Concierge. Such a fun and fancy word to say. What does the word conjure for you? Perfectly outfitted and manicured staff standing behind a desk ready to help you in hushed whispers? The person you tip at the beginning so you get access to the best service? My tip to you is to consider the concierge desk as your ultimate hack to planning your dining destinations and certain activities before you even set foot in your hotel.
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It is true that I am generally team hotel and a big reason for that is their access to local knowledge. We have had some wonderful hosts at rental properties as well but if you need to know which restaurants are child friendly in Tokyo or Paris and you need help with a reservation, a hotel concierge is your best friend. They also will generally supply a list of local resources if you need a babysitter. You still need to vet the list yourself but it is really nice to have a place to start!
Concierges and hosts: your local resources with all the knowledge.
If you stay in a hotel with a concierge desk, they can really help make your trip go much smoother. Don’t be intimidated! I used to not give concierges much thought as a resource because I love to research and plan for us, and I like to think I am pretty good at it. We also generally didn’t stay in hotels that had concierges, or if there was one, I didn’t think they were potentially connected enough to get us reservations I couldn’t get myself. I am not really a scene chaser. I also wouldn’t say I am super cheap, but I think there are things worth spending money on and things that are not when it comes to basically anything, so I would never pay for cut flowers or champagne in the room when I could just get those things myself.
How do I use the concierge to help plan our trips? I email them before we even show up and ask for recommendations. Sometimes it is real work to get an email address for anyone at your hotel (looking at you Marriott) but you can usually find it online somewhere. Do not be afraid to send requests for dinner recommendations or if you have questions about how to get tickets to specific places or activities. The worst thing that can happen is they say they can’t help you directly but they CAN send you perfectly tailored instructions so you can help yourself! This happened when I asked about how to secure Ghibli Museum tickets and their instructions on what to do saved me a ton of research time and angst. I honestly do not really talk to the concierge once we are onsite because I have everything I need by then.
This also works if you are staying in a more local hotel, as the front desk staff or owners may also have very useful tips for you regarding restaurants and even babysitting services. Another real-life example is when we traveled to Japan right before Bear turned two, and we wanted to have some nicer meals out as a family. Japan is a whole other ball game in certain areas when it comes to planning, and making restaurant reservations can be difficult if you don’t speak Japanese (we don’t) or live in Japan. The concierges at our hotels were invaluable in providing a list of recommended restaurants that allow children and making reservations for us when necessary with our US-based credit card. I can’t stress enough how much time and stress this saved us, and we had some incredible meals. This was especially helpful in Kyoto, where a lot of the recommendations are for wonderful-sounding, super-formal dinners that last for hours and are definitely not child-friendly. If you want to do those, get a sitter or just wait until you can all enjoy them.
Babysitting services for those without nannies or willing family members.
Sitters are essential for those of us who don’t have younger (or older) relatives we can bribe into watching our kids on vacation or who don’t travel with a nanny! Generally, we travel as a three-person team, and that is how we like it most of the time. We have used agencies recommended by hotels in Chicago and Denver so far, and it has worked out beautifully. It is important to note that you still need to do your homework and check out the agencies yourself, but having that starter list is such a time-saving shortcut. Of course, if you travel with your own sitter of whichever flavor, this information is of very little use to you, and I will admit I am a little jealous sometimes!
Best wishes and bon voyage!