Confirm availability rather than simply adding a request
Booking forms often allow guests to tick a cot or crib box, but that may create a preference rather than a guaranteed reservation. Contact the hotel if the cot is essential and ask whether it can be confirmed for the full stay.
Also ask whether there is a charge and whether the room can legally and physically accommodate the cot alongside the booked number of guests.
Find out what the hotel actually supplies
Properties may use full-size wooden cribs, folding travel cots or another locally common design. Ask about the type if the child is used to a particular sleeping environment. Bedding practices also differ; parents should follow current safe-sleep guidance appropriate to the child rather than adding improvised padding or loose items.
A cot that is technically available is not useful if it blocks the only route to the bathroom or cannot fit once a sofa bed is opened.
Inspect it before use
Check that the frame locks correctly, the mattress fits as intended and there are no obvious broken or missing parts. If anything seems unsafe or unusually worn, ask for another cot or a different solution. Do not repair hotel equipment with makeshift straps or cushions.
Place it away from blind cords, heaters, unstable furniture and other hazards in the room.
Decide whether bringing your own solves enough problems
A familiar travel cot provides predictability and can be useful on a road trip with several stops, but it is bulky for air or rail travel. For a single hotel stay, confirmed local equipment is often simpler. For multiple apartments or rural properties with uncertain facilities, carrying one may be worthwhile.
Whatever the choice, preserve a few familiar sleep cues—normal pajamas, a routine and an age-appropriate comfort item. The goal is not to recreate the nursery exactly, but to give the child a safe and recognizable place to sleep.
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