Where to stay: Though it’s tempting to hole up in a resort on Sentosa Island, home to Universal Studios Singapore and S.E.A. Aquarium, there’s something to be said for being in the thick of it. The newly opened QT Singapore, a 134-room boutique hotel with a showstopping rooftop pool, took over an historic Robinson Road address, just a stone’s throw from Lau Pa Sat, one of the city’s most iconic hawker centers. I could go on and on about the elegant guest suites with walk-in rain showers and the Singaporean artists whose work hangs throughout the common spaces, but where QT really won over this weary mom was with its late-night welcome package complete with balloons, a stuffed Merlion, and healthy snacks for my jet-lagged kiddo.
What to do: A quick breakfast at Lau Pa Sat is always an option (my son loved the min jiang kueh, or fluffy peanut pancakes, from Munchi), but save room for a half-day Foodabout with local writer Desiree Koh. She knows Singapore’s culinary scene inside and out and can devise a custom food crawl to suit you and your offspring’s exacting specifications. Our Foodabout, which took place in the colorful Katong neighborhood, introduced Julian to kaya toast, jackfruit curry, sardine puffs, caramelized sambal tempeh, and more. We befriended an elderly ice cream uncle and a smiley kopi-C auntie, got our fortunes read at the century-old Kwan Im Temple, and puttered around a blessedly air-conditioned mall in a dinosaur-shaped car. The other kiddo-friendly highlight of our three-night stay in Lion City involved admiring orchids in the Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay, racing through the splash pads at its Far East Organization Children’s Garden, and downing Singapore chili crab pizza at nearby Finnwood.
Why it’s great: Schiphol Airport (AMS) is a major hub for the SkyTeam airline alliance, so many travelers flying from the U.S. to Europe, Africa, or the Middle East may find themselves laying over here. The airport is less than six miles from the city proper and accessible by public train, and there are more than enough museums, gardens, and historic sites to fill your days. It’s also a good jumping-off point for day trips (my toddler enjoyed our bus-and-ferry excursion to the old-timey fishing villages of Volendam and Marken).
Where to stay: When it comes to traveling with kids, it’s all about location, location, location—and, okay, the breadth of the hotel’s breakfast. Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam nails both. The five-star property, which was renovated in 2022, sits across from the National Royal Palace on buzzy Dam Square, which my son liked because it was always flocked with pigeons. It’s walkable to the Rijksmusem and Anne Frank House (both, admittedly, better suited to older kids), plus numerous shopping thoroughfares. Just watch out for speeding bicyclists, who have the right of way over pedestrians. But it’s the breakfast buffet we most looked forward to, with its extravagant spread of international foods served in the light-flooded Wintergarden, a conservatory-style space with a glass ceiling dating to the 19th century.
