Hotels with Bed Guard Rental

When your room has adult-size beds, it is natural to worry about a baby or toddler rolling off in the night. In an unfamiliar room, little ones often work their way to the very edge as they turn over in their sleep, and because these beds sit fairly high, a fall could mean a real bump or bruise.

At a hotel that lends bed guards, you can fit a rail along the side of the bed to prevent falls. If you already use one at home, the biggest benefit is being able to recreate the same sleep setup while traveling. A bed guard is useful across a wide stretch of childhood, from the age when a baby starts rolling over to the point where a child begins sleeping alone in a bed.

Keep in mind that bed guards can only be attached to certain bed shapes and mattress thicknesses. Supply is also limited, so mention that you would like one when you book and share the bed type and your child's age. That way, staff can have it ready when you arrive. Even families who do not use a bed guard at home often find that sleep habits change in an unfamiliar room, so borrowing one just in case makes for a more restful night.

One important note first. Bed guards come with an age range, and some hotels set it at 18 months to 60 months. Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU The Tower, Risonare Tomamu, and Orion Hotel Motobu Resort & Spa all follow that range. For babies younger than that, the alternative is a room with a low bed close to the floor, or a loaner crib. Hotel Naturwald Furano and Hotel Epinard Nasu offer both low beds and bed guards.

Among Okinawa's resorts, Orion Hotel Motobu Resort & Spa sits in the town of Motobu and comes with a kids' pool, a nursing room, and baby food. On Miyakojima, Hotel Breezebay Marina lends cribs, strollers, bed guards, and formula-warming kettles free of charge when you contact them in advance. Vessel Hotel Campana Okinawa in Chatan requires you to reserve one in advance, and children 18 and under sleep in a parent's bed for free. Kanucha Bay Hotel & Villas in Nago and Grand Mercure Okinawa Zanpamisaki in Yomitan also have them available.

If you are looking at hot spring and seaside resorts within reach of Tokyo, consider Hotel Epinard Nasu and Grand Mercure Nasu Highlands on the Nasu plateau, and Hotel Green Plaza Karuizawa in Gunma. On the coast, there are Kamogawa Grand Hotel and Grand Mercure Minamiboso in Chiba, plus Hotel New Akao and Kamenoi Hotel Atami in the Atami area of Shizuoka. At Hakone Hotel Kowakien in Kanagawa, the private hot spring baths are open to children from birth, while the large communal bath is for children who are out of diapers. Izu-Atagawa Onsen Hotel Katara will set one up in your room if you request it ahead of time.

There is a knack to borrowing one. Many hotels have only a few and require you to reserve in advance, including Grand Mercure Wakayama Minabe, Kanucha Bay Hotel & Villas, Vessel Hotel Campana Okinawa, and Shirahama Koganoi. Others, such as Grand Mercure Beppu Bay, hand them out first come, first served at check-in. Plenty of hotels also lend a bed guard free of charge together with a crib, among them Hotel Epinard Nasu, Hotel New Akao, and Hotel Breezebay Marina.