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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to not want to leave my nine year old children alone overnight in room separated from the main accommodation?

207 replies

Loveabathtub · 13/04/2022 15:29

Would love your thoughts on this matter. My partner and I booked a tailor made holiday to Cambodia with a travel agent that claims to be a experts in its field. It cost a small fortune. We made some specific requests, interconnecting rooms or a two bedroom suite, so the children (9 year old twins) could sleep together and we could get some privacy in the room next door. All was fine until we hit the beach resort where we had been booked into a two bedroom villa for nine nights. The second bedroom was totally detached from the main part of the villa. You actually had to go out of the front door, through the garden and around the swimming pool to get to it. Whilst it was only a stones throw away from the main part of the villa, I just wouldn't feel comfortable leaving my children in a separate building overnight, let alone for nine nights. AIBU as when I spoke to the travel agent to try and rectify the situation, he didn't seem to understand the problem? 😧 In fact he made me feel like I was the one with the problem. I have drawn a diagram to explain better and attach a photo. Would welcome your thoughts on the matter.

AIBU to not want to leave my nine year old children alone overnight in room separated from the main accommodation?
AIBU to not want to leave my nine year old children alone overnight in room separated from the main accommodation?
OP posts:
MrsOvertonsWindow · 13/04/2022 16:20

Would publicity work OP? If you're there and need a quick resolution? This is the type of thing the press would pick up in an instant.

Bunnybingesoneggs · 13/04/2022 16:20

That's bonkers!! We rent a holiday cottage with an annexe accessible via own door in the courtyard of the main house and over 16 teens have stayed in it only.
I hope you get a refund.

Nnique · 13/04/2022 16:20

And by a partial refund I mean a substantial percentage, btw.

MissMaple82 · 13/04/2022 16:21

Absolutely not, especially so in Cambodia

Whaleandsnail6 · 13/04/2022 16:22

No. If for some reason I had no choice but to use that accommodation, I'd split kids up and each adult take a room with a child but I wouldn't be happy about doing that as it's not what I want from a holiday. I'd be complaining and wouldn't be happy with the situation

Heythere13 · 13/04/2022 16:22

No I absolutely would not be happy about it

It would have cost a fortune so I’m guessing you or your husband or both are very well paid professionals. So rather than posting on AIBU on mumsnet, draw on what you would do in a professional capacity… and damn well secure alternative accommodation for this evening

DontStopMeNow7 · 13/04/2022 16:22

The very first thing that came into my head was Madeleine McCann. Absolutely not. If you’re already there, they’ll have to sleep with you. If not then you need a refund/rebooking to somewhere else.

sweetbellyhigh · 13/04/2022 16:23

@MrsOvertonsWindow

Would publicity work OP? If you're there and need a quick resolution? This is the type of thing the press would pick up in an instant.
I disagree. It really isn't newsworthy.
ElenaSt · 13/04/2022 16:24

No. Holiday resorts can be targets for criminals to take advantage of visiting foreigners who are vulnerable due to being in unfamiliar surroundings.

I would not find this as being suitable accommodation for parents and children.

It is not family friendly.

PukkaP · 13/04/2022 16:24

Absolutely no way would I be OK with this

Georgeskitchen · 13/04/2022 16:24

No way and definitely not in a foreign country

sweetbellyhigh · 13/04/2022 16:25

@oliviastwisted

www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/a-year-after-n%C3%B3ra-quoirin-s-body-was-found-her-parents-still-believe-she-was-abducted-1.4328667

No it reminds me of this case too much

Why does it remind you? Nora was in the same accommodation as her parents.

RosiePosieDozy · 13/04/2022 16:26

No way. The children are too young for that. That is not family accomodation.

The estate agent needs to rebook you elsewhere. The accomodation he's booked is for two couples/parents with older children.

chesirecat99 · 13/04/2022 16:26

@Batinhernightdress

Yanbu. It is exactly what we are looking for but our children are 16 and 17 not 9.
This.

YANBU but where is it? It looks perfect for what we are looking for.

Inklingpot · 13/04/2022 16:28

Is it Kep?

Doodar · 13/04/2022 16:29

Not at 9 years old and I’m a very relaxed parent

SageRosemary · 13/04/2022 16:30

@Pennox

I can't believe one person thinks this would be fine - insane! (Or is the travel agent!!)
There's always someone who doesn't understand the voting system and who doesn't realise there is an opportunity to change their vote having voted incorrectly.

Also, despite the name of the website, there are persons who are not mums parents and some have a very different agenda to the rest of us.

gogohm · 13/04/2022 16:30

Yanbu but I suspect the issue is that the hotel has allocated you a different room to what your travel agent booked - or it might be what the hotel considers to be interconnecting rooms

MrsWinters · 13/04/2022 16:31

Totally unacceptable

gogohm · 13/04/2022 16:32

Very rarely has the travel agent actually been to the hotel so they are dependent on what they are told

Heythere13 · 13/04/2022 16:32

@gogohm

Very rarely has the travel agent actually been to the hotel so they are dependent on what they are told
Huh?
oliviastwisted · 13/04/2022 16:33

Why does it remind you? Nora was in the same accommodation as her parents

So would this child be. Nora’s window was opened in the middle of the night, possibly from the outside if her parents are right, she was possibly coaxed out of her window again if her parents are right. I would want to be doing as much as a parent as possible to not have that as the outcome of my holiday. The set up in the OP doesn’t really allow for good supervision unless the parents stay separately with the child in their rooms.

Original poster
Loveabathtub · 13/04/2022 16:34

Thank you all for your responses. We are no longer there. I asked the travel agent to move us to a nearby hotel but he told me we would have to cover the cost as they could not recover the money from the hotel. We agreed to do that as we felt we had no choice and had just driven for six hours to get there. However, the agent took so long to respond to , it was too late to get a boat off the island. So my poor partner moved into the second bedroom and I slept sandwiched between the children in the double bed. It transpired the other beach hotel was only available for two nights anyway so we ended up having to stay where we were. We ended up cutting our stay short and travelling six hours back to the city, where I found a lovely hotel with interconnecting rooms. I just can't get over the attitude of this travel agent, to the point I am starting to doubt whether I am over protective. All that was going through my head was Madeline McCann or that poor girl Nora who disappeared in Malaysia.

OP posts:
Batinhernightdress · 13/04/2022 16:35

@MrsOvertonsWindow

Would publicity work OP? If you're there and need a quick resolution? This is the type of thing the press would pick up in an instant.
What world are you in?
andysgirl22 · 13/04/2022 16:35

@Duchess379 @backtobusy i had the same thought immediately as well.
I think it is potentially unsafe but at best unsettling for them what id they wake up disorientated and confused? That can happen to anyone especially the first night away sleeping somewhere strange. I think maybe the travel agent is being deliberately obtuse and pretending not to understand the problem so he won't have to refund you or something.