Sonesta Introduces Young Royals Programme, Turning Royal Sonesta Hotels into Family Adventure Destinations

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Sonesta International Hotels Corporation has launched Young Royals, a new family-focused programme designed to transform stays at selected Royal Sonesta hotels into immersive adventures for children and their families. The initiative combines storytelling, creative activities, hotel exploration, dining and destination-inspired experiences to give younger guests a more interactive role during their stay.

Rather than treating children simply as accompanying guests, the programme positions them as the central characters of a hotel adventure. From receiving a royal crown at arrival to completing property-wide quests and meeting locally inspired mascot characters, Young Royals is designed to make the hotel itself part of the family holiday experience.

The programme was announced by Sonesta on 1 October 2026 and is initially being introduced at six Royal Sonesta properties across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada.

What is Sonesta’s Young Royals programme?

Young Royals is a new family hospitality concept created by Sonesta to make hotel stays more engaging for children.

The programme uses a fictional royal theme to connect several activities throughout the guest journey. Children can receive a crown, participate in creative activities, meet a property-specific mascot, explore the hotel through a scavenger hunt and enjoy specially designed food and beverage options.

The concept also reflects a wider hospitality trend in which hotels are increasingly creating experiences around different generations of travellers. For families, the quality of a hotel stay is not determined only by room size, location or traditional amenities. Children’s entertainment, memorable activities and opportunities for shared family experiences can also influence how parents perceive a property.

Young Royals addresses this by turning ordinary hotel touchpoints into elements of an imaginative story.

How does Young Royals change the family hotel experience?

The programme transforms several familiar stages of a hotel stay into interactive activities.

Instead of arriving, checking into a room and leaving the property for sightseeing, participating children can become Young Royals with their own responsibilities, activities and keepsakes. The idea is to encourage families to spend time exploring the hotel while creating experiences that extend beyond the guest room.

This approach gives the property a more active role in the holiday. Hotel spaces, amenities and destinations become components of the programme rather than simply facilities used during a stay.

For parents, the concept also creates opportunities for shared participation. Activities such as crown-making, storytelling and scavenger hunts are designed to involve children while allowing families to experience the property together.

The programme therefore combines entertainment with discovery, rather than relying solely on conventional children’s facilities.

What is included in Once Upon a Stay?

Once Upon a Stay introduces children to the Young Royals story through a specially created colouring and storybook.

The material features royal mascots and destination-inspired illustrations, alongside interactive activities intended to encourage creativity and family participation. It provides an introduction to the programme and establishes the fictional world before children begin exploring the property.

Storytelling is particularly important to the concept because it provides a common narrative connecting otherwise separate hotel activities. A colouring book or storybook can also become a physical reminder of the trip after the family returns home.

For destinations competing for family travellers, such keepsakes can extend the emotional memory of a holiday beyond the checkout date. The programme therefore uses relatively simple creative materials to support a broader experience centred on imagination and family interaction.

Who are the Royal Court mascots?

The Meet the Royal Court element introduces children to a cuddly plush mascot inspired by the individual hotel’s local character.

Each participating property has a locally inspired mascot intended to connect the Young Royals experience with its destination. Children receive the plush animal as their official companion during the stay, while the character is incorporated into storytelling, activities and photographs.

The destination connection is significant because family hotel programmes can sometimes feel interchangeable. By linking the mascot to the individual property, Sonesta is creating a mechanism through which the experience can reflect the identity of the hotel and its location.

The plush mascot also provides a tangible souvenir. Children can take it home, giving the hotel experience a physical connection that continues after the holiday.

How does the Crown Yourself Royalty activity work?

The Crown Yourself Royalty activity gives children the opportunity to create their own royal headwear.

A hands-on crown-making kit allows Young Royals to design a personal crown and wear it during their hotel experience. The activity reinforces the programme’s central theme while providing an opportunity for creative expression.

For families, craft activities can also serve as a simple shared experience that does not depend on screens or digital entertainment. Children can create something during their stay and keep it afterwards, adding another physical element to the holiday.

The crown also functions as part of the wider Young Royals narrative. Once children have been formally crowned, they can participate in the Royal Quest and other programme activities as part of their fictional royal role.

What can families expect from a castle experience?

The A Castle Fit for Young Royalty element introduces larger-scale surprises within selected hotel spaces.

Depending on the property and experience, families may encounter dedicated play areas or castle-style setups in guest rooms or banquet spaces. These installations are intended to create a dramatic arrival or surprise moment for younger travellers.

The emphasis is on the element of discovery. Instead of providing only a conventional children’s activity, the hotel can be transformed temporarily into part of the imaginative setting.

For family travel, these moments can also become memorable photo opportunities. Parents increasingly document holidays through photographs and social media, while children often respond strongly to spaces that feel different from everyday surroundings.

The castle concept consequently connects play, storytelling and visual experience within the hotel environment.

What happens during the Royal Quest?

The Royal Quest is the exploration component of Young Royals.

After receiving their crowns, participating children can undertake a property-wide scavenger hunt involving clues, challenges and storytelling. The activity encourages families to explore parts of the hotel that they might not otherwise visit.

The concept effectively turns the property into an interactive map. Hotel amenities, public areas and other designated spaces can become locations within the adventure.

From an operational perspective, such programming can encourage guests to engage more deeply with the property. It can also help introduce families to hotel amenities and spaces in a manner that feels like play rather than a conventional orientation.

The scavenger-hunt format is adaptable and can be tailored to the character of each participating hotel, making it possible for the experience to differ from one Royal Sonesta property to another.

