Who is right?

[sinead]

DH says that I'm being unrealistic or that my expectations are too high. I thought I'd check with you guys to see what you think.

We're making hotel reservations and we can choose between a room with a king size bed and sleeper sofa or a suite (for $30 more) with a king size bed and sleeper sofa. Kate will be sleeping in her Pack and Play, so I wanted to be sure that there would be room for it. I asked him to call the hotel to see if there would be room for a Pack and Play in a regular room once the Sleeper Sofa is pulled out.

He thinks that there's no way the person at the desk or even the manager on duty will know the answer. He says that I'm being unrealistic and that this wouldn't be considered general knowledge for someone in management at a hotel. I believe that, at the very least, the manager should be able to tell me what will fit into one of his standard hotel rooms. A pack and play is a pretty standard thing to travel with for people with children, and he should know if there's room for one when the sleeper sofa is pulled out. It's a standard customer service issue, I think.

So...who's right? I'm going to call later this morning to see, but I wanted to know if you guys thought I should expect to get an answer when I call.

Can't wait to hear what you say!

[Charla]

I would think you're right. When we were looking into hotels at Thanksgiving, one of them had the option of a crib, so they would certainly have room for a pack-n-play! If they don't know how big a pack-n-play is, you could always ask if there would be room for a cot, since that's not an unusual request :)

[shepp99]

Definitely you are! I've asked at check-in (at the front desk) if a pack and play will fit in the room and have always gotten an answer from someone at the front desk! It IS a standard customer service issue - people travel w/ small children all the time!

[Valgal]

Oh yeah, you're totally right, girl. Hotels are there to serve. They have families and kids all the time. Call them!

[Angela]

I think it's a very realistic expectation of a hotel. They should know what will fit in their rooms.

[jpysgrl]

I am sure you are not the first one to ask any hotel that type of question. What will it hurt to ask? And if they were not sure, you would think if they wanted your business they could find out for you.

[sinead]

YEAH! You girls rock! I knew you'd be in my corner! I'll let you know after I call if we were right or not.

And if they don't know...I'm not sure I want to stay there!

[mamakimberly]

Yuppers, you're right for sure on that one!

[Deena]

I'd have to agree with you :) Especially considering most hotels offer roll away cribs, so they would know if those fit or not, and i would think it would be comparable to a pack n play.

PS every hotel room ive stayed in, has been big enough to squeeze in a pack and play somewhere.

[Rynonut Mom]

Sorry to your hubby - but it would be part of customer service for the hotel to know some basic things about their rooms like that! In my opinion, you're right! :)

[JenniferHowland]

Yep...I agree...you should call and ask ;)

[JennStar]

Whether it's a pack & play or a crib that they offer, it would be obsurd to not fit into the space- if it doesn't, you know that there have been complaints about it and that management would definitely know about it! I totally agree with you- the call is completely warrented!

[TraceyLee]

this is the type of question that they should be able to answer.

and i'm willing to bet that you can get an answer from one of their desk clerks- they've probably been asked the question millions of times and know the answer themselves, lol.

[Hom74]

hahaha...I guess I have low expectations lol. I would definitely call and try to ask. I do think that most (esp suites) have room for their crib...but those cribs are tiny IMO. Shorter and thinner than a standard crib.

And I guess I have low expectations b/c I've received some bad 'service'. Not this year...but each of the 3 years previously we've gone to Orlando and even actually stayed at a Disney Resort Hotel. I've ALWAYS called days before our stay to ask for a crib...AND asked that it be in the room by the time we got there. Once I even called again as we landed and an hour before we would reach the resort. Guess how many times the crib was actually there in the room when we got there??? NONE lol. I do realize that you get assigned your room once you get there...but if someone makes this specific request @@

And I mainly wanted the crib ready b/c I have 2 small toddlers and after a long trip flying we probably need a nap upon arrival.

And also the last trip we took to Disneyland in February...I called the hotel (only a 'good-neighbor' hotel) as we were driving down requesting a crib in the room by the time we got there. We got there - no crib lol.

[sinead]

ick, Karen--that stinks! I've asked for a crib in the room before and you're right--they're like half-cribs. We're traveling with our own pack and play, so I don't have to worry about that.

I called and the girl said that there would be plenty of room, even with the sleeper sofa out. I asked about the coffee table and if that would be problem and she said that they'd be more than happy to remove it from the room for me if that would give us more space. So I'm happy--we'll save $30 and get the regular room.

