Evenings in Austrian hotels - what happens to kids

[taliesm]

Just booked a week over Christmas in Obergurgl, as special celebration. Very excited . Never stayed in a hotel abroad with kids before - sad but true. Been to places like Bedruthan Steps in UK that are totally kid-focussed. For skiing always self-catered or chalet.
AFAI can tell, there is no baby-listening monitor service in any Austrian hotel! They have kids tea at 6, then 5 course adult dinner at 7.30. Can't keep the kids up, but can't just lock them in the room (they will be 5 & 6). What do other people do???? Even considering buying another baby monitor with long range - ridiculous as flogged ours 4yrs ago!
Advice very gratefully received, TIA.

who are you going with and how old are the kids ? Esprit have a "monitoring" service but it is basically reps listening at doors occasionally. dd had got up adn was cryign behind the door when I foudn her. We've stayed at other hotels in the past where you can dial up your room and listen intermittently. Otherwise I bet you'll find kids sitting in on the adult dinner (unless using the likes of Esprit which discourage this but have a club for over 5's) or in the lounge playing on dses.

Just the 4 of us. They are 5 & 6. I found Esprit's "service" rubbish too. Pointless, I could do better myself between courses.

The hotel we stayed in recently in Zell am See had 4 course dinner at 6.30-8pm and the children came too (babies incl). There was also dinner in the kids club at 6pm for those who wanted to use that and go to dinner adults only. The kids club was open until 9pm so some families fed the kids first at 6.30 then took them to the kids club for a bit while they ate or had a drink.

Hope you have a good time!

I've stayed in several Austria hotels with DS (now 7) and they have all had a form of baby listening which involves reception keying your mobile number into their phone system. You then dial a special code into the room phone, leave the phone off the hook and if your child makes a noise it dials your mobile. Sounds complicated but it's not.

When he was younger I used to take him to the childrens tea then put him to bed before we had dinner. I don't have an issue with this but I know other MNs do, each to their own.

The last twice we've been he's skied all day, then wanted to go swimming, then straight to kids club. He's gone to tea with the kids club (they supervise the whole thing) and then back to the kids club until we finished dinner! This is a child who always goes to be at 7pm at home, it most be the mountain air or something! You will also find lots of families take young children to dinner with them. Enjoy

We've stayed at several hotels in Austria with our kids (now 5 and 7) and the staff have always been VERY child friendly. I tend to book hotels that have either a supervised play area (e.g. Kinderhotels) or, more recently, just a playroom to which the children can go once they've eaten with us - we can then finish our dinner in peace .

Where in Obergurgl are you going? We've stayed at the Edelweiss & Gurgl before and they have a lovely little playroom downstairs with a lovely lady looking after the kids (well, two years ago she was there).

if they are tired and you are worried ,just let them flop on the chair next to you whilst you are eating.Used to let mine lie with their head on my knee if they were tired. Children will sleep anywhere if they are tired.
Just a question? Why cant they stay up....they will love it and they will also sleep like logs because of the fresh air.