Our story

About Vilou Travel

We are Wouter and Melissa, and together we are the driving force behind Vilou Travel. We are married and have a young, lively family with four children.

Why we exist

When you’re on holiday with children, the questions are different

When you’re on holiday with children, you naturally look at accommodation differently. You don’t want to settle for less; it’s just that the questions are different. Are the stairs safe? What facilities are there? Is there a place for a quiet (afternoon) nap, to play, or to eat? And is that ‘child-friendly’ accommodation in the photos really what it seems, or is it just a buzzword on a website?

We’re parents ourselves, and we know that feeling all too well. Twenty tabs open, zooming in on photos in search of a socket without a childproof cover or a staircase without a gate, and ultimately booking anyway without any certainty. Most places to stay aren’t actually bad; you just can’t be sure in advance. Reviews tend to focus on breakfast and location, rarely on what really matters to a child.

That uncertainty, time and time again, is precisely why we set up Vilou Travel. Out of love for our own children, and out of a desire to ensure that other parents don’t have to wonder whether they’ve made the right choice.

Not yet another booking platform that leaves you spoilt for choice, but someone who sorts it all out for you, checks everything and tells you honestly what to expect, so that you, as a parent, can relax and enjoy yourself rather than worrying.
Wouter and Melissa with their family at a holiday home Founded by parents who love to travel

How it all began

Another evening spent searching, and still not sure

Whenever we planned our own holidays, we kept coming up against the same problem. On the major booking sites, you get the general picture: lovely photos, a ‘suitable for children’ tick, but not quite the information you’re looking for.

So that evening we were poring over reviews. Is that garden actually fenced off? Can you get that room dark? Is there a cot, or do we need to bring our own? Hours later we’d made a choice, but we still didn’t feel entirely sure.

At one point, we thought: surely there must be an easier way. Not yet another search engine, but someone who simply does the legwork for you.

What we do differently

Don’t sell, sort through

Vilou Travel is not a booking site. We do not sell accommodation or holidays. This is what we do.

We really do review

We carefully assess every property in our database on everything that really matters to young children, from safety and sleep to space to play.

A checklist for each age group

Our checklist is specifically tailored to babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. This means we know exactly what’s important for your child. Where possible, this information is confirmed directly by the accommodation provider.

A personalised proposal

Based on your family, destination, travel dates and preferences, we’ll put together the most suitable options, with a detailed explanation for each point. You book directly, without an intermediary and with no hidden costs.

What we believe in

Certainty over supply

We don’t want to be the biggest. We want every place we suggest to match what you’ve told us you’re looking for.

  • Transparency over sales talk

    We also let you know what we don’t know or don’t do. Being clear from the outset prevents disappointment later on.

  • Created by parents, for parents

    The checklist is based on our own questions. We’re now checking the things we wanted to know before we booked, on your behalf.

  • Small and personal

    Behind every piece of advice is a person who has really looked into it. It’s not just an automated list generated by a system.

Where we are now

We’re deliberately starting small

Vilou Travel has just launched. In this initial phase, we are focusing on families with children aged 0 to 2 years (babies) and 2 to 6 years (toddlers/pre-schoolers), offering accommodation in the Netherlands.

Our checklist currently contains 50 points. If that works well, we’ll expand step by step: first to more countries within and outside Europe, such as Belgium, Germany, Spain or, for example, Curaçao, and then by adding further checklist items and age groups.

This is how we ensure that every expansion maintains the same level of care and quality.

Who we are

Two parents who are right in the thick of it

Wouter and Melissa, founders of Vilou Travel

We run Vilou Travel together, as partners and as parents. It didn’t start out as a business plan, but grew out of our own experience. Time and again, we’d ask ourselves: what if we’d known this beforehand? That’s why we started. Researching, evaluating and personally curating accommodation options.

After all, is there anything better than knowing in advance what to expect when travelling with young children? Travelling starts with good preparation. And as two people who are themselves in the thick of life with a young family, we know exactly what you need.

Who this is for

Vilou Travel is for parents who don’t want to take a gamble on accommodation, and who would rather spend a quarter of an hour on an initial consultation than three evenings poring over reviews and maps. For families with young children, from babies to toddlers, who value certainty in advance and would rather know what to expect beforehand than be in for a surprise afterwards.

We used to seek that certainty for ourselves. Now we seek it for you. Best wishes, Wouter and Melissa

Contact

Any questions, ideas or just curious? Email us at info@viloutravel.com. We read everything ourselves.

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