This is the mantra of many of Asia's hotels and airlines, which are well aware that building loyalty requires an early start. Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, for instance, has been winning kiddie kudos for its Camp Hyatt clubs throughout the region, offering such activities as cooking classes and dance lessons. The Ritz-Carlton hotels in Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong have set up P.O.L.O., or Protect Our Little Ones program. At the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, parents can also get a pager or mobile phone to stay on call with the hotel babysitter.
Families tend to appreciate the parents-only time created when kids are occupied with their own fun.
Hence the success of toddlers' tea parties and trips courtesy of the Westin's Kids Clubs, jungle adventure treks at the Holiday Inn resort on Pedu Lake, Malaysia, and early morning playtime programs at the Sheraton Lagoon Nusa Dua Beach Resort in Bali. With less space to roam and more room for havoc, airlines have an especially difficult job keeping children amused. Virgin Atlantic offers backpacks with sunglasses, baseball caps, toys and books, not to mention pop music and the antics of Wallace and Gromit on the kids-oriented audio and video channels. United Airlines serves McDonald's meals. Swissair provides Lego airplanes and stuffed toys.