To ask is this Hotel policy usual?

[IsThisStrangeOrNot]

Children under 12 not allowed to be alone in bedrooms. Small posh hotel recently refurbished. I can understand why they might not want toddlers running riot in the bedrooms but when DS is asleep and we're watching him on the baby monitor that's still not acceptable. Bedroom is up the stairs and we would be eating dinner in restaurant at foot of stairs, less than 5 seconds to get back to bedroom. It's in an isolated location with nothing nearby so can't imagine policy is for the security of children.
Their hotel, their rules - which we respect but first time I've heard this policy. Anyone else heard such a policy for kids under 12?

I don't get it. I go on holiday to spend time with my children?!

I like to spend time with him too. That doesn't extend to watching him sleep.

so the majority disagree-would you still have left your child if you were allowed to?

Oh come on, you cannot compare leaving an 18 month old in a cot that they can't get out of, 20 steps away from their parents, in the same building, with a video monitor to the McCann situation, where the building wasn't even visible from where they were eating. Totally different scenario.

No. At those ages they either came out with us and ds used to fall asleep in his buggy or we did things like eurocamp holidays in a caravan with decking so you're just outside the bedroom windows.

I'd worry about them waking, panicking and getting out of the room, falling from the cot or on a tiled floor, choking and fire. A quiet meal is not worth the risk, there will be lots of time for that again when they're older.

Last year we had separate and non adjoining rooms in a hotel. They were just 11 and 9. I wasn't a fan of that but they were absolutely fine and pretty much still next door to us. We went through fire escape procedures, banned use of the kettle (!) and checked on them first and last thing. I'd be fine with it now and have just started leaving them home alone for short periods too.

To all the people saying sanctimoniously 'I go on holiday to be with my children, why wouldn't I want to have dinner with them every night??' Er...I can't imagine because toddlers are SUCH good company at dinner time, especially when they're tired. They'll sit for hours while you relax over a leisurely dinner and they never annoy other diners either! Seriously! People overreact massively on mn about this - having dinner a few steps away with a baby monitor is a completely sensible solution and something we've always done.

Major eye roll at all the internet warriors bravely striding into the he flames to rescue their children because they love them more than everyone else loves theirs. While ignoring the fact that the rest of us wouldn't have left the beloved child alone in the first place.

This with fucking bells on

Sorry but I have no idea how you can leave your 18month old with anyone in a strange place (baby monitor or not) have a rethink!

I work in a hotel. It's a safeguarding issue as you as the parent are responsible for your child at all times. If there was an emergency situation, you would not be allowed back to your room due to evacuation procedures.

As stated a gazillion times, nobody would be able to go back to their rooms if a fire alarm goes off (apart from the ones who love their children more the rest of us that is ).

That is the only reason I can think of for it not being OK to leave a sleeping baby, in a cot that they can't get out of (18 months is pushing that though, tbf), in a room very close by.

Yes it's lovely to eat en famille and yes it's possible to have a sleeping baby with you in a buggy. But what op proposes is hardly the parenting crime some here seem to be making out.

It's never ok to leave children unattended, especially on holiday or in a strange place. If you have children, you kiss goodbye to romantic dinners and relaxation unless you get a sitter. It's that simple, you don't leave kids alone.

No. Just no.

No way would I leave an 18 mth old in a hotel room on their own.

I wouldn't leave my 12 year old his own in a hotel room whilst I went to dinner.

When mine were younger they would sleep in the push chair, or sit with us at dinner. We would then take a glass of wine back to the room.

Cannot believe anyone would leave a baby alone in a hotel.

Madeline McCann ... they only went for dinner too ...

I think some of you are picturing massive premier inns. I'm talking about places smaller than my house!

In another fucking building, SomeOther !!!

You're comparing apples and oranges.

For those who are saying older children could be sensible enough to be left, there's research to say that children don't wake up to fire alarms. For that reason I wouldn't leave a child of any age asleep.

I have heard this before and I agree with this policy. You should not be leaving your child alone in a hotel room. Eat earlier with the child or get food brought to your room.

I havent read the thread. But 10 years ago my ex and I stayed in a quality but old fashioned hotel. Think men wearing ties in the dining room etc.

After eg 7pm no children allowed in the dining room. So you were given a walkie talkie and listened to your child in the room. Staff had a list of which rooms had children in under their listening service (so really prior to mobile phones). So it was their responsibility in the event of fire. Now I wouldnt do that in a million years. Times change and very quickly, but dont knock those of us who have done that because that is what the English hotel recommended to us. Likewise I wouldnt leave my child in a pram all day at the bottom of the garden but many children from the 50, 60, 70s were brought up that way.

We went away overnight occasionally when DD was tiny from premier inns to posh hotels. We liked going out for dinner but wouldn't leave her alone. We booked and paid for a professional babysitter to come and sit with her. Yes it added a chunk to the cost but that's life. Didn't do it very often.

Now DD and her little brother are older, we'll usually eat out on holiday etc around 6-8pm as a family and chill out in the room later.

Once they become teenagers I expect we'll do things differently again. You have to when you have kids. Things change.

Back in the bad old 80s, remember skiing with club Mediterranean in France where hundreds of adult guests were downstairs eating dinner. Rooms upstairs were patrolled by staff. If they heard a child crying, they came down carrying a blackboard with the room number. Not saying this is right, but just shows how times have changed.

Welshweasel are you the OP after a name change? (Genuine question, not being goady or whatever, OP has disappeared)

Sorry welshweasel I've just scrolled up and can see you're not OP. Ignore me pls ta

Personally romantic dinner in hotel with kids just ain't romantic, maybe tell them a lil white lie you've got someone in to watch DS or don't remind them x