As anyone who has done it can tell you, traveling with children is not always easy. Getting that family time is great, but sometimes adults need a break from the little ones. However, finding trusted caregivers when you are in an unfamiliar place can be difficult.
A new service at The Elser Hotel & Residences in Miami gives guests that opportunity to spend time away from the kids—with the peace of mind they need that their children are being watched by professional, and vetted, childcare workers.
The property has partnered with itavi, a professional childcare provider that trains all of its screened childcare professionals—dubbed “Mzees”—to perform the “itavi Method,” a curriculum designed by industry experts to provide a mix of fun and interactive playtime, learning opportunities, local culture immersion, arts and crafts, exercise and more.
“We understand that vacations in Miami may include nights where parents want to spend time together, apart from their kids,” said Michael Stephens, GM, The Elser Hotel & Residences, which is owned by PMG and managed by Highgate. “This partnership with itavi allows parents to take time for themselves, giving them peace of mind knowing their kids are in fantastic hands.”
He said they are loosely calling it “Kids’ Night Out.” “It is kind of a play on words because this isn’t just childcare,” he said. “This is really an interactive experience for the kids that are lucky enough to be given care by our partner. itavi is, I would say, best in class. That’s why we selected them.”
Ayana Rodriguez, founder, itavi, said, “We’re proud to partner with The Elser Hotel to offer our childcare services to guests. itavi is an acronym for ‘It Takes A Village’ because we truly believe it takes a village in raising children. Our team works diligently to provide a safe, trusted and dynamic experience for kids. With each and every session, our goal is to enrich a child’s life and create memories that last a lifetime.”
Prior to providing any services, an Mzee meets with the responsible adults and then the children one-on-one to introduce themselves and learn more about the family.
“They send a questionnaire and whatever the situation might be, they tailor their time with the individuals so that the child is really going to come back happier, more educated and maybe even with a fonder appreciation for certain things that they would be doing,” said Thompson. “They’re not just taking the child, putting them in front of the TV and saying to the parents, ‘OK, we’ll see you back in a few hours.’”
Kids are supervised in their guestroom or residential unit by an Mzee, and the experience is tailored just to them. Adults can check on the children with real-time video check-ins.
“For mom and dad, being able to experience a nice night out—whether it is at our great restaurants here or some of the other finer nightspots or dinner operations that are around us here in the Miami area—is something that will just enhance their stay with us,” he said.
Thompson believes that this experience is better than a kids club one might find in a resort.
“I think the general feeling out there is that kids clubs at resorts—while they can be fun—they’re not as significant and not as well attended by kids,” he said. “Family events are what’s popular now—things that the entire family can do together. So that’s really where the industry continues to go. But this is to really accommodate the couple that just wants to get away. The Mzees are available 24/7, and they could make themselves available for our guests at any time.”
The next step for the program is to launch an official “Kids’ Night Out.” “We have a beautiful area off the pool deck called The Lawn,” he said. “It’s a secured area, and we do movie night there. We really believe that creating a night for kids to come together in a supervised approach would be another great and fun event.”
