Hotels and kids, what do you do at night?

[shrunkenhead]

Bit of a long story, so I'll cut to the chase, do parents really leave kids asleep in hotel rooms while they go for drinks/meal downstairs? Thought all this stopped after the Madeleine abduction. Reason I ask is friend works in a hotel and asked why a baby monitor was by parents' bed when they were in same room and it was explained to her that parents take other monitor with them. Does this happen a lot? Is this deemed acceptable today?

I don't stay in hotels, I go self catering because I can't work out what peple do! Only use hotel for night after a wedding or to break a long journey when we will all be piling into bed at the same time as each other.

Not with us, we just keep kids up with us. If tiny they fall asleep in pram/ lap/ on chair with us

I would never do it. I try to get a hotel with a balcony and I either get a good book and some wine if I'm on my own- usually bring something I can eat with me or if I'm feeling flush- room service!

If it was a tiny hotel where I could basically see the bedroom door from the dining room then I might do this. Not under any other circs though.

Either self catering or early night for all of us.
To be honest since having DC's we have on,y ever stayed 1 night in a hotel with them, it's always sc or with friends

We never leave the DCs alone in hotel room. We alternate who stays with them (if attending an event) or else go self catering if we're away for a few nights.

I have room service and watch movies, or attempt to sleep.
We've only been in hotels for the odd night when visiting people high, I wouldn't do it for a holiday - I'd need more space to hang out (we have one baby).

We don't we put the kids to bed (late) and then sit outside on the terrace bit (when we go on hols this is), do you mean home or abroad? I would never do this but my parents did, a bit different then I guess ....

No, never. We put DS to 'bed' in his buggy (which goes flat). Usual bedtime routine, milk etc, just into buggy with a snoozeshade so totally blacked out. Walk him round until asleep then go for dinner.

In Italy where you eat much later, he goes to bed usual time then we transfer to car seat or buggy. He usually stays asleep unless particularly noisy.

We only do short stays in hotels and tend to eat early with the dc then go back to the room all together. I wouldn't leave my kids in a hotel room at night until they were secondary age and by then they would be old enough to stay up later with us anyway.

We did it this summer. Ate at 7pm ish with DS, then all up to the room by half 8/9. Put him in his cot, he refused to sleep, so we drank wine while he dozed and watched tv on the bed with us. All fell asleep together.

He was out of whack for a week or so after we got back, but caused no major issues. He's 20 months, usually goes to bed at 7pm.

Same here, IAmAPaleontologist! If we rarely stay in a hotel we have an early tea that fits in with dd, put dd to bed at normal time then quietly watch tv (sometimes with subtitles!) or take it in turns to pop to bar if we fancy a drink! It's possibly not ideal but can't see how other people do it if you want to get out and about and visit unexplored areas!

No. kids stay up later then usual then we have drinks on the balcony after they have gone to bed. Quite often they stay up till about 10 anyway. When they were toddlers, we stuck with normal bedtime routine the had bottle wine on balcony. Mid in uk so not balcony type hotel, get interconnecting rooms. They are in one room, you have door open to their room but can watch tv, chat, read, wine etc

We used to use nannies/babysitters recommended by the hotel. We have also taken teenage babysitters with us & given them lots of time off, all expenses paid, opportunity to learn new skills etc.

Was on a holiday a couple years ago where parents left 3 kids in the room. One of them got out age 3 and was found wandering the resort at night. Parents were asked not to do it again. Crazy thing was babysitting was available

This is precisely why we never stay in hotels with the kids! Its self catering, with a decent seperate lounge, or nothing! I refuse to sit in the dark all evening or be banished to a balcony!

That said.....if it was a small place that felt happy was secure, like the guesthouses you get at the seaside, then I probably would take a monitor downstairs as it would be no different than being at home. But a big resort type hotel or a premier inn jobby, no way.

I have never left my kids alone in a hotel room/apartment or anywhere else. We go on holiday as a family. If we wanted to have time to ourselves, then that would be a different arrangement nan and granddad pressed into service.

My friend works in a hotel in the UK but I'm baffled anyone would do this anywhere tbh! Seems I'm not alone in my bemusement at this idea, Natasha makes a really good point!

I would never do it, don't personally know anyone who does either.

We usually SC but last year DH's work paid for a big trip so we were in a hotel. One night we sat on the balconey drinking wine, two nights they came out with us and fell asleep in buggies/on chairs (actually one of those nights DS was just too knackered so DH retired early with him and I stayed out with DD), final night we paid for a babysitter who we'd met a few times and who had watched the DC during the day with us in earshot so we were kind of on hand and kind of having time off. She stayed in the room with them and was just reading by a faint light with them asleep in the room.

We never left the (relatively small) resort though, on any occasion

We do the same as Oriunda works really well.
I would never leave dd at home while I go out so why would I do it on holiday.. I just don't understand why anyone would.

We eat early, so DD comes with us, then sit on the balcony with wine and books after she's gone down.

I can totally see how people would leave DC in the room with a monitor or baby listening service and go to the hotel restaurant or bar - I'm not generally a paranoid parent and can see how easy it would be to think "we haven't even left the building" - but post Maddy McCann I wouldn't do it myself.

When abroad on hols we either hire a villa or get a hotel suite with two bedrooms, living space and outdoor space, that way we can eat together, put DD to bed and have a drink, chat etc in garden/ balcony. With door to hotel locked internally nobody can get in - like being in a small flat. If can't get a 2 bedroom one we ensure it at least has a living space where her bed can go, and we can have our own room. Can't imagine a fortnight of hushed tv watching!

I'd never do it. We either sit in with ds, keep him up late or use a hotel babysitter (if available). My parents did it all the time with me though.