Foreign Hotel Babysitting Services

[EmW78]

We are travelling to Macau next April and our DD will be 14 months old. The hotel offers a babysitting service (the type where they stay in the room with the baby), and I am tempted to use it so that we can have a night out, but...

• they don't necessarily speak English (although you can request an English-speaking sitter)
• obviously they're not going to be CRB-checked!
• although she sleeps through right now, I have no idea what the sleeping habits might be by then...

But it's a good hotel, so they're not going to have "dodgy" sitters, right?

Has anyone had experience of using such a service, especially somewhere overseas? Or am I a terrible mum for even considering it??

personally I wouldn't do it for all the reasons you have given. one of the "joys" of having a little one is that you don't get nights out by yourself when on holiday. its different in a resort where there is a kids club and trained staff. in a hotel they will be paying the cleaners a bit extra to do it and it will be a case of who volunteers. would you do it in the UK just drop your child at someones house before you went on a night out. someone you hadn't met before? if the answers no then it should be no different on holiday.

We went in holiday to Phuket earlier this year to a Club Med resort. We had a babysitter for one night. My girls were asleep when the lady turned up. No issue.

I can't believe you're even considering it to be honest. Sorry but you did ask!

We have used this type of service before although I did have one slightly suspicious incident where I think the babysitter had sneaked in her boyfriend.
You could ask to meet the babysitter in advance if that would help to ease your mind. Some people would never consider a babysitter but there is obviously demand or the hotel wouldn't offer the facility.

I have done it but always had UK sitters

It depends where you are.

I have used services in Switzerland without worrying myself to death about it, but it's highly regulated there and standards are excellent. Not sure I'd have been so confident in every destination.

I would never leave my baby with a stranger!