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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Hotel stay with a toddler - is it doable?

42 replies

bubbles2021 · 04/09/2021 08:39

We’re planning a city break next month with our 18 month old toddler. Is it doable to stay in a hotel with a child that young and would you get a junior suite or interconnected rooms? The latter will obviously be far more expensive but at least we wouldn’t wake him up when going to the bathroom etc?

I suppose we’d also have to go to bed when he does (7.30!) which would be a bit of a pain. Any advice?

OP posts:

terrywynne · 04/09/2021 08:42

Similar age we went for a large room (not sure what it was classed as) and put DC on inflatable toddler bed in corner - moved some chairs to slightly wall it off. We did go to bed early in that it was dark but just took headphones and watched tv on a laptop. To be honest we were so tired from day of sightseeing we just fell asleep fairly early anyway...

Original poster

bubbles2021 · 04/09/2021 08:51

Thanks. Paying for a whole extra room for a toddler does seem a bit ridiculous!

OP posts:

Sandsnake · 04/09/2021 08:54

Personally I’d look for an Aparthotel or Air B&B. Even if they had only one bedroom you would still have some living space to sit in the evening and have a drink / watch TV or whatever. You’d also be able to get up and have breakfast when you wanted, rather than having to dress for a hotel breakfast with a toddler. Have fun!

Fupoffyagrasshole · 04/09/2021 08:54

Of course it’s fine ! You either keep him up later than usual or you all go to bed early basically ! I just get one room!

MamaPriory · 04/09/2021 08:55

We just returned from one. It was tough.
The hotel had a travel cot so we used that but I would definitely get a mattress if we were to do it again. He didn't sleep well and the cot mattress was awful!
I think in the future we will book a house/apartment.

Justyouwaitandseeagain · 04/09/2021 08:57

We used to get a junior suite if possible for longer holidays, but also now love it when we get a single hotel room and are ‘forced’ to all go to sleep by 8.30pm

Noshowlomo · 04/09/2021 08:58

We did this recently and had toddler /cot bed in corner. Just meant when he went to bed that we had to be quiet as in same room but I just sat in the dark with a glass of wine. He slept all night, we all woke, had breakfast in our rooms and it was lovely.
We did put extra blankets in the cot as didn’t seem comfy x

GintyMcGinty · 04/09/2021 08:59

We've always booked family rooms which come with sofa beds.

PeonyTime · 04/09/2021 09:03

Is it possible? Of course.
Is it enjoyable? Possibly not - depends on the child, but we had one that woke up every time a mouse farted, and sharing a room with him and a snoring DH lead to 4 night wakes becoming about 4 million. We only did it once!

CPDubs · 04/09/2021 09:16

We’ve done this lots over the last few years (she’s now 3.5). We still all stay in one room. When she was in a cot we’d put it by the door and the build some sort of screen with towels and chairs 🤪 Now she’s a bit older she sleeps in the bed. Lights are turned off and when she’s asleep we turn on a bed side light usually with some clothing draped over so it’s darker. We then play our switch or read books until we’re ready to sleep. It’s doable for a few days but I’d say no more than three as it can get a bit much.

Hardbackwriter · 04/09/2021 09:18

Like others I've found it's perfectly doable for a day or two but it's a much nicer holiday for you if you get an apartment so I'd do that if it's more than two nights.

Original poster

bubbles2021 · 04/09/2021 09:26

Thanks everyone. I’m going to look at Airbnb options.

OP posts:

AnnaSW1 · 04/09/2021 09:30

This is why we book houses/apartments now. I don't want to spend my week off sat in the dark and whispering from 7 pm onwards

NalPolishRemover · 04/09/2021 09:44

When dc were small we always went for a serviced apartment in the city centre. It gave us the luxury of a bedroom to put dc to bed early & we had the kitchen/ living space to have a lovely takeaway / wine & cheese etc once they were down for the night. Even 1 bedroom ones usually had a pull out double sofa bed in the living space & often dh & I would lie in it to watch a movie & fall asleep there

A small fridge for milk & snacks for dc as well as wine/ beer for us was very handy. It gave freedom to give dc an early morning bowl of cereal with no need to get dressed to go to a dining room. Then dh would go out & get really nice coffee / pastries for us at our leisure.

We did this for years on many many trips. As dc got older hotels became a lot more fun & we'd get a family room. They loved exploring the breakfast options especially on trips to Poland etc

Now they're teens & we have just moved onto booking 2 rooms in hotels if its a short trip. Any longer & I think we'd move back to 2 bed apartment as it does bump up the cost considerably to have to book 2 rooms.

LakeShoreD · 04/09/2021 09:50

We do it all the time but we do get a suite so that we have a comfortable place to relax with a drink and room service after LO goes to bed. Not a junior suite as that usually just means a sofa in the bedroom, a proper suite with a living room and bedroom separated by an entry corridor. It is expensive though so if you’re ok to skip the hotel services/amenities then an apartment instead might be a good option.

bobbeebob · 04/09/2021 09:52

Its do-able. Once our toddler is asleep, we can watch tv and drink a glass of wine but in the past, we have had to lie in the dark and pretend to be asleep. Highly annoying

Another thing you can do is get
Toddler to drop off in the pram/buggy and enjoy a few drinks in the bar before bed. We can still just manage this by tiring her out and having a walk after dinner

AttaGirrrrl · 04/09/2021 09:55

I’d do it for a night or two but not for a week.

Take snacks (the pots of porridge you just add water to work well for my dc), preload an iPad with a short kids programme (room on the broom or grufalo?) to help settle them in bed, also download a video for you to warch (in the dark, with headphones), take wine!

CottonSock · 04/09/2021 09:58

I've done it, but prefer a apartment for more than a brief stay. Especially now I have two kids

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 04/09/2021 10:03

Will a hotel actually allow you to have child that young in a room alone, even with an interconnecting door? I imagine they'd be concerned about the child getting out of the room and roaming the corridor.....

Original poster

bubbles2021 · 04/09/2021 10:08

That sounds ideal @NalPolishRemover!

OP posts:

MistyFrequencies · 04/09/2021 10:11

We do it lots but always get a room with a view (be it city, river, whatever) and a balcony so we can put them down and then sit out on the balcony and watch the world go by with a glass or 5 of wine.

Anothermountain · 04/09/2021 10:14

A family suite with a communal hall is the best bet. Wouldn't do it any other way with infants.

Tooembarrassingtomention · 04/09/2021 10:21

You just ask for a cot bed or a roll away bed
Simple and much better than Airbnb which you will be cleaning and cooking in

Tooembarrassingtomention · 04/09/2021 10:21

Which city?

NalPolishRemover · 04/09/2021 11:00

@bubbles2021 if you look on sites like booking.com for the city you're visiting you can filter the search to aparthotels or apartments.
We've successfully used them across the world fron Australia to Canada to Czech Republic, Poland etc & never had an issue

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