Hotel Scavenger Hunt 

Hotels are fun places if you think about it. They’re big, open, sprawling, and clean. Most of all they’re unfamiliar. While hotels see thousands of different people yearly, they more or less remain the same. It’s the visitors that change, the people coming in and out of the building and rooms that bring parts of themselves with them.

When looking for new, interesting places to host scavenger hunts, why not try a hotel? If you’re a family on vacation, it can be a great way to utilize a space that might be more or less your rest stop between adventures. Why not utilize the space for an adventure itself?

Hotel Scavenger Hunt Benefits

Scavenger hunts are a kid-friendly activity that can also be enjoyed by kids of all ages. Hunts are a fantastic method to encourage exploration. They’re a creative way to help your kiddos build up a natural desire for discovery, and they’re good lessons in determination and perseverance. 

If we can be blunt, a scavenger hunt is a fun scheme for your kids to use up time (or get rid of some pent-up energy). When the kids are burning off steam, the parents can relax and focus on the next day. Plus, best of all, it’s a really fun activity that will let your kids explore their surroundings.

No matter the age, everyone enjoys scavenger hunts. You can utilize the hunt to give yourself a break, or you can join in with your kiddos and help them explore, find, and discover. No matter how you utilize the hotel scavenger hunt, it’s a great time.

How To Do A Hotel Scavenger Hunt

While the setup might seem daunting, hosting a hotel scavenger hunt is actually fairly low-stress and simple. There are plenty of scavenger hunt printables online, but you can also come up with your own list if you want. 

Your list could include:

Hotel sheets

Luggage

Furniture (be specific)

Flowers

Fireplace

Desk

Clock

Ice Bin

Tissue Box

Mirror

Exercise equipment

Shower Cap

Bathrobe

Blow dryer

Local maps

Cookies

Umbrella

Writing table

Locker

When your kids are actually doing the hotel scavenger hunt, make sure you set up some ground rules or send them off with an older friend or sibling. You want to keep your kids safe and make sure they’re not running pell-mell throughout the hotel and stirring up trouble. You can modify the scavenger hunt list to think that might keep them in one area, or keep the volume low.

Do a Photo Scavenger Hunt

These days, we all have phones. It’s easy to look at those phones as a distraction, an annoyance, but during your hotel scavenger hunt, they can be a very useful tool! Photo scavenger hunts are a fantastic union of technology and creativity, an exercise that’s a win for everyone involved.

You can have your kids use the cameras on their phones to photograph each find, instead of attempting to collect objects or worrying over running around with paper and pencil. Also, turning your scavenger hunt into a virtual collect-a-thon instead of a physical one can change what they’re looking for. You can task them with finding “X” numbers of something, and the only things your kids will have to carry around are their phones. This gives you some very creative possibilities and opens avenues for locations and items that you might not otherwise put on the list, such as things high up and out of reach.

A Few Examples:

1. A red chair, a blue chair, a yellow chair
2. A dog and a cat together
3. A green sign near a green plant

Count Your Way to the Win

Playing counting games can be great for kids of a certain age range. Counting items is similar to photographing them, where the hunt relies on finding things but not necessarily collecting them. 

For Example:

1. How many pieces of furniture are in the lobby?
2. How many lights are in the hall?
3. How many rooms are on your floor?
4. How many chairs are in the restaurant?
5. How many phones are near the front desk?

Hotel Scavenger Hunt Items

Here are some additional items for you to find while creating the hotel scavenger hunt:

Notepad

Towel

Soap or bar of soap

Housekeeping cart

Stairs

Elevators 

Exit signs

Pool

Fire extinguishers

Vending machines

Paper cups

Sugar packets

Coffee

Pastries

Restaurant brochures/menus

Sunscreen

Remotes

How To Adjust Scavenger Hunts For All Ages

Scavenger hunts should be open and accessible for everyone, and it’s possible to change details here and there to make sure that each hunt has something for all those involved.

If your game includes very young kids, you or someone else will have to help them along during the scavenger hunt. Even though you’re helping, try not to lead them around too much, and let them find their list at their pace. It’s okay to point things out and give directions, but be careful about stepping on their toes. While you know your kids better than anyone, make sure you’re also giving them time to explore, grow, and have fun.

Older kids will enjoy some competition in their hotel scavenger hunt, whether it’s finding items as fast as possible or increasing the challenge by including some tough-to-find items on the list. When encouraging teens, try and up the difficulty so that everyone is finding things at the same pace.

Even though scavenger hunts are a great distraction, don’t count yourself out of the fun. The tweens and teens might be reluctant to admit it, but everyone wants to spend time with the family and have some fun together. If you tag along, you might notice a side of your kids you’ve never seen before.

Encourage Them To Do Research

Beyond the hotel scavenger hunt, you can encourage your older kids to get more involved. A good way to engage them is to design your hunt around the history of the city, the area, even the hotel. They can read signs, look for info, ask questions, even use Google on their phones. Integrating a bit of research into the hunt is a good way to keep everyone learning, but adding a bit of challenge for the older kids might slow them down.

Some good examples:

1. When was the hotel started?
2. Is this hotel historical?
3. What are the hours of the amenities in the hotel?
4. Is the hotel near any local historical areas?

Stay Safe on the Hunt

Setting up some basic rules for the scavenger hunt will benefit everyone involved. Following guidelines and general rules will improve the safety of everyone and make sure the kids aren’t getting into any trouble. 

Set up rules such as:

1. No running
2. No yelling
3. Don’t bother strangers (non-hotel staff)
4. No going in people’s rooms
5. No interrupting people

Also, make certain the kids are following general Covid safety guidelines and paying attention to one another and others while going through the scavenger hunt.

Reward Success

At the end of the hotel scavenger hunt, when everyone is winding down, don’t forget your little awards ceremony. You don’t have to break the bank or anything—small prizes will do just fine. You can promise some special treats, extra rides if you’re going to a theme park, candy, whatever! Get creative with it, the kids are certain to let you know what they want during your vacation, and your scavenger hunt can be a great way to dole those things out.

Remember, your hotel scavenger hunt should be fun, casual, and safe. You don’t want anyone to have hurt feelings, so decide on your “prize ceremony” at your discretion. Maybe everyone gets a prize!

Hotel scavengers hunts are supposed to be fun! Keep your hunt stress-free by setting ground rules, making a clear list, and letting your kids explore. No matter what you decide to do, the scavenger hunt is sure to be a memorable component of your next vacation and hotel stay.