How does Young Royals approach family dining?

The programme also extends into food and beverage through Dine Like Royalty.

Participating Young Royals can receive access to dedicated food and beverage offerings, including a child-friendly menu and branded cups. The objective is to make mealtimes feel like another part of the royal adventure rather than a separate hotel service.

Family dining can be a practical consideration when selecting accommodation, particularly when travelling with younger children. Menus that are easier for children to navigate and experiences designed specifically around younger guests can make hotel dining more accessible to families.

The branded cups also reinforce the programme’s visual identity, creating another physical touchpoint between the child and the Young Royals experience.

Which Royal Sonesta hotels are launching Young Royals?

Sonesta is introducing Young Royals at selected properties rather than across its entire hotel portfolio.

The initial participating hotels are:

• Royal Sonesta Boston
• Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown
• Royal Sonesta San Juan
• Royal Sonesta Washington, DC Capitol Hill
• The Benjamin Royal Sonesta New York
• The Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel Toronto

The initial footprint gives the programme exposure across several major urban destinations in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada.

This geographical spread also provides different settings for the Young Royals concept. Boston, Chicago, San Juan, Washington, DC, New York and Toronto each offer distinct destination characteristics, allowing locally inspired mascots and property experiences to contribute to the programme’s identity.

The programme’s launch at selected properties also suggests that Sonesta is introducing the concept in a targeted manner rather than positioning it immediately as a universal amenity across every Royal Sonesta hotel.

Why are family-focused hotel experiences becoming important?

Family travellers increasingly look for accommodation that works for different age groups, particularly when children are part of the trip.

Traditional hotel amenities remain important, but family travel can involve additional considerations such as children’s activities, dining options, entertainment, room configurations and opportunities for shared experiences. Hotels that can address these needs have more opportunities to become part of the holiday itself rather than simply serving as a base between attractions.

Young Royals takes this approach by making the hotel environment part of the entertainment.

The programme also illustrates how hospitality companies are using themed experiences to differentiate individual properties. Rather than competing only through rooms and facilities, hotels can create memorable programming around specific guest segments.

For Sonesta, families represent a clearly defined audience for which a structured experience can add value to the conventional hotel stay.

How does Young Royals connect hotels with their destinations?

One of the notable features of the programme is its emphasis on locally inspired mascots and property-specific experiences.

Although the royal theme provides a common framework, individual hotels can connect the programme to their own identity. This allows a child staying at one Royal Sonesta property to encounter a different mascot or experience from a child visiting another location.

That distinction matters for a hotel group operating across multiple destinations. A standardised programme can provide consistency, while localised elements can prevent the experience from becoming completely generic.

For families visiting major cities, this can also create a bridge between the hotel and the destination. Children can begin exploring the story at the property before continuing their wider holiday outside the hotel.

What does the programme mean for Sonesta’s hospitality strategy?

Young Royals adds a specialised family experience to Sonesta’s broader hospitality offering.

According to the company, Sonesta has approximately 1,100 properties and 100,000 guest rooms across 13 brands in 11 countries, and is ranked as the eighth-largest hotel company in the United States according to Smith Travel Research.

Its portfolio includes Royal Sonesta, The James, Classico Collection by Sonesta, Sonesta Hotels, Resorts & Cruises, MOD Collection by Sonesta, Sonesta Select, Sonesta Essential, Sonesta ES Suites, Sonesta Simply Suites, Red Lion Hotels, Inns & Suites by Sonesta, Signature Inn by Sonesta, Americas Best Value Inn by Sonesta and Canadas Best Value Inn by Sonesta.

Within that wider portfolio, Royal Sonesta provides a platform for more experience-led hospitality concepts. Young Royals gives the brand an opportunity to address family travellers with a programme that is structured around storytelling, discovery and participation.

The initiative also complements Sonesta’s loyalty proposition through Sonesta Travel Pass, the company’s loyalty programme. Travel Pass members can earn and redeem points and receive benefits linked to their stays, while Young Royals focuses specifically on the experience of younger guests and their families.

What should families know before booking a Young Royals stay?

Families considering the programme should check directly with the participating Royal Sonesta property regarding availability, inclusions and any additional charges before booking.

Because Young Royals is launching at selected properties, the exact activities, room setups and experiences may vary by hotel. A castle-style setup, play space, mascot interaction or other enhanced experience may depend on the individual property and the type of stay booked.

Families should therefore treat Young Royals as a property-specific programme rather than assuming that every Royal Sonesta hotel currently provides identical activities.

The launch nevertheless represents a clear shift towards more immersive family hospitality. By combining imaginative storytelling with physical activities, hotel exploration, dining and destination-inspired characters, Sonesta is seeking to make younger guests an active part of the hotel experience.

Young Royals brings a new dimension to family travel

Sonesta’s Young Royals programme turns the conventional family hotel stay into a structured adventure built around imagination and exploration.

From Once Upon a Stay and Meet the Royal Court to Crown Yourself Royalty, The Royal Quest, castle-inspired experiences and Dine Like Royalty, the programme connects multiple aspects of the guest journey through a single theme.

Its initial launch at six Royal Sonesta properties across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada gives families several urban destinations in which to experience the concept. More broadly, the initiative highlights how hotels are developing specialised programming to make stays more memorable for younger travellers.

For families, the attraction lies not only in where they stay, but also in what happens after they arrive. With Young Royals, Sonesta is placing that experience at the centre of the stay, giving children a role in the story while encouraging parents and children to discover the property together.