Baby listening services in hotels & first time away from ds

[Piggiesmum]

We've got an opportunity for a weekend away - dh's company do including fancy evening meal etc). It'll be the first time we've been out without ds (7 months) so while I'm looking forward to it I'm also suffering from 1st time mum nerves.

We're thinking of using a baby listening service if it's available but (and sorry if it's a stupid question), how do they work exactly, anyone had any problems with them.

Phone stays off the hook.
Lumpy teenager on YTS scheme texting in the reception area may listen in vaguely every 25 mins (when not thinking of what she'll be doing to her boyfriend on Friday night when her mum and dad are out) if you're lucky.

Wouldn't trust it for a second.

Is there someone who could have your ds overnight? Or you could try Sitters, they're very good. They won't do overnight though so that would only be any good for an evening. Why don't you phone the hotel and ask what they offer? Some may be better than moondog's terrifying description, which made me laugh! you will find opinions divided on mumsmet about baby listening from 'it'll be fine' to 'but what if a nuclear bomb dropped on Devon, then what would you do?' For a 7mo baby, I'm in the former camp.

depends on place, we've been lucky and had kindly fellow mums on reception listening in beofre so could even interpret the snuffles for us! take yr baby monitor too as it may work v- could ask for room where would work anyway.

eek Moondog. Are you talking from personal experience. Thats the sort of thing I'm afraid of.

It's not really possible to leave him with anyone for various reasons. I did wonder about the babysitter option but I'm abit paranoid about leaving him with a stranger - haven't even left him with my own family for more than a couple of hours.

Taking my own monitor would be the ideal option if it's range was good enough. I can just see me now, sitting there in my fancy dress, staring intently at the monitor hidden behing a glass of wine and leaping up from the table when it lights up!

I would trust a babysitter more than the other scenario.
Other option is to bring her down in the pram,and park in quiet corner of the dining room.
Feasible???

Don't know how you're placed financially, but could you take your mum/sister or someone with you and pay for another room? It's probably the only way you'll be able to relax fully and enjoy your night. Also, some hotels' baby listening facilities mean that YOU have to dial your room every so often and listen in. It always used to be done by reception, but I guess they're afraid of getting sued or something now.

If I could take him down in the pram that would be perfect. We have been out on 2 big family party/meals and he slept through both of them. I couldn't believe it with all the noise.

Taking my mum would be perfect but unfortunately its just too far away.

Anyway thanks all, you've given me a few more things to think about/consider.

There are good phone baby löistening services. One type I know from a Kinderhotel is a contraption in baby´s room that picks up any noise and above a certain level will call you on your mobile. You can then here what´s happening in the room and if baby is crying run up to rescue her! This really worked, I was v pleased with it - check what the hotel offers!

At 7 months though will your DS not sleep in the dining room anyway in his pram? My DD did no problem at this age... Could be worth a try.

Not all hotels offer a service and as has been decribed they can be hit and miss. (Esprit "listen at door" service, at half hourly intervals, failed to spot dd had escaped from her travel cot and was howling behind the door.)We have used both the dial-up-to-listen and reception monitoring methods successfully but that may be luck. Could you take just your own monitor and ask for a low floor room ?

I stayed at a Hilton where the baby listen service meant leaving the phone off the hook in the room and you could phone the room any time as often as you wanted to monitor any noise. Works well if you do it right and get the phone near enough to the cot.

I know I've said this before (but this is a huge bug bear of mine) I would NEVER trust a hotel listening service. I work in the industry, and am well aware that Locked Hotel rooms are not safe unless dead locked from the inside. Countless people have a key to acess your room, and countless break ins occur in hotel rooms all over.

How many of us would leave our passport/handbag unattended in a hotel room? So why a child?

Many of the major hotel groups will now not offer a baby listening service anyway.

Northerner, you´re putting the fear of God in me. What about the electronic access keys, do lots of staff still have a master key to cover all rooms?

I'm afraid that is very true Northener, we probably wouldn't have used it but we new lots of the staff and the room was just along the corridoor on the ground floor, I don't think I would have used it in strange hotel and definatly not on another floor. Sorry I don't wan't to scare you as well but what about in the case of a fire?

I would take babes with me, I don't know about England but in Scotland all indoor areas are non smoking including bars, restruants and function suites, great for those with young families.

Uglysister, don't mean to scare you, and ovbiosulsy you have to assess the level of risk. A family run small hotel in The Lake District is rather different to a 400 bedroom city centre hotel IYKWIM.

But yes, even electroninc swipe keys - reception, night porters, maintenence men, room service, duty managers, house keepers all have access to guest bedrooms.

Hmmm, some good points raised. Looks like we'll be either taking him along in the pushchair or getting a proper babysitter in.

Hmmm, some good points raised. Looks like we'll be either taking him along in the pushchair or getting a proper babysitter in.