Family Trips
Bringing grandparents and babies to our Cincinnati houses
For grandparents who can manage a few exterior steps but want to avoid stairs inside their apartment, start with the Historic Gem's ground floor. Its back entrance has a few steps; once inside, the apartment has no interior stairs. Families with babies have also appreciated having that apartment's kitchen and living space to themselves.
Every one of our East Walnut Hills houses has steps somewhere on arrival. The choice depends on the entrance and the floor relatives will use, along with the space and baby gear their household needs.
These historic houses are not a fit for guests who cannot manage stairs.
Count the entrance steps as well as the floor
A first-floor bedroom still requires reaching the front door. At the Victorian Estate, that means climbing the hill; at the Blue House, it means the front steps. A household's own kitchen can reduce trips between apartments during the day, but each arrival and departure still uses the entrance route.
| House or apartment | Route from outside | Stairs inside |
|---|---|---|
| Victorian Estate | 22 steps from the street to the front door | Interior stairs to second- and third-floor apartments |
| Blue House | 9 steps from the street to the front door | Interior stairs connecting its apartments |
| Historic Gem ground floor | A few exterior steps at the back entrance | No interior stairs inside this apartment |
| Historic Gem upstairs | A full flight at the front entrance | Apartment spans the second and third floors |
Guests have described the Historic Gem's flight to the third floor as steep. The photos and these routes should be part of the decision with the person using the room. Our family lives nearby and is a call away when a particular entrance or room needs clarification.
Historic Gem: the lower apartment and the upstairs rooms
The Cincy Historic Gem sleeps 20 across two apartments, with five bedrooms and three bathrooms overall. The lower apartment sleeps four: one queen bedroom, one bathroom and a queen air mattress in the living area. Its kitchen and living room let that household handle meals and downtime within the apartment.
Its back entrance is reached up a few exterior steps. Guests praise this arrangement for grandparents and families with babies because there are no interior stairs once inside. The people using it still need to be comfortable with those exterior steps.
Chelsea's public review is about a family wedding stay with her grandmother and infant:
My extended family stayed in Preston's home while in town for a wedding. The location was perfect, the home was beautiful and comfortable, the main floor unit was great for my grandmother. We very much appreciated the simple things like baby gates for my 11 month old, hangers in the closets, coffee for my MIL, multiple box fans for those of us who like some noise while we sleep, luggage racks to hold bags-not a detail was missed. We would highly recommend this space to other groups coming to the area!
The upstairs apartment sleeps 16 in four bedrooms with two bathrooms and a queen air mattress in the common area. One bedroom has a queen and its own bathroom; the other arrangements are two queens, two queens, and a queen with a full bed. Anyone assigned those rooms needs to use the front flight and, for third-floor rooms, the steep upper flight.
The Historic Gem has driveway parking plus street parking. Having a driveway is useful when the family brings luggage and baby supplies, while reaching the apartment still requires the exterior steps. The parking arrangement and vehicle count need confirmation before travel.
Blue House: the first floor still has an approach
The Whole 3-Unit Building, our Blue House, sleeps 22 across three apartments, with five bedrooms and five bathrooms. There are nine steps from the street to the front door. Interior stairs link the apartments.
The first-floor apartment sleeps eight with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. One bedroom has two queens and its own bathroom, the other has one queen, and a queen air mattress goes in the common area. A larger household that can manage the front steps can compare this apartment with the Historic Gem's smaller lower unit.
The second-floor apartment sleeps four, with a queen bedroom, one bathroom and a queen air mattress in the common area. On the third floor, two bedrooms each have two queens; the first has its own bathroom. There are two bathrooms on that floor and a queen air mattress in the common area, giving it sleeping capacity for ten.
Each apartment has its own kitchen and living space. The eight, four and ten split gives separate households a place for their own breakfast and bedtime. Decide who uses the living-area mattresses before assigning that space to a household needing a quiet nap room.
Victorian Estate: the hill comes before every apartment
The Victorian Estate sleeps 32 in eight bedrooms across three apartments off a grand foyer, with five bathrooms. Each apartment has its own kitchen and living room. A high chair, pack-n-play, stair gates and room-darkening shades are among its amenities, with outdoor dining and seating too.
