What does ‘family focused’ really mean in a hotel? A General Manager’s inside secrets

A whimsical corridor of mushrooms. A painting of a floppy-eared dog dressed to the nines in military finery. An inclusive spa that favours family time over restrictive hours. A dog bath before you’ve even reached the lobby. I’ve only been exploring New Park Manor for five minutes, and already it’s clear there’s something a little bit different about this hotel.

I’m here to meet Byron Fiddler, the General Manager of both New Park Manor and Moonfleet Manor – part of the Luxury Family Hotels collection. As well as throwing himself into hosting one of my series of UK Hospitality Roundtable Roadshow events at New Park Manor, he’s also giving me a passionate tour of the hotel, accompanied with fascinating insights into hospitality life.

So how does a successful hotel brand make ‘family friendly’ come to life? In this latest episode of the revamped podcast - Hotelier's Voice dives into this segment in the full interview on Spotify.

Prioritising each individual
“Time is so precious for guests,” explains Byron. “They just want to come away, have great experiences, and not have to want for anything. So we contact our guests to get to know as much about them as possible. We want to know their dog’s name, their children’s names, their ages.”

Getting in touch with guests ahead of a stay forms a vital part of crafting exceptional family experiences. As well as organising thoughtful gifts for guests, the hotel can provide added extras to save them from having to bring too much from home. “If you’ve got two kids and you’re loading up your car, the last thing you want to do is put in a potty seat, for example.”

Once guests arrive, Byron believes the key to an authentic family-friendly stay is striking the balance between each individual’s needs. Being genuinely warm and welcoming to children, creating opportunities for family time, and providing moments for adult relaxation is what it’s all about.

At New Park Hotel, there is Ofsted-rated childcare at the property, catering for newborns to teens. Families receive two hours of childcare per night of their stay, and there’s also a daily stay and play session where parents can enjoy the toys, crafts and other facilities together with their children.

In an interesting and inclusive move for a hotel, the spa has some dedicated adult swim time daily, but is otherwise wide open to all families. There are even kiddie treatments for littles aged 6+ to “soothe busy minds and growing bodies.”

Rooms themselves have inviting integrated bunk beds, book racks with a selection of books, and a hidden treat in the room for children to find when they first arrive, in a game of hotel hide and seek.

An important point for many families, dogs are just as welcome at New Park Manor. “Whether you’ve got two legs or four legs, you’re all part of the family,” Byron says. There’s the outdoor dog station to clean muddy paws, the ‘Waggy Tails’ afternoon tea, an ‘a la bark’ menu, and in-room dog amenities.

I'm fortunate to have the time with Byron to really get an understanding of what makes the hotel and the brand tick. In the extended interview also available on Apple podcasts or YouTube he explains the challenges of staffing and his own career trajectory.

Mellow mealtimes
Getting children – and yourselves – fed. It can be a stressful time of day for many families, and eating out can heighten the tension. So how should a hotel handle this to keep up its family-friendly credentials?

At New Park Hotel, there are two restaurants. The Vinery Restaurant has all aspects of family mealtimes covered. The space itself has a potting shed vibe thanks to all-glass windows and ceilings. It’s a sunny and relaxing all-day space that’s not at all stuffy, and every table is set up with a kids' dining seat. “We put the children’s names on as well – to make them feel just as special as everyone else,” Byron explains.

There’s a children’s menu, of course, but the restaurant will also serve half portions of any meal on the adult a la carte menu. “Because they can be quite discerning,” Byron says. “Sometimes they want to have what mum and dad are having too.” And for the youngest diners, pureed food is also on offer.

But where New Park Hotel really goes the extra mile is with the children’s den and cinema room – cleverly located next door to the restaurant. With films played at 6pm and 8pm every day – with little bags of popcorn served too – both children and adults can enjoy some relaxation time. “Children will have their food, run off and play, or watch a movie,” Byron shares. “And the parents can relax and enjoy themselves, knowing their children are literally next door.”

