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Original poster

Leaving baby in hotel room

66 replies

idag · 23/08/2009 21:44

Hi

I just want to find out what others would do in this situation. We have a four month old baby and we are going away next week to a hotel for a night. We are having dinner there but the restaurant does not allow babies in ( it is quite a posh place and they don't want to disturb other diners who are paying a lot for their dinner so fair enough) We are planning to put her to bed and then go and eat taking our monitor with us and also using the baby listening service from reception . The hotel is an old castle and our room is across the courtyard from the restaurant. What would others do ? One minute I think it will be fine and then the next minute I feel really worried that we shouldn't leave her. Please help, getting a bit panicky.. Thanks

OP posts:
emkana · 23/08/2009 21:46

I couldn't/wouldn't do it, sorry. wouldn't be able to relax. Would try and get a babysitter that could actually stay in the room.

McDreamy · 23/08/2009 21:47

Sorry you probably don't want this answer but I wouldn't leave her alone.

poppy34 · 23/08/2009 21:48

am with emkana - its not the same as going downstairs at home or something. What if there was a fire alarm etc.

sitters.co.uk will find you someone for the night - they were/are very good particularly with little ones liek yours.

McDreamy · 23/08/2009 21:48

My DB is getting married next month and we are staying in a small hotel where the reception is being held. We have a babysitter coming for the evening for our 6 month old baby.

DrNortherner · 23/08/2009 21:49

I have posted on many threads bout this, but having worked in the hotel industry most of my life I would never leave a child unattended in a hotel room. Never.

bigchris · 23/08/2009 21:49

a four month old still feeds in the night doesnt it?

hocuspontas · 23/08/2009 21:49

No. Mainly because of fire. Also wouldn't have a babysitter I didn't know so I'm no help - sorry!

Harimosmummy · 23/08/2009 21:52

I wouldn't leave her. Couldn't is probably closer to the mark.

The rational side of my brain would agree with Emkana - see if you can get a babysitter, but I know (heart of hearts and all that) I wouldnt leave my baby alone wit a stranger either.

Sorry. I'd find somewhere that could accomodate the baby or I'd eat in the room.

BertieBotts · 23/08/2009 21:52

I read once (on here probably) that it's a bad idea simply because a babysitter can carry a baby down out of the room in the case of a fire, a baby monitor can't. And you might not be allowed or able to get up to the room yourself in that situation.

Sorry, I know it is an awful thought! It is such a tiny risk but one I would not take.

Perhaps you could ask MNers for a local babysitting service recommendation?

Littlefish · 23/08/2009 21:52

No, I wouldn't do it. I agree with the suggestion of getting a babysitter to stay in the room with your baby.

hf128219 · 23/08/2009 21:52

It's a tricky one. To me it really depends on how close you are to the room. Is it much further then if you were at home?

We were away in a hotel last weekend and got a babysitter as we were going out from the hotel - dd would not sleep in her cot. Had to take her out for a walk to go to sleep and then park her pram in the hotel room bathroom.

The babysitter was a bit !

MIAonline · 23/08/2009 21:52

No, I wouldn't do it.

Get room service, you will enjoy it just as much, in fact more, as you won't be worried about your baby.

MaggieLeo · 23/08/2009 21:52

I left an 18 month old in an hotel room in about 2004. We had walkie talkies, btu I didn't enjoy the meal much. Was a bit jumpy. My x kept going back to the room every 15 minutes to check, which years later in the aftermath of what happened to Madeleine McCann sent a shiver down my spine.

I'd bring her with you. I have two hooligans, 4 and 7 but when they were both tiny, people oooohed and ahed. if she were asleep beside you in a buggy, you'd feel a lot more relaxed.

rookiemater · 23/08/2009 21:53

I don't think its the worst thing to do in the world but 4 months is awfully young for a baby to be on their own, don't they recommend that you sleep in the same room with you until they are 6 months old because of the risk of SIDS ?

Also are you absolutely sure your baby monitor will work across the courtyard as I don't think I would be happy with baby listening for a 4 month old and shock horror I have actually used baby listening once for 12 month old and the baby monitor in hotel bedroom in small hotel when DS was about 18 months.

NumptyMum · 23/08/2009 21:53

bigchris - I think OP is staying at the hotel WITH her baby, but will be away from the room for meal at restaurant. So not a question of being away the night, from what I make out.

I think the point about 'what if there was a fire' or other problem was spot on - I think you'd have a lot more peace of mind if there were someone close at hand.

BreevandercampLGJ · 23/08/2009 21:54

You can hear your baby crying, but you won't hear a fire starting or creeping smoke.

How did you end up in this situation ? Have they only just changed the rules ??

roomforthree · 23/08/2009 21:59

If your baby is asleep what is the problem of having her in the dining room? After all, you'll be paying a lot of money for dinner too; surely the restaurant can be accommodating? I'd ring and explain the situation tbh.

hf128219 · 23/08/2009 22:00

What rules??

MrsBadger · 23/08/2009 22:06

the no-bbaies-in-the-restaurant rules

I wouldn;t do it

get room service

TheDailyMailHatesWomenAndLemon · 23/08/2009 22:06

This comes up a lot on MN and tends to kick off.

Personally I've done it twice in very small hotels where I was only the same distance from the room that I would be in a reasonably large but not huge house, but I wouldn't consider it in a bigger hotel (as in your example). On the odd occasions (another twice, I think) when we've wanted to eat in the restaurant at a bigger hotel we've paid for a babysitter. It's a lot more relaxing than watching the baby monitor all night, too.

thesecondcoming · 23/08/2009 22:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BreevandercampLGJ · 23/08/2009 22:08

Well if I was booking a weekend away, I would never have agreed to staying somewhere that did not allow children in the dining room or at the very least provide an alternative.

So I was wondering if the hotel had changed their policy after the overnight was booked.

Quite frankly if you can cancel without incurring too many charges I would so and either stay in with a chinese or book a local babysitter and go out.

LovelyTinOfSpam · 23/08/2009 22:09

Well, to give the other view (on a fairly yes/no type question) I would and did leave DD when she was 12mo. We were in a hotel with a room quite near the restaurant, we had a monitor.

If the room was near I would do it a 4mo as well, as not really different to having them upstairs.

However there is no point in trying to do things which are outside what you feel comfy with, if you are asking on here then you're probably not sure, maybe best not to esp with the courtyard distance thingy.

FWIW hotels are dreadful with a baby anyway. I won a weekend in edinburgh and we went when DD was 10mo. Was fine until we thought, how can we get her to go to sleep in her cot, when she can see us here watching TV? The answer was of course you can't, so we had to squat on the floor behind the bed and read the papers in dimly lit silence every evening before creeping into the bed from the floor at about 9. It was wonderful

BreevandercampLGJ · 23/08/2009 22:09

That was in reply to hf128219.

hf128219 · 23/08/2009 22:09

It's all relative though - our house is 'rather large' and when we put dd to bed and sit outside we are probaby about 1/2 mile from her.