The short answer: family travel recognition goes to hotels, resorts and travel companies that plan for families from the start rather than simply accepting children as guests. At the International Travel Awards there is no single family category. Each business enters the category built for its main role, such as Best Beach Resort, Best Luxury Hotel, Best Budget Hotel, Best Cruise Line, Best Tour Operator or Best Travel Agency, and then shows in the entry how it welcomes, looks after and delights families of every shape and size.
What family travel recognition looks for
Families ask a lot of a travel business. Parents want rooms that fit everyone, food that suits different ages, activities that keep children engaged, and the reassurance that safety has been thought through. Grandparents travelling with them may need step-free access and a quieter pace. Teenagers want independence and something of their own to do. A business that serves families well has usually designed its rooms, services and team around these needs on purpose.
That is what reviewers look for in a family-focused entry. They want to understand who the business serves, how its facilities and services are shaped for families, how children are kept safe, and what families say about their stay or trip. The judging process reviews each entry against the criteria for its own category, so the family story needs to sit inside the right category rather than stand alone.
Choosing the right category for a family-focused business
Because families travel in every kind of way, family-focused businesses appear across many categories. The table below maps common family travel businesses to the categories that suit them.
| Type of business | Category to consider | What to emphasise for families |
|---|---|---|
| Beach and island resorts with children's clubs and family rooms | Best Beach Resort | Family room types, supervised activities, pool and beach safety, dining for all ages |
| Luxury hotels and resorts welcoming families | Best Luxury Hotel | Personal service for each family member, connecting rooms or suites, tailored experiences |
| Value-focused hotels popular with families | Best Budget Hotel | Practical family rooms, flexible breakfasts, clear pricing and helpful staff |
| Cruise companies with family programmes | Best Cruise Line | Cabins for families, age-grouped clubs, shore excursions paced for children |
| Tour operators designing family trips | Best Tour Operator | Itinerary pacing, family-friendly guides and suppliers, support during travel |
| Agencies specialising in family holidays | Best Travel Agency | How advisers match families with the right destinations, rooms and activities |
| Destinations promoting family travel | Best Tourism Board | Family attractions, practical visitor information and accessible public spaces |
A business with a new family service or tool can also consider the Travel Innovation Award, and the full list, with eligibility notes, is on the award categories page. For help deciding between the accommodation categories, read the hotel and resort categories guide.
Showing that families are planned for
The clearest family entries show deliberate choices. A sentence saying that children are welcome tells the reader very little. What helps is a picture of how the business has been shaped around families.
- Rooms and layouts. Family rooms, connecting rooms, suites, villas or apartments, how many guests each sleeps, and extras such as cots, bed guards, blackout curtains and space for prams.
- Food and dining. Children's menus, flexible meal times, options for allergies and special diets, high chairs, and how dining rooms make room for families without disturbing other guests.
- Activities for different ages. Clubs or programmes for younger children, separate spaces or activities for teenagers, and experiences families can share together.
- Practical help. Arrival support for families with luggage and young children, laundry options, equipment to borrow and clear information before arrival.
- Accessibility. Step-free routes, accessible rooms and facilities for family members with mobility, sensory or other needs.
Child safety and peace of mind
Parents notice safety before almost anything else, and reviewers do too. Describe how safety works in practice rather than stating that it is a priority. Useful areas include pool supervision, depth markings and signage, balcony and window safety, room safety kits, the training and checks for staff who look after children in clubs or activities, how parents are kept informed, and the procedure if a child is unwell or separated from their family.
Keep these descriptions general and factual. Do not include personal details about guests or children, and only describe procedures the business actually follows today.
Multigenerational travel
Many families now travel with grandparents, cousins and friends. Businesses that do this well offer accommodation where several generations can stay close together while keeping some privacy, flexible dining that suits early and late eaters, activities that grandparents and children can share, and quieter spaces for those who want to rest. If multigenerational groups are an important part of your business, give them their own short section in the entry, with an example of a group the team looked after well, described without personal details.
Evidence that carries weight
The strongest family entries are built from records the business already keeps. The table below lists the kinds of evidence that tend to help. Include only what you genuinely track and can verify.
| Evidence | What it shows | Most relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| Feedback from families | Whether parents and children enjoyed the stay or trip | All family-focused businesses |
| Repeat family bookings | That families choose to come back | Hotels, resorts, cruise lines, operators |
| Room types and children's facilities | That the product has been designed for families | Hotels, resorts, cruise lines |
| Safety procedures and staff training | That children are looked after with care | Hotels, resorts, cruise lines, operators |
| Menu and dietary options | That different ages and needs are catered for | Hotels, resorts, cruise lines |
| Examples of help when plans changed | Judgement and kindness under pressure | All family-focused businesses |
| Accessibility features | That every family member can take part | All family-focused businesses |
Describing a family's day
One well-described day often explains a family offer better than a long list of facilities. Choose a typical day for a family staying with you or travelling with you and walk the reader through it: arrival or breakfast, what the children do while parents relax, what the family does together, how meals work, and how the evening winds down. Mention one moment where the team went out of its way, such as finding a replacement for a forgotten comfort toy or adjusting a menu at short notice.
This keeps the entry concrete and lets reviewers see the business through the eyes of the families who use it.
Writing the entry
Family entries can easily become a list of facilities. Lead instead with how the business thinks about families, then support each point with an example or a figure you can stand behind.
- Be clear about who you serve. Say which ages and family types make up most of your family guests, so the reader understands the shape of the business.
- Show care, not only facilities. The way staff speak to children and help tired parents says as much as a play area.
- Use images carefully. Include only photos your business owns or is licensed to use, and only show identifiable children where parents or guardians have agreed.
- Check every figure. Only include numbers you can verify, and describe the business as it operates today.
For a step-by-step view of the entry itself, read how to win a travel award and how to nominate. Smaller properties may also find the guide for independent and smaller properties useful when building an entry without a large team.
Using recognition with families
Parents planning a holiday often compare many options and look for outside reference points alongside reviews and recommendations from other families. Recognition from an international programme can support that decision. Common uses include a note on family pages and the website's about page, a line in emails to families who have enquired, a mention in pre-arrival information, and a short announcement to past family guests. Inside the business, sharing the result with children's club teams, housekeeping and restaurant staff acknowledges the people who make family stays work. The article on how awards help travel companies covers this in more depth. Always use the exact programme name and category when you mention the award.
A checklist for family travel entries
- Decide which category matches your main role: hotel, resort, cruise line, tour operator, agency or destination.
- Check that families are a significant part of your business before making them the focus of the entry.
- Describe how rooms, food, activities and practical help are shaped for families.
- Explain how children are kept safe, in general terms and without personal details.
- Include multigenerational travel if it matters to your guests.
- Gather the family feedback and records you genuinely track.
- Describe a typical family day from start to finish.
- Check that every photo is yours to use, with consent for any identifiable children, and that every figure can be verified.
- Review the plans on the nomination price page and start your nomination.
Browsing the past winners directory shows the range of businesses each category recognises, and the travel awards FAQ answers common questions about eligibility. If you are unsure which category fits, use the contact page and describe your business, the families you serve and the evidence you plan to submit.