Elsewhere on the property, The Stag Restaurant offers adults-only dining from 6.30pm onwards. And although children can’t come in, baby monitors – supplied by the hotel – can. So parents can enjoy a meal as a couple, with a real-time view of their kids for total peace of mind.

Brilliant design
While the right amenities and facilities draw families in, it’s carefully considered design that elevates the experience itself. The team at New Park Manor worked with Studio Jill to create a design that fully embraces families.

“If a child were to drop something on the sofa, we need to make sure the sofa is designed for that,” Byron explains. “It’s got to look great, it needs to be top quality, but also be somewhere people feel comfortable – most especially families.”

The choice of décor, artwork and furnishings needs to be both practical and playful, according to Byron. “We wanted the artwork to be very fun. As you walk around, you see lots of great, fun pictures.” The hotel also had bespoke wallpaper created – a whimsy of Wind in the Willows and Alice in Wonderland inspiration, where you notice a different detail each time you look.

A focal area of the hotel for families is the terrace, bordered by a safe, flat lawn and a small play area with a zip line. “The great thing is, you can bring your children, let them run and play in a really safe environment,” Byron says. “And then you can enjoy a glass of wine or something great to eat, and let them play.”

The hotel’s games team also brings equipment for games such as badminton out in the summer. They’ll pepper games for all ages throughout the hotel’s interior too, which are ideal wet weather activities. The lounge area is ripe for cocktails and a little family board game rivalry.

Living and breathing the brand
Thoughtful service, great design, and fun activities make New Park Hotel a beacon in the landscape of family-friendly hotels. But according to Byron, none of it would work without having the right team in place. The hotel enjoyed a successful 2025, increasing both the average daily rate and occupancy, but Byron says this also places additional pressure on the team. So how does a hotel get the right team in place, particularly when recruitment is so tough in hospitality?

“We tend to recruit for personality and train for skill,” he says. “What that does is give great guest experiences. We want to hang onto our team. So it’s all about growing and developing them, making sure they’ve got a great supportive environment.”

Luxury Family Hotels has a Leadership and Development Manager who delivers regular training to staff in all hotels in the group. And there’s a range of apprenticeships to help people earn while they learn. Byron believes the industry needs to do more to debunk the myth that hospitality isn’t a ‘proper’ career. “It’s such an exciting industry to be in,” he says. “I know a lot of people who have started off as receptionists and have gone on to be sales directors. I also know a really great general manager who started off as a carpenter in maintenance. The world really is your oyster when it comes to hospitality.”

And Byron himself should know, having “fallen into hospitality” himself, subsequently carving out an enviable career. “I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do when I finished school,” he says. “I took two years off, opened a big book of university degrees, and came across hospitality. I thought, ‘I love people, so that’ll be fun.’ And the rest is history. I started off in rooms – I’m a ‘roomie’ – and I’ve been able to grow my career under some really fantastic General Managers, and some really wonderful owners.”

Having gone on to work in hotels in cities in the UK and Caribbean (“I never thought that I would be able to work on a really exclusive island and fly around on a private jet”), Byron now manages two hotels.

“It’s a tricky dynamic, but one that I really love and have grown into,” he shares. “I’m supported by two fantastic teams, who do the hard work. We work collaboratively. It’s about understanding the brand, why we’re here, what success looks like, and ultimately where we’re going and how we’re going to get there.”

The family-inclusive mindset
Being a family-focused hotel is more than offering a particular facility or a token gesture. It’s about adopting a state of mind, an ethos, a raison d’etre – as Luxury Family Hotels puts it – that speaks to every member of the family. Achieve that, and you win the trust, custom, and hearts of families. As individual families grow, evolve and change shape – and as the generations roll on – the meaningful memories shaped by your hotel live on.

Discover the full interview with Byron where we dive into his career and the challenges of staffing a rural hotel on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Learn more from your peers and become part of the hospitality community by following the Hoteliers’ Voice podcast today - join us on LinkedIN.