Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
SoftwareDev · 13/04/2022 17:01

I consider myself quite a laid back parent however I'd not accept this!

In these circumstances I'd demand a refund AND extra for the stress/inconvenience caused.

If they were not accommodating I'd not give up - I'd raise official complaint/proceed to Ombudsman if necessary, leave bad reviews anywhere I could (Trip Advisor, Twitter etc).

Do NOT let this drop.

alexdgr8 · 13/04/2022 17:01

you need to take legal advice.

MrsOvertonsWindow · 13/04/2022 17:02

Well done for moving OP but you really shouldn't have had to.
Is it this travel agent?
www.audleytravel.com/

fizzypop100 · 13/04/2022 17:03

I would put the children with one parent in the separate rooms.
And then fight for some compensation

NewYorkCityDreamer · 13/04/2022 17:04

You need a refund! How much are we talking here roughly? £10-15k? That’s a trio of a life time for a lot of people you deserve a lot of that back

RachelGreeneGreep · 13/04/2022 17:06

Thank you. We have left the resort now. It was so stressful at the time. The travel agent was beyond useless. A company called Audley Travel, it is the first time we had ever booked with them. They seemed impressive whilst booking but then clearly washed their hands of the whole affair.

I know you are out of there now but I would keep fighting them on this. Under no circumstances is that acceptable, to have small children sleeping in a completely separate building!

The agent has messed up, big time. I would not let it drop.

BlueOverYellow · 13/04/2022 17:07

When mine were 9 (Year 4 age), I wouldn't have had a problem with putting them out there as long as they had a sibling .They'd have been thrilled!

Alternatively, put them in the main house next to the kitchen, and you and your husband sleep in the second room

SawnWood · 13/04/2022 17:09

Hell no!
I hope you can figure and get some of your money back for the extra accommodation and not getting what you paid for.
That travel agent is going to get a shit tonne of bad publicity otherwise

TheDuchess1979 · 13/04/2022 17:09

Interesting that it’s Audley travel. We spent an eye-watering amount of money on a hols with them last year and one of the hotels was dreadful (they clearly hadn’t checked or vetted it). Even though we complained, we didn’t get any money back. It’s a shame because we were paying all that money for a “tailor made” holiday but actually I could’ve scratched this one hotel off the list by having a quick look at Trip Advisor reviews.

latetothefisting · 13/04/2022 17:09

did you put your request in writing? If you did surely you can claim either on your credit card or via court claims? That is definitely not what you described - forget interconnecting, the rooms aren't even next to each other, or in the same building!

SawnWood · 13/04/2022 17:10

Their website states 100% Taylormade. I’d argue that they hadn’t given you what you requested and booked for and small claims would be waiting for them. You should have a good case

PumpkinPie2016 · 13/04/2022 17:12

Definitely not being unreasonable. My son is 8 and there is no way I would be happy with this arrangement.

Complain loudly to the agent!

Original poster
Loveabathtub · 13/04/2022 17:12

@user1466167893

OP I am glad you are sorted but Audley Travel is a very reputable firm and is not cheap! You need to make sure that you make it very clear that this accomodation was not acceptable, you need a refund for your additional costs and you wanted to try and stop this being a scenario for others travelling with children. I was actually looking to book a holiday with them. I'll certainly have second thoughts now!
Thank you. I was impressed by them at the beginning with all of the paperwork and fancy folders that they send out. They seemed so thorough and they certainly were not cheap. I would not recommend them at all. I do not want anyone else to be stuck in a similar situation. They are very difficult to get hold of in an emergency. It didn't start well when we got to the hotel and they wouldn't let us in as the travel agent hadn't paid the bill! 😧
OP posts:
follygirl · 13/04/2022 17:16

I wouldn't and when in a similar situation (tents on safari) we just split up so I slept with my daughter and my husband with my son.

Heythere13 · 13/04/2022 17:18

@TheDuchess1979

Interesting that it’s Audley travel. We spent an eye-watering amount of money on a hols with them last year and one of the hotels was dreadful (they clearly hadn’t checked or vetted it). Even though we complained, we didn’t get any money back. It’s a shame because we were paying all that money for a “tailor made” holiday but actually I could’ve scratched this one hotel off the list by having a quick look at Trip Advisor reviews.
Why didn’t you?

Can’t imagine spending an eye watering amount and not spending ten mins checking out the accom on TA

Original poster
Loveabathtub · 13/04/2022 17:18

@latetothefisting

did you put your request in writing? If you did surely you can claim either on your credit card or via court claims? That is definitely not what you described - forget interconnecting, the rooms aren't even next to each other, or in the same building!
Yes, but I put the request in writing through the enquiry page on their website.
OP posts:
thebabynanny · 13/04/2022 17:18

Absolutely not - would never put children under about 14 in a separate building to me overnight with direct access to a beach and pool?

I kind of think if you had left 9 year olds alone like that overnight and something untoward happened you risk being prosecuted for neglect...

Winterautumn · 13/04/2022 17:19

One adult and one child in each room

londonrach · 13/04/2022 17:20

No way!

Sunnymummy8 · 13/04/2022 17:20

I would not even entertain the idea!

LBFseBrom · 13/04/2022 17:20

@aquamarine1

Absolutely not. If there's no resolution then the only thing is to take a child each and you and your husband go in separate rooms but I would be furious with the travel agent.
That's right or else all bunk in together somehow (you and husband can still manage some good times at night when they've gone to sleep). If the bed isn't big enough for four you can probably make some quite comfortable beds on the floor for the children, using things from their room to do so. They'd probably enjoy that and it will be warm out there there.

I doubt the children would want to be quite so cut off from you and am very surprised that you have put in such a situation., or that the tour operator rep seems to think it is all right.

SleepingStandingUp · 13/04/2022 17:23

@Winterautumn

One adult and one child in each room
This is certainly what I'd have done for the night they were obliged at to stay but not really a plan for over a week in a v expensive holiday when op and her partner have specifically chosen an arrangement where they can safely have intimacies at night
Original poster
Loveabathtub · 13/04/2022 17:24

@TheDuchess1979

Interesting that it’s Audley travel. We spent an eye-watering amount of money on a hols with them last year and one of the hotels was dreadful (they clearly hadn’t checked or vetted it). Even though we complained, we didn’t get any money back. It’s a shame because we were paying all that money for a “tailor made” holiday but actually I could’ve scratched this one hotel off the list by having a quick look at Trip Advisor reviews.
The more I am looking into Audley Travel, the more complaints I see about the itineraries not being tailor made but just cut and paste jobs with minor amendments. Also lots of complaints about them pushing hotels they have contracts with and not what people ask for. Expensive lesson learned.
OP posts:
Original poster
Loveabathtub · 13/04/2022 17:27

[quote MrsOvertonsWindow]Well done for moving OP but you really shouldn't have had to.
Is it this travel agent?
www.audleytravel.com/[/quote]
Yes, this is them.

OP posts:
LostOrFound · 13/04/2022 17:28

I’m not an “OMG Madeline McCann!” panicker but no way would I have my children in a separate building, that’s openly accessible to a (public?) beach and with an open swimming pool between the two buildings.