New Holiday Inn® by IHG Study Reveals: Children Want Simpler Holidays Than Parents Think

Frankfurt, 8^th October 2026. German parents often feel pressure to create the perfect family holiday, yet children may be looking for something much simpler. According to a new survey commissioned by Holiday Inn® by IHG, 86% of parents admit they feel a responsibility to make holidays feel special for their children. Yet when asked what children value most, parents overwhelmingly pointed to fun, freedom, time together and simple moments rather than packed itineraries and elaborate experiences.

The nationally representative survey of 750 parents of children aged 0-12 years in Germany found that children are increasingly involved in holiday planning. While parents continue to make the final decisions, 40% actively seek their children's opinions and children most often help decide activities and excursions (70%) as well as food and drink choices (58%). Parents also report that involving children makes holidays more enjoyable, creating greater anticipation and turning planning into a shared family experience.

The findings also suggest that children's wishes may be surprisingly easier to fulfill than many parents assume. Nearly seven in ten parents believe their children value small, carefree moments more than major attractions or expensive experiences. Parents also believe children would choose more time to play (30%), more spontaneity (22%) more adventure (30%) and more meaningful family time (18%) over rigid schedules and lengthy sightseeing programmes.

To help families hand the holiday itinerary to the children, Holiday Inn is launching its Chief Holiday Officer initiative across Germany this autumn. During the school holiday period, children staying at Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn – the niu hotels will be welcomed as "Chief Holiday Officers", receiving a symbolic iron-on badge and a holiday wish list to guide them in shaping the family holiday experience. Based off nearly 75 years of bringing people together the wish list is Holiday Inn’s way of inspiring and guiding kids how to spend their day, plan activities and how they would like to shape the holiday.

Mario Maxeiner, Managing Director Northern Europe, IHG Hotels & Resorts: "The research reinforces what we've long believed at Holiday Inn that great family holidays are often built around simple moments spent together. While parents are always looking for ways to create memorable experiences for their children, our findings show that fun, freedom and quality time together are what matter most. Holiday Inn has been designed around exactly those moments, and our Chief Holiday Officer initiative builds on our long-standing commitment to family travel. Across our hotels, families can enjoy welcoming communal spaces, flexible experiences and thoughtful family-friendly amenities designed to make travelling together easier and more enjoyable.”

As family holidays become increasingly shaped by younger travellers, Holiday Inn is helping parents create trips that feel just as exciting for children as they do for adults. The research revealed that more than half of parents (58%) say their children already have significant influence over food and drink decisions while on holiday, while a third of parents say children relish the freedom, shared experiences and unstructured time together more than packed itineraries and strict schedules.

Whether it's deciding where to eat, choosing the next activity or simply enjoying downtime together, Holiday Inn gives children a greater role in shaping the family holiday experience. At the heart of this is the Open Lobby, a welcoming social space where families can come together to play games, plan their next adventure, share a meal or simply enjoy quality time together. Designed with flexibility in mind, it creates space for the spontaneous moments that often become the most memorable parts of a trip.

The research also found that one third of parents believe familiar food options and the freedom to choose what they eat are especially important to their children while travelling. Through its Kids Stay & Eat Free programme, Holiday Inn helps ensure younger guests feel just as valued as the grown-ups, giving them a say in one of the most important parts of any holiday while helping families travel more easily and affordably. Together, these experiences support a more collaborative approach to family travel, where children are not just along for the ride but helping shape the journey itself.

These findings reinforce Holiday Inn's belief that great family holidays are not about doing more, but about creating space for meaningful moments together. The Chief Holiday Officer initiative, available at Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn – the niu hotels in Germany during the autumn school holidays, aims to inspire families to see their holidays through a child's eyes and celebrate the simple experiences that often become the most memorable. Because sometimes the best family holidays aren't the most carefully planned, they're the ones where children have the chance to lead the way.

To book a stay at Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn – the niu, visit www.ihg.com/holidayinn