To think that a ‘family friendly’ hotel would have baby change facilities?

[Twinklebinkletoes]

We recently went to a lovely hotel for a special occasion family lunch. The hotel is local to our area, very smart with lovely food and decor. They do weddings and it’s the sort of place you’d go with family for special occasion meals like Mother’s Day etc. We’ve been before but never with children (my DD is the first baby in the family).

They advertise themselves as ‘family friendly’ but they have no baby change facilities at all. When I enquired about this, the manager said it’s not a legal requirement to have them (okay fair enough), but he did also say that there had been a number of complaints about the lack of baby change in the past but the hotel’s owners don’t want to put them in.

The only place they could offer me to change 6 month old DD was the freezing cold conference room on a small side table, next to the staff entrance to the kitchens with staff coming in and out.

What I don’t understand is the owner’s reluctance to not put a baby change table in one of the loos? The ladies toilets are massive at this place and there would be plenty of room for even a small fold-down table in one cubicle. It is a nice hotel but not one that’s really ultra modern or with a Michelin star where a small baby change table would ruin the aesthetics etc.

In low season this hotel would rely on local families coming to their restaurant to generate business so I’m quite surprised. In fact whilst we were there, there was a large family party in another room with several small children (about one to two years of age) who would also need nappy changes so I don’t know what they did. It’s unfortunate because the meal was lovely but we won’t be going back.

My question is am I being unreasonable for expecting a hotel advertised as family friendly to have baby change facilities?

Definitely leave a review on TripAdvisor, that way other people in a similar position might be able to avoid the hotel until their children are old enough.

As a PP said - it's a good idea to carry a light weight fold up mat with you, that way you can change your baby in lots more places. I've changed my LO on the floor of the loos before (needs must). He was on his mat so it made no difference to him, although I definitely didn't enjoy having to kneel on the floor in the toilets.

@Dickensnovel we have all that and have used it in all sorts of circumstances when we needed an emergency nappy change. I just try to be considerate of other people in the hotel/restaurant. I’m sure they (other guests) don’t want me changing her on a table or on the sofa in the reception where guests sit!

Even without a baby change you don't need to change her on a table or sofa.

Obviously a baby can be changed without a dedicated baby change provided by the restaurant and I'm sure the OP has done that. The question is whether describing yourself as 'family friendly' brings the expectation that you provide baby changing...

Exactly Jasper. And when I was recovering from a section bending down to change DD on the floor wouldn't have been possible, and that will be the case for loads of parents with back injuries etc. It's a perfectly reasonable expectation in somewhere marketing themselves as family friendly.

DD is nearly two and I don't think we've ever been caught out somewhere without changing facilities regardless of where we were, albeit there's obviously an element of luck in that!

Is it an old building? If so it might be listed and not easy to put in a baby change.

No not unreasonable at all, it's a family friendly hotel! So therefore you would expect some form of changing apparatus to be there! Where do they expect you to lay the baby/young child down?! I know when mine was small I went somewhere and didn't realise there were changing facilities, and as DS was in lying down mode, I changed him that way. But even for a toddler, I don't think you should have to stand them up and crouch down to change them.

I think you should speak to someone there, I know you mentioned the manager, was he/she the overall manager or just on duty that day, see what it says on their website who to address complaints to, as you could then write them a letter.

My sisters local where they had their wedding reception didn't have anything either, okay I could understand in one instance as it's a local pub, but still annoying, especially as the owner said I could change my son on the floor in the disabled toilet! And then went and brought out a sheet or whatever it was to offer me to put him on, which I turned down.
In the end a nice lady helped me lay paper towels on the worktop area in the ladies toilets, between the sinks and I changed him there!
Gosh it made me appreciate all the other places I usually go to!

@eddiemairswife would love to see you try to change my wriggly, change-averse 14mo on your lap. £50 says you can’t.

Too old and infirm to take you up on that, but back in the old days changing tables were unheard of.

On a changing table DD is pretty well behaved. On the floor she knows full well she can escape so it's an utter nightmare. And yes, at nearly 2 she's too big for my (short arse) lap, but even when she was little I would've been nervous of doing that safely.

It's fairly reasonable to expect baby changing facilities, in somewhere describing itself as family friendly.

Lots of parents of disabled children have to change them on the floor most of the time.