There are 22 steps from the street to the front door, followed by interior stairs for the second and third floors. A first-floor room avoids those upper flights while keeping the full approach up the hill. Discuss that route with grandparents and anyone who finds luggage on stairs difficult.
Some sleeping rooms are semi-private. A couple wanting complete bedroom privacy, or parents depending on a separate nap room, need the particular room's arrangement explained before choosing it. The full bed and apartment inventory is in our large-group sleeping guide. All sleeps totals include queen air mattresses in living areas.
Confirm the baby gear for the apartment
The listings include pack-n-plays, high chairs and stair gates. Room-darkening shades are listed at the Victorian Estate. The available sleeping gear is described as pack-n-plays. A full-size crib is something to confirm separately if your family needs one.
Before you finish packing:
- Match the number of children needing gear to the apartment they will use.
- Confirm which stair gates and room-darkening shades serve their spaces.
- Check whether the intended nap room is fully private or semi-private.
- Account for anyone sleeping on a queen air mattress in that living area.
- Finish the list of equipment you will bring after the apartment's gear is confirmed.
The Blue House and Historic Gem are next door and sleep 42 together. A family can give grandparents one apartment and put another household nearby. Our family reunion page describes the house combinations for extended families.
Keep outings close to the household's routine
The Cincinnati Art Museum is about 5 minutes away by car. Krohn Conservatory is about 2 minutes away by car. Both are in our guidebook, with Eden Park, which guests describe as walkable. Drive times are without traffic; rush hour, game days and events add time.
A short drive can fit between meals or around a baby's nap. Check the destination's visitor information for the walking and access details your relatives need, then choose how much of the outing to join. The house's own apartment gives a household somewhere to return for a quieter afternoon.
Arrival with children and luggage
Check-in is 4 PM and checkout is 11 AM. Each apartment has its own entrance and self check-in, so relatives can arrive at different times. Their apartment assignment should account for carrying luggage and baby gear along the route they will use.
Early check-in is often possible when no group checks out that morning; a same-day checkout makes it depend on turnover. The Victorian Estate allows luggage drop-off with timing confirmed in advance. Keep children's meals and rest plans compatible with regular check-in until an earlier arrival is agreed.
Children and infants are welcome. Registered guests only, no parties or events, no pets and no smoking are the rules, with quiet hours from 10 PM to 9 AM. Proposed extra daytime visitors need discussion before invitations. Airbnb caps a single booking at 16, while the houses sleep 20, 22 and 32; larger families and multi-house plans use the group inquiry route.
Questions we hear from groups
Can a guest who cannot climb any steps stay in these houses?
These houses all require exterior steps, and upper apartments add interior stairs. A guest who cannot manage stairs needs a different lodging arrangement. The lower Historic Gem apartment still has exterior steps.
What is the full route into the Historic Gem's lower apartment?
Use the back entrance, reached up a few exterior steps. Inside that apartment there are no interior stairs. Its queen bedroom and living-area queen air mattress give it sleeping capacity for four.
How many steps come before the Blue House's first-floor apartment?
There are nine steps from the street to the front door. Choosing the first floor avoids the flights to upper apartments, but the entrance steps remain part of every arrival and departure.
Does a first-floor room at the Victorian Estate avoid its hill?
It still requires the 22 steps from the street to the front door. The first floor avoids interior stairs to the second and third floors. Both parts of that route should be clear to the relative using the room.
Should we pack a full-size crib or rely on a pack-n-play?
The listings identify pack-n-plays, high chairs and stair gates. Confirm the gear for the apartment and the children coming, including any particular crib requirement, before deciding what to leave at home.
Can bags arrive before the children check in?
Luggage drop-off is allowed at the Victorian Estate with timing confirmed first. Early check-in remains dependent on departures and turnover. The regular check-in time is 4 PM.
Send us your dates and full family headcount, with each household's stair needs, preferred rooms, baby gear, arrival times, vehicles and any proposed visitors. We can help match the apartment to the people using it.
Sources and current visitor information
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