You’re pregnant and glowing, and you and your partner are anticipating the big day. But before the groggy, late-night feedings begin and the sleep deprivation sets in, grab your honey and embark on a “babymoon.”
Today, travel destinations are going out of their way to deliver to a most unexpectant travel market niche – expectant parents.
Instead of champagne on ice, proud parents-to-be can indulge in sparkling water and truffles and turndown service. Instead of dancing until dawn, future mamas and papas might just enjoy milk and cookies and an early bedtime.
Travel-savvy couples today, who most likely are two wage-earners and have more income to spend on getaway splurges, are taking advantage of the precious time they have together alone before “baby makes three,” many hoteliers say.
Indeed, this is a huge market. Approximately 6 million pregnancies occur every year throughout the United States, according to the American Pregnancy Association, a national health organization promoting reproductive and pregnancy wellness.
The term “babymoon,” coined by British author and childbirth educator Sheila Kitzinger, has been defined as the important time a family spends together alone during a baby’s first few days of life. This alone time helps mothers and fathers bond with their baby, as well as adjust to their new roles as parents. However, the travel industry also sees this babymoon time as a way to appeal to a specialized market – even before the bundle of joy arrives.
Cathy Keefe, spokeswoman for the Travel Industry Association of America, calls the concept of the babymoon package a mini-trend.
“You never would have seen it 10 years ago,” she said.
But she’s not surprised by the idea. Hotels constantly try to build new and innovative programs to appeal to their guests, she said. “Their goal is heads and beds.”
Some resorts are especially creative in trying to appeal to this market. For instance, Still Waters Farm luxury cottages in Willits, Calif., offers new moms “Delivery Kits” filled with a nursing gown, lip balm and other items for the big event.
The Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa in La Jolla, Calif., offers couples sessions with a photographer, chauffeured shopping excursions, Pilates classes and a hotel-logo onesie for the baby.
The Fleurs-De-Lys Mansion, a St. Louis B&B, offers couples a personalized “Chef of Your Own Dining Experience,” while the Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa in Bodega Bay, Calif., gives mom a copy of actress Jenny McCarthy’s humorous book, “Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth.” The lodge even follows up with a gift after the baby is born – a discount on two massages booked by the child’s first birthday.
The historic Planters Inn in Charleston, S.C., started offering a “Baby on the Way” package in 2004 to appeal to the “growing market” of traveling parents-to-be, said hotel general manager Bradley Dickerson. “It’s usually a welcome gift for both of them,” he said.
He said the babymoon wasn’t designed to overtake the honeymoon or anniversary package. “It’s just another way to reach a different segment of the market.”
Couples haven’t been reluctant to spend $1,399 for the Planter Inn’s three-night “Baby on the Way” package, said Tim Davies, reservations manager, even though it’s priced higher than the honeymoon package. The package includes a tour of historic downtown Charleston and a goody basket filled with Charlestonian delectables, among them a jar of “high-end” pickles.
The babymoon package at Las Ventanas al Paraiso resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, was born when management noticed expectant mothers returning for visits after being there for weddings and honeymoons, said Bob Boulogne, a spokesman for parent company Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. So the hotel decided to “embrace that part of the woman’s life,” he said. The moms-to-be, who are treated to a personalized prenatal fitness session and various spa services, appreciate the sensitivity, he said.
Jana Wacholz, general manager of Bodega Bay Lodge, said husbands and partners, who sometimes are stumped as to what they can do for their pregnant wives, take the reins and discover that these getaway packages are convenient “one-stop shopping” gifts for their better halves.
“Ladies forget to pamper themselves (when they’re pregnant); it’s a time of selflessness,” she said.
Jessica Solberg, who lives in the Lake Tahoe area and now has twins, said it was her idea to take a babymoon at Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa last year when she was six months pregnant.
“You just get so caught up in day-to-day work,” she said. “It helped us to appreciate the magnitude of what was about to happen.”
Even though she couldn’t participate in strenuous activities, she enjoyed short day trips to nearby farmers markets and antique shops, and the relaxing time away with her husband at a nice location was invaluable, she said. Plus, her husband was able to do something that he couldn’t do from home – take a run on the beach right from their door.
Debra Catania, spa director and partner for the Catania Hospitality Group that oversees the Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis, Mass., said she put together the babymoon package after listening closely to the comments of pregnant women receiving massages for backache relief. She learned that women really wanted romance and to be with their husbands.
The couples arrive for the babymoon “stressed out,” she said. However, they leave “lovey-dovey.”
Candace Robertson is a freelance writer who lives in Waukegan, Ill.
Pre-baby indulgence
Hotel amenities for moms- and dads-to-be:
Coveted snuggle time in elegant accommodations with scenic views
Keepsake gifts at check-in
Pregnancy body pillows
In-room movies
Relaxing CDs of lullabies
Gift certificates to local restaurants and baby clothiers
Gift baskets of pregnancy-friendly goodies
Milk and cookies at bedtime
Breakfast in bed
Daily vegetable and fruit trays
Couples massages and various spa treatments
Poolside dining
Complimentary parking
Round-trip airport transfers
Late checkout
Pickles and ice cream for her; cognac and cigars for him
– Candace Robertson