Thanks for backing me up, girlies! You rock!

[d2vasquez]

LOL Sinead.....don't you know moms are generally always right about these kind of things.....it's a given! :)

[sinead]

I keep telling him that I'm right, but he's stubborn about it. lol

[YvetteSanders]

LOL - I think he needs more training Sinead, my DH already knows I'm always right - LOL

[sinead]

lol well we've only been married 6 years. You'd think he'd have figured it out by now. hehehe

[scrappinmichele]

Well I totally think you are right. If it were me, I'd call and if they DIDN'T know I wouldn't be sure I'd want to stay there. Not only would I expect the management to know I would expect ANYONE working at the front desk to know that. I ask that question almost everytime I make a reservation because we always have a pack and play plus we need to pull the couch out. We usually get a king size room with a pull out couch and we have a pack n play so we need lots of room. I actually asked someone once to check the king rooms for me and be sure we could fit the pack n play in the room and I had them call me back. They did!! So you are not expecting too much at all. I have learned from traveling with 4 little kids that it's best to get all the info you can before you get there to save yourself a lot of hassles.

[scrappinmichele]

ha
And I mainly wanted the crib ready b/c I have 2 small toddlers and after a long trip flying we probably need a nap upon arrival.

- no crib lol.

I HATE THAT!!!! I never expect it to be there even though I always ask and I always complain when it's not too. I've become a very particular traveler. Especially with 4 little kids and I hate when I plan ahead and then they don't follow through. LOL! We've had that happen so often where we arrive at 10pm at night with little ones asleep and no crib and by the time they make all the noise coming in and getting it all set up the kids are awake and now i have to deal with 2 bouncing toddlers with 2 older kids whining cuz the little ones won't stop jumping around. Where if the cribs were there and set up I could have just put them straight to bed!!

[tamra]

Well, I see that she already did know and answer your question, but I was still gonna say that ya, you're right. They should definitely know. Also, I would think that anyone would have room for one- if not, that is a tiny room!

[busyizzie]

If they don't get the concept of a pack n play then I would ask would the room support a rollaway crib. They definately should know that! You're right. I might also check hotels.com because they often have views of the room.

Either way, you're right, make the call and nananaboo boo to dh!

[Hom74]

I HATE THAT!!!! I never expect it to be there even though I always ask and I always complain when it's not too. I've become a very particular traveler. Especially with 4 little kids and I hate when I plan ahead and then they don't follow through. LOL! We've had that happen so often where we arrive at 10pm at night with little ones asleep and no crib and by the time they make all the noise coming in and getting it all set up the kids are awake and now i have to deal with 2 bouncing toddlers with 2 older kids whining cuz the little ones won't stop jumping around. Where if the cribs were there and set up I could have just put them straight to bed!!

haha...same exact reason here! Esp w/DD2, I've been VERY lucky that she's done SO well in those shaky cribs during vacation. She's put herself to sleep in there :) Even the 1st time she went when she was 6mths old...I just swaddled her, put a paci in and that was it on my part lol. But when we had arrived they didn't have it in the room (boo) so it took us more effort to get her down...and yeah, they always come at the most inconvenient time lol.

Eh...it's probably b/c they want the tip lol.

[jennieb75]

I am sure you are not the first one to ask any hotel that type of question. What will it hurt to ask? And if they were not sure, you would think if they wanted your business they could find out for you.

I agree... no matter who's right... the only way to find out is to ask... and if they have ANY type of customer service, they'll do they're best to answer you question!

But for the record... YOU are right! lol

[InLoveWithDOTS]

Without reading the rest of the thread..... my guess is that no manager will be available to speak to you (although they would know the answer) and instead you will get some young front desk clerk who isn't payed enough to buff her nails on the job and she won't know a THING about what you mean!

[Stacey42]

Almost every crib I have ever gotten at a hotel has been a pack & play (though I have never had anyone from a hotel be able to set one up). They are a really common item. I would be more surprised if they didn't know the answer to that question.

[cherpea]

Umm if they don't know what a pack and play is, and can't tell you if a normal cot would also fit into their room then the hotel staff need more training!!!!!!!!!

All staff members should be reasonably aware of what will and will not fit into a room and front desk staff should be able to tell you without blinking an eye!