I'm at a loss here, what ARE we meant to do?

[bakedpotato]

Found a nice French seaside hotel for a few days. It sells itself as v child-friendly. We've been offered a big triple room with a cot for the four of us.

My question is: what ARE the adults meant to do in the evening? Dinner is included, but the hotel has no baby-listening. (I should say here that I'd have gaily tripped off downstairs after their bedtime if it had offered it, with no qualms at all.)

Does anyone else know, what's the deal here with hotels and young children? Are we all meant to go to bed at the same time (ugh)? Or are we supposed to chance it? Or bring our own baby monitor? We do have a digital, do you suppose it would work?

Never done a hotel with children before, so any comments welcome (apart from the ones saying how dare I even think of leaving them alone in their room, what about fires/molesters, etc etc)

There have been discussions about this before and some people have said they bring their own baby monitors.

Maybe if there is a bar in the hotel, you could take your own monitor. Does the room have a balcony? Dh and I tend to book a room with a terrace or balcony so that we can sit out and enjoy a bottle of wine.

Could you phone the hotel and ask them if they can arrange for you to have a room that's next to the bar or terrace?

We bring a baby monitor to hotels which don't have baby-listening, but what always bothers us is whether or not to lock the bedroom door when we leave the chidlren. If unlocked, then they could wander off and get lost, or a stranger could go in. If locked, then what if there's a fire or some other need to evacuate the hotel in a hurry?

We always take games with us too; the kind of things we don't have time to do at home. Packs of cards, travel chess, quiz books, travel scrabble. Or I read aloud to DH and kids, the kind of books everyone likes (Puckoon is their favourite)

Also if you get into the siesta habit you might find the children will stay awake later in the evening and you can go walking or to restaurants and bars with gardens.

Stay in and read books and get an early night, at least that's what we did and it was actually quite nice. We also had occasional bottle of wine on the balcony but generally just chilled.

This is why we always book self catering cottages. I shudder at the thought of all of us sharing a room - sorry not very helpful!!

I don't mind sharing a room as long as I get some time out of it without them!
I think I'll have to call them back and ask if they think a monitor would work.