Who really decides where a family goes on holiday? Increasingly, the answer may not be the person holding the credit card.

Children are having a bigger say in family travel decisions, influencing everything from destinations and activities to where the family stays. The new Mastercard Travel Trendlines 2026 report, conducted with The Harris Poll, found that parents of Gen Alpha kids, generally children born from 2010 onwards, are giving their children significant influence over family travel plans.

That influence is reshaping what families expect from a hotel stay. For a generation raised on highly personalised content, short-form video and social media, amenities like swimming pools and kids’ club may be appreciated but they do not necessarily make a stay memorable. Instead, today’s children are gravitating towards experiences that feel immersive, participatory and tailored to them.

Research shows that Gen Alpha now have a greater influence over family vacations.

Making younger guests feel valued

Traditionally, family-friendly hospitality has focused on solving practical challenges for parents: larger rooms, children's menus, babysitting services and kids’ clubs designed to keep young guests occupied. But as children’s sway over travel decisions grows, hospitality brands are shifting from simply accommodating younger guests to actively engaging them.

Family travel, in other words, is no longer just about meeting parents’ needs, but creating experiences that resonate with every member of the family, including the youngest ones. That could mean destination-inspired activities, personalised touches or creative play, all designed to give children a sense of discovery and participation.

MyMillennium Kids is a new family-focused programme that makes younger travellers feel like valued at Millennium Hotels and Resorts.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) is one brand embracing this shift through MyMillennium Kids, a new programme that aims to make younger travellers feel like active participants rather than secondary guests. “At MHR, we believe our little guests deserve just as much attention as their parents. MyMillennium Kids reflects our commitment to engaging the next generation of travellers through experiences that inspire curiosity, adventure and connection,” said Cinn Tan, Chief Commercial Officer, Millennium Hotels and Resorts.

Upon arrival, children receive a Mini Magical Surprise designed to make them feel recognised as guests in their own right. This might include a personalised welcome letter from MHR’s Muriel the Cow mascot, accompanied by a little souvenir or snack for the child to find; or a Door Sign Craft Kit with a “Do Not Disturb – Junior Explorer Inside” sign, which they can jazz up with stickers and markers.

These small touches reflect how emotional engagement is becoming just as important as practical amenities in shaping how families remember a trip. 

Parents may select a Mini Magical Surprise for their child, such as a welcome letter from MHR’s Muriel the Cow mascot.

From one-off stays to ongoing journey

Perhaps even more interesting is how hotels are beginning to borrow engagement strategies from sectors such as gaming, entertainment and loyalty marketing.

Rather than viewing each hotel stay as a standalone experience, hospitality brands are increasingly looking for ways to extend engagement across multiple visits. Collectibles, achievement milestones and progression-based rewards, long familiar in digital experiences, are starting to appear in family travel offerings too.

One example is the MyMillennium Kids Adventure Passport, which allows children to collect stickers across participating properties and unlock rewards along the way, ranging from a kid’s dessert and Muriel the Cow plushie to merchandise and room upgrades.

Children can collect unique stickers for their MyMillennium Kids Adventure Passport and unlock merchandise rewards when staying at participating hotels.

The programme is available for children aged five to 10 travelling with an adult MyMillennium member staying a minimum of two consecutive nights at a participating hotel. Participating properties currently span Asia Pacific, including Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore, Orchard Hotel Singapore, M Hotel Singapore City Centre, M Social Resort Penang, M Social Phuket and M Social Hotel Suzhou, with expansion plans to Europe and United States in 2027. 

Rethinking the loyalty equation

This shift points to a bigger change taking place across hospitality: loyalty is becoming less transactional and more emotional. Traditional hotel loyalty programmes have largely focused on the adult traveller, rewarding through points, upgrades and member benefits. But if children are increasingly influencing future travel choices, they are becoming part of the loyalty equation too.

A memorable experience for a child often becomes part of a family's shared memory of a trip. Parents may book a hotel for location, convenience or value, but they are more likely to return when everyone comes away with fond memories of the stay.

As children play a growing role in family travel, hotels are moving beyond simply being family-friendly to creating experiences that win over their youngest guests.

“Children are increasingly playing a crucial role in shaping family travel and influencing holiday plans,” said Carolyn Wishnowski, Vice President, Global Branding, Marketing and Loyalty, Millennium Hotels and Resorts. “MyMillennium Kids marks an important evolution of our global loyalty programme, extending recognition and rewards beyond the primary member to include the whole family. From a brand perspective, it provides a consistent way to bring the MHR experience to life for younger guests across our global portfolio, while allowing each hotel to introduce locally relevant touches. 

“By giving young guests their own programme journey and benefits, we are creating a more inclusive MyMillennium experience that delivers greater value for families and gives them more reasons to engage with the programme across repeat stays and destinations.”

Her observation speaks to a wider industry reality. As family travel evolves, hotels may need to think less about entertaining children and more about building meaningful relationships with them – creating affinity not just with today’s guest but potentially with tomorrow’s customer as well.

Discover how MyMillennium Kids is helping Millennium Hotels and Resorts reimagine family travel experiences for the next generation of travellers. 

This article is brought to you by Millennium Hotels & Resorts.