AI and other people's kids

[TurnipsGalore]

We (dd10, ds9, dh, me) usually do a villa with a pool for peace and quiet or a city break for food and culture.

We've never been AI but fancy trying it this year as the children are keen.

My worst nightmare is trying to eat a meal if there are families around with kids watching screens. Can I avoid this at a certain price point? Or is this just modern life in a family hotel?

You may get screaming kids and kids having tantrums ,surely thats worse then kids watching ipads?

This would obviously be unpleasant too! Any sort of noise is difficult for me.

And there is the inevitable drip when op didn’t get responses she wanted

Honestly OP if you're that sensitive to noise I would stick with a villa.

🤣🤣

Just about me! I find it very irritating.

but now you have a hearing condition and I have hearing problems and digital sounds do seem to bother me more than most people,.

I’ve not seen it on the two AI holidays we’ve been on - both in the canaries. That said, I’m not very observant as I have older dc (teens) so don’t pay attention to other people’s dc. We stayed in puerto mogan on Gran Canaria and it was much quieter than more well known places. They also had 2 pools - one loud and one quiet. The loud one only had music for a couple of hours but had games etc going on. The other had no balls our inflatables.

@TurnipsGalore I think you actually did hit a nerve with the other posters. I’d also want to know what factors I could use to potentially filter out that type of behaviour and I’m willing to admit it.

What I wanted was some advice about AI resorts as I find digital noises in restaurants to be stressful.

The replies have been very helpful actually thanks 😁

What a ridiculous snobby post!

I've only been on one super pricey AI holiday in my life so I don’t think the price bracket decreases chances. Devices were on every table and in front of EVERY child! And that was several years ago!

Check out Eden Roc in Rhodes, all the a la carte resturants are included as part of the AI so are less noisy than the buffet resturants. In all the resorts I've been too kids normally have headphones on if listening to a tablet but your not going to be able to avoid that in 2025! Maybe try some noise cancelling earbuds so you can still hear but will help reduce background noise

You said you just “find it irritating”

then you drip you have a “hearing condition” which makes you struggle with digital noise

we all know that if this a bona fide “hearing condition “ you’d have put it in your OP instead of just saying you find it irritating 😆

I have a hearing problem that amplifies certain frequencies but I only assume that makes digital noise more irritating to me than to other people. The issue is that it irritates me!

I think you might need to look for AI resorts where they have several smaller restaurants on site that you book rather than a huge buffet everyone piles into - these are super noisy and don’t have the same background music / quieter atmosphere of the restaurants. Ds and I have autism and we struggle with similar things to you. We went to Tui Magic Life Ibiza a couple of years back and couldn’t stand the buffet for the noise - too many screaming kids, felt like being in a school canteen. We ended up eating out at local restaurants (despite having paid for ai) just to get a bit of peace.

This year we are going to Sensatori Majorca and I’ve done quite a bit of looking into it and they have 4/5 different smaller restaurants on site included in the ai (as well as the buffet) so hopefully that will make the noise levels less intense. Just a thought.

The most intriguing part of this post is why distinguishing for AI resort restaurants?? They really aren't any different to most other restaurants. So you eat out much in the UK?

I also wouldn't make any assumptions about it being a British thing as it really is not in my experience - of wide mix of hotels, resorts, countries, travelling with/without children on a regular basis

the sight of quiet people at other tables bothering you is bizarre.

a lack of headphones is a huge problem. It’s not something I encounter much where I live, but when it happens, it’s awful. I would welcome Peppa Pig. It’s almost always adults. The most notorious of which was watching a video on expressing anal glands.

if it’s going to be a problem for you, I think you need to stick to private lodging.

Sure op

either way - AI isn’t for you

I don't like kids in buffet restaurants becuase they poke, pick up and put down and are generally unhygenic so for me adults only hotels is the way to go. <unhelpful>
Presumably if you usually book a villa you eat in restaurants? Other people's children will be there as well?

You should look for a place with more than one restaurant which generally means more expensive, you don't say what the budget is?

We liked this one when DC were mid teens
https://kanikahotels.com/olympic-lagoon-resorts-ayia-napa/

No I agree, hence this is has been very helpful!

What does 'sure' mean?

You are right, the price point is likely not the issue at all, just wondering how to filter out people who I would find out stressful to holiday with.

By staying in a villa and not doing AI!

Literally none of your business if they are and at least they would be quiet. Or are you worried your own children will want to then do the same? I personally feel feral kids who's parents don't parent are worse.

This is helpful thanks. I occasionally eat out in the UK but usually in small places. I'd assumed AI buffets might be bigger, busier and have more young children.

Why does it matter? We were away at half term and most other DC were on tablets at dinner. Ours know they're not allowed so don't bother asking. At buffet meals, it's not much of an issue as you're not sat around waiting for food. When we went to the restaurants where there was waiter service, then we took Uno or other card games as usual.

AI buffets are busy and there are lots of other people who will make noise in various ways. If you want a private quiet environment AI isn't for you.

I've been on quite a few AI holidays, some v expensive, most not. It makes not a jot of difference, there will always be people giving screens to their children during mealtimes. I hate it seeing it too. My only advice is to try to get a table where your seat is facing a wall so you can see less people.