pseudoswede

This.

On cruises, the kids are having so much fun in the kid's club that they want to stay until they close. With the time they're there (usually after dinner service), that gives Mrs. Swede and I some alone time to enjoy a show and/or drinks. By the time we pick them up, we're all pretty tired (especially after port days) and head to bed. Although I've been known to then proceed to the casino for some additional "me time".

Regardless, kids going to bed later than normal (usually) means them waking up later than usual. That (usually) means sleeping in in the morning, which is greatly missed when going through the daily grind the other 48-50 weeks of the year.

Eclipsepearl

Similarly, what is the difference between being awake one room over, with the monitor, separated by a wall, and being asleep, separated by a bedroom door in a suite, with the monitor?

Totally different situation. The big issue is that you can't get to your child instantly. If the hotel alarm goes off, like it did last summer when we were staying near Palm Springs, your child will want you near by. Mine are older now and it was really scary. It was caused by the smoky air from a fire about 40 miles away (which is what I suspected and told them). As a Flight Attendant, I've had quite a few fire alarms go off in hotels, all of them for innocent reasons.

There is no way you can convince me that leaving a child alone in a hotel room, monitor or not, is smart.

If my child had fallen out of the bed, I would have been there. If there had been a fire, I could have run out with him/her/them. If the people next door were too loud, I could have talked to them myself right away. Heck, if the hotel maid messed up, and thought the room wasn't done, I would have been there to stop her from flipping on the lights and waking my child. Staff coming in the room by accident happens (they do knock but a sleeping baby won't answer).

They don't always notice the "Do Not Disturb" sign or it falls off. Mini bar restockers have woken up many a jet lagged Flight Attendant (grrrr!)

No child of mine ever woke up in a room alone. It's a bad idea on too many levels.

opus2002

How about Marriott's Residence Inn and Staybridge Suites? So, I guess the considerations are:

Marriott Rewards vs Priority Club vs Hilton Honors - which one is easier to accumulate points?

Locations - which one has more locations?

Meals - It has been years since I stayed at a Residence Inn. Are meals still serve?

adamak

I'm more worried that my toddler would wake up and open the door himself. Or screamed and cried w/o us being there. I wouldn't want someone to call the police.

lost*in*cyberspace

Residence Inns provide a free hot breakfast.

vicarious_MR'er

I, too, am aghast at the mere thought of going to the hotel lobby while the kids sleep in the hotel room.

Aside from the more remote dangers of fire or creepy people, my kids would FREAK if they woke up for the bathroom or something in a strange hotel room and we weren't there.

There is no perfect answer to the question, but our solutions are some combination of the following:

1. Stay in a suite absolutely whenever possible. We put the kids to bed in the bedroom portion, leaving us the living space to come and go and spend time in.

2. My husband and I take turns using the kids' sleeping time to get out and do a little solo "me" time -- perhaps some solo shopping, relaxing in the hot tub, running out to pick up a "grown up" take out dinner to share with a grown-up beverage.

Honestly I find it enforces a level of down time that I don't always carve out time for otherwise, so the opportunity to read, watch a movie on TV, and enjoy some good old-fashioned conversation since we're not able to be out and about while the kids sleep is welcome for the most part.