★ AWARD WINNER

Ah. Family vacations. We know the good people at Hampton have seen a lot of them!

The food and beverage team at Hampton saw an opportunity to give parents a break at breakfast by keeping their children busy with games and activities. So they asked Q&A to create an engagement package for little ones aged 5–9 years. While it was critical that the design appeal to children, it also needed to live within the Hampton brand framework.

The Q&A team channeled our inner seven-year-olds to fulfill our client’s goals—first by reliving our family road trips—then with an internal debate on what’s fun. We created activity booklets with games and riddles; sticker sheets; a memory game; and coloring postcards—integrating custom illustrations.

Before a full rollout, a pilot test was deployed at a limited number of locations in Seattle, WA; Des Moines, IA; and Chicago, IL. Results were compiled through interviews with hotel managers and breakfast hostesses, as well as onsite observations in the Seattle area by the Q&A team.

Many parents participated with their children. A few just watched. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to see their kids occupied and interacting with the games. There were some very lovely connecting moments between parents and children. Feedback from the breakfast teams were overwhelmingly positive. Hampton teams received gratitude from families, and some children gifted their completed postcards to the hostesses. A debriefing from one onsite observation detailed:

"Little boy and two sisters begin working together to solve games. Older girl continues to work with her mother to place stickers and solve games. Little boy checks between all of them to see what siblings are doing.

"Talked to family before they left the breakfast area and they were happy with the materials. Kids thought it was fun. Grandparents commented that they noticed the materials grabbed the children’s attention right away and they were very engaged. They appreciated the offering from Hampton."

The pilot test gave us the opportunity to fine tune package elements, gauge ideal inventories required, and observe any negative outcomes—happily none reported. We were able to make improvements before a full nationwide deployment.