Am I being unreasonable in my holiday requirements?

[Diplodocusarecool]

My DH and I have had a very hard couple of years but things are hopefully starting to look better. We really want to get away over Easter on a last minute holiday, preferably to the Canary Islands or similar.

Looking at hotels though I keep coming across issues with sleeping arrangements. We have a 3 year old DD who is obviously far too young to be by herself but we want to be able to sit and chat after she is asleep.

Ideally I want all inclusive (don't fancy hauling a grumpy, tired pre-schooler back from a restaurant every night) but even when you look at apartment hotels the bedrooms don't have doors on or you are expected to make up a sofa bed every night.

How do people manage this? Is it me or is there a major gap in the market?

Budget isn't huge but I didn't think tiny either preferably flights and hotel for £2000 - £3000 for seven days. Probably 31st March to 7th April. Suggestions very gratefully received.

YABU - you just cant use holiday sites properly. Here is what you are looking for.
YANBU - It doesn't exist at this price point.

We used the holiday villages when the kids were younger as they have options where the kids sleep behind some sliding doors in the room. Now they’re a little older we do self catering a get a villa or adjoining rooms

Welcome to the world of parents hiding in the bathroom with a bottle of wine after bedtime.

You would be better going in to a travel agents and asking them to search. They will often know which hotels will suit. It may not be something all inclusive offer though - we’ve only done self catering so I am not sure

In answer to sitting and chatting after DD has gone to bed, you can use the balcony 🙂

Yes this ^ somewhere with a balcony. We take some wine or cocktails back with us from the all inclusive and sit on the balcony.

Have a look at Paradise Park, twin room in the annexe is what we used when the DSC were younger, had their own bedroom which perfect, they could go to sleep whilst we were still up but contained within a single space.

I agree - it blows my mind how poorly these hotels are set up for families while… targeting the family market.

In France they often have these hotels in ski resorts with a bunk bed room in an alcove - so you still have the rectangular shape of room, but a little private space
for kids to sleep.

The summer holiday market doesn’t seem to go in for this.

In summer we would but at easter I thought it might be rather chilly.

Why not get a 2 bedroom apartment in an aparthotel?

The Radisson Blue in Gran Canaria isn’t AI but does do half board and has options for lunch on site. You can get a 2 bed apartment with proper bedrooms, even a 1 bed with sofa bed has a bedroom door you can shut, plus a balcony you could use when the LO is asleep. It has a kitchen which is super useful for flexibility, plus a Spar of site for cheap wine and beer!. We’ve stayed there every year for about 6 years, clearly we are not very adventurous 🤦‍♀️

That what the balcony is for!

Look at landmar hote los gigantes Tenerife

We went for Xmas and had 2 rooms and was best hotels ever been to.

Because all the ones I have found have single beds in both bedrooms. The double is the sofa bed in the living room

Try Iberostar - they are often a bit better set up for kids beds and we've often had a separate sleep space

Canaries are warm at Easter, even pretty hot in the day. Just take a robe with you?

I don't know about unreasonable but you're being pretty awkward when all of your 'problems' are very easily solved.

Over the years I’ve read lots of mumsnet threads asking exactly the same question. There’s always a lot of helpful recommendations so it could be worth googling mumsnet family rooms/suites etc and see if you have any luck finding the threads.

This is when you need a hotel with apartments so you have a separate living area or with suites because they also usually have two rooms.

Both have been available at the one or two all inclusives I did with little ones but not in the Canaries so unsure about specific recommendations.

Maybe look at a villa on a complex or just look for a self catered villa with private pool and accept you’ll have to cook?

You’d be fine on the balcony - if necessary put a blanket over your knees.

You can often ask for a trundle bed, so you get an extra single bed and don’t need to bother with the sofa bed, just call the hotels directly and ask. In the Canary Islands all hotel staff will speak decent English, don’t worry!

Does that matter particularly? Leave it made up if you’re not in the room much and your DC can sleep in their room and you can watch tv from bed?

Look for family rooms that are made up of two interconnecting rooms? Or a two bed apartment on a resort?

We had Turkey booked for a week in April with 2 interconnecting rooms for less than £3000 all in (family of 4).

Can also recommend the Avanti holiday village in Paphos, Cyprus. We stayed there in April 2018.

Look at royal corales in tenerife

We stayed in a 2 bed and 1 bed aparthotel there.
We had doubles, singles, cot beds... various configurations

Facilities and staff are 10/10.
The restaurants are also good - I'm fussy and think a couple of the dishes were Michelin star worthy.
Everyone we recommend it to raves about the breakfasts..

We always get 2 bedrooms so kids are completely separate. We make sure the bathroom and balcony are off the adult bedroom. It's hard to find them as half of them have odd half walls or sofa beds as you say.

Kiani beach in crete might be in your budget for all inclusive if not in school hols. They have lots of different rooms but we did get one with 2 completely separate rooms.

We went to Gran Canaria in April and it was lovely - nice enough to sit out til 11pm on the balcony. Some nights I needed a blanket but I wouldn't have said I was very cold. Worth it for adult chat and reading time!!

Just put her to bed in the bed room and then use the sofa bed - and then either transfer back to the sofa bed or sleep in the room with the twin beds depending on what works best for you

you can then use the living area for the evening

Is your dd a good sleeper?

We used to book hotels and hostels with family rooms (generally a double bed and a single). We put dd to bed and switched the light off. Then we'd have a lie down; put in headphones and listen to music or podcasts and switch the light back on once she'd been asleep for a while.

But we were lucky to have a very heavy sleeper who could sleep through anything.