or a kids section in a regular restaurant

These smaller items are all important, too.

*A free bottle of water or juice and a few free snacks.

*A themed design including characters on the wall, on clocks, on furniture, etc. 

*A free disposable camera to capture your memories on film.

*A full workout room that is accessible to teenagers.

*Comfortable beds and pillows so you get a good night’s sleep.

*A kids club or place where can kids go to meet other kids their age.

*Free high-speed Internet access in the room, or at least a place where kids can use free computers with Internet access.

*Rooms should be reasonably priced and not charge extra for more than two kids.

*A nice view, it helps make a room look nicer.

I was asked to name a few examples of very cool hotels where I stayed with my family. Not all of them followed the suggestions I am making.

I would recommend the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Florida because this hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel and the Royal Pacific Hotel, all in the Universal Orlando Resort, include first-in-line passes to the Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure theme parks with their room rates.

The Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida is cool because it has a neat game arcade, a really nice pool with water squirters, big rooms decorated with different wallpaper and themed sheets, and a huge breakfast buffet. They also had a funny show with clowns in the evening.  

I love the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas because it has amazing water slides and lots of sharks swimming behind glass windows.  We stayed in rooms where famous basketball players and stars from MTV stayed, too.

Author Regan Bozman was an 8th grade student at Booker T. Washington MS 54 in New York City when he wrote this article. It was published on www.kidtravels.com in 2004.