Family-Friendly Dining at Arisaig Hotel

28/05/2019

Anybody who regularly attempts the courageous task of taking a toddler out for dinner will undoubtedly know that the struggle is real! Attempting to get little ones to sit patiently while food is ordered, prepared and then finally served generally involves a lot of distraction techniques and fairly tense parents or guardians!  Naturally, some toddlers are perfectly content to sit patiently as they await the arrival of their food, but the majority of parents will be familiar with that warm and fuzzy feeling of relief when they hear the words ‘children’s play area’.

With four children under the age of six, Arisaig Hotel owners, Josh & Sophie, are very well acquainted with this feeling and have strived to make the hotel an extremely family-friendly establishment where children are positively welcomed in any of the public areas until 10pm.

While there’s always been a great, well-stocked play area within the hotel, we noticed that it wasn’t really working for families due to the space being situated out of sight of the bar and restaurant.  Therefore, one parent/guardian would often remain in the restaurant waiting for food to arrive while the other would be with the children in the play area.  This situation didn’t exactly amount to spending quality time out together as a family!

So, this month, we’ve been busy transforming the children’s play area into a great family friendly dining space, which we hope will facilitate a more enjoyable dining experience for both children and parents alike.

The new area is light and airy with spacious booths to keep little ones contained when eating.  Sensory play wall-panels have been installed to engage little ones and prevent tripping accidents.  There’s also brightly coloured wall hangings, books, colouring-in and games for the whole family to enjoy.  Parents are also free to put their child’s favourite tv show or film on after they’ve eaten so they can enjoy a well-deserved drink together without having to rush home.   

There’s also high chairs, pram parking, a tasty children’s menu and baby changing facilities conveniently located directly opposite the play area and the children’s area is secured by a handy stable door to prevent babies and toddlers from making their great escape!

We truly hope that this new space allows parents the chance to relax and socialise with friends and family within the same environment as their children and we’d really appreciate any feedback or tips on how to further improve the area.