Just looking for opinions from experienced parents on the forum We're due to fly to Hong Kong with my baby, who will be 4 months by that point. Now, we could go for some cheap hostel where there's only the beds and no room at all to move in, and no lobby, no lounge area, nothing - just beds. Or we could fork out a small fortune, which we can afford with our savings, and pay for this nice 2-bedroom flat with a lounge and kitchen. I'm just thinking, since we'll have a baby - and we're travelling with my parents, my sister and her two boys (9 months old by then and a 3-year-old) - we might like to have the lounge to relax in, perhaps get an early night. Or is it more likely that we'd be travelling so much we'd never even utilise the luxury of a lounge/kitchen, in which case paying for the cheaper hostel would make more sense? If we go for the flat, we'll be staying altogether (5 adults and 3 kids). If the hostel, then I'd only share with my baby and husband. I've never travelled on holiday with a baby before so I don't know how this will go. We're crossing time zones too (8 hours' difference). What would you advise? The price difference is rather great and of course we don't want to wipe our savings on this - but at the same time, what are savings for but for occasions like this??
I can't really say anything about the original problem. However, I've once heard that the water quality in China is not great, and that especially in cheap accommodations, there is a higher risk for babies. A Chinese friend once told me that it was very common in her family to only use bottled water for safety reasons. Also, there often are scary stories about contaminated food sold in supermarkets. Maybe it would be a good idea to take some baby food in your luggage (if that is allowed). Just to be on the safe side. It's a country of kind people and great sights, but it's better to be safe than to be sorry. I don't wish to scare you. It's just that babies are not as resilient as adults or older children. Don't get me wrong. Lucky you I am sure you will have a great time.
We usually spring for a pretty nice hotel, and it usually turns out to be worth it--to us. Even if the rest of the luxury seems silly, keep in mind that if you don't get decent sleep, the quality of all of your experiences outside the hotel will suffer. There's a bit in the Unofficial Guide to Disney that feels relevant: The author states that when overwhelm and exhaustion kicks in for a child at Disney, you can delay a tantrum by finding a quiet bench somewhere, but that the child won't really start to decompress until they're back in the hotel room. I think that this is true of places other than Disney, and true of adults as well as children--there's a kind of collapse and relaxation you can only get when you're in your own (temporary) territory with a door shut between you and the unfamiliar world out there, and when you do that you want the place with the shut door to be at least pretty decent. Edited to add: None of this addresses whether it's a good idea for five adults and some children to share one space. If I were on this trip, I'd suggest three fairly nice hotel rooms, one for each family, and skipping the kitchen. But I'm a particularly territorial person.
With two babies and a three yr old, no question, go for the upgrade and stay together. (Unless you can't stand your relatives. )
3 hotel rooms would probably make the most sense, but unaffordable. Essentially, the price of one hotel room cost about the same as the price of that flat when you split the cost. Anyway, what you said about meltdown from exhaustion - that's exactly what I was thinking. When we're tired, maybe we won't want to be out till 11pm, maybe we'd like to be home by 9pm so the kids have a decent chance of sleeping at a decent time. Maybe we won't wanna be out of the door by 9am in the morning - maybe we'd wanna chillax in the flat and have a slower start. 'Cause, seriously, I've seen most things in Hong Kong already - there's nothing I'd really rush out for. @rainy_summerday - haha yeah I know what you're talking about. In Hong Kong it's better - in fact the locals would rather pay more for something imported elsewhere other than China. Water, however, still has to be boiled before being consumed. I remember how surprised I was to find English people drank tap water. Anyway no worries, you didn't scare me - my baby will be mostly breastfed anyway. I'm originally from Hong Kong so my parents would probably warn me of anything untoward
I think most of it just depends on the kind of traveler you are. My husband and I love to relax, so we always go for the bigger room. We don't have to go out every night for food (having a kitchen means you can go grocery shopping and make your own meals if you don't want to go out), and we have plenty of room to relax. But, if you suspect you'll be doing a lot of touring and dining out, a small room might work better. I think with a group though, the flat would be the best idea. The kids will have some space and you'll all be able to stay together, not in multiple rooms.
So you're going to fly on a plane with a four month year old? My advice is to apologize to all your fellow passengers for the crying.
Thanks all - went for the upgrade in the end @123456789 - Well, for my own sake as well as for the passengers', I sure hope my baby will simply sleep through most of the flight. She's a sound sleeper though - only 2 months and already sleeps 6-7 hours at night I seriously got lucky. Anyway, perhaps we will buy lots of earplugs and some sweets to bribe the passengers @Chinspinner - I don't get your post...
