Have You Ever Used a Hotel Babysitting Service?

Years ago, we used the sitter service contracted by Disney World and were very pleased. Everyone was checked out, bonded, and so on. If you are using a reputable hotel, you should be okay. Check with other hotels on what they charge - I imagine it varies by location, season (tourist or otherwise), # of children/ages, and so on. But any reputable hotel should be able to tell you their ranges. Major hotels check out their people - they don't want any problems. Usually the care is in the room, but it depends on the set-up. For example, our sitter was given our stroller and permission to go around the hotel grounds. You can specify if you want your child away from the pool or the beach or the street, whatever the hotel offers. My feeling is, get the kid out of the hotel room for some stimulation!

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Yes, i have used the service and I was freaked out. They explained they are screened, but i do not trust any screening other than as a way for the company to get better rates on insurance. The sitter was awesome and my son loved having a babysitter. It was a hotel in San Francisco and the lady was a little older and from Asian (heavy accent). I gave my son my phone to put in his pocket and said to call daddy's number when ever he felt like it. i also wanted him to keep it a secret incase something really bad happened (my head starting thinking about kidnapping). He was close to 5 and my daughter was almost 2 at the time. My son called to say they were getting ice (i think he liked having a phone and he showed it off right when he met the babysitter). I do not remember the price, but i was surprised it was cheaper than some neighborhood babysitters. I want to say a 3 hour minimum and $18 an hour and they accept tips. we went to dinner and they stayed in the room and watched a movie. i'm sure some hotels offer more services incase you want the kids out of the room to play.

As i stated i was scared, but my husband really wanted to go on a date night and i had been so uptight over so many things that i decided to have faith. Yes, i did go back to the room mid date to put my ear to the door.

We used her 2 days later and it was great. A few of my friends have used hotel babysitters as well.

Edit: The babysitter did give us her cell number. Maybe she was not supposed to since I can see how it could cut the middle man (service) out.

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I used to use a nanny service that also serviced the hotels. They were all perfectly fine, except one.

When I had a bad experience, I called the service and said I didn't want her back and she never came back.

If you call early enough, you can describe what you want and they will try to honor that. I used to request the same nanny all the time.

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They are probably well screened, but we never have. Too risky to me.

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I was a hotel babysitter when I was in high school. I had to submit a resume and go through an interview. I enjoyed the job a lot, and the kids seemed to do quite well. There was a bit of separation anxiety with some kids at first, but everyone adjusted. We usually stayed in the room, had room service, watched TV, and played games. Sometimes, if the parents were okay with it, we walked around the hotel or went to the pool. However, now as a mom of a 4-year-old and 2-year-old, I would not use one. Actually, I just found out tonight that I cannot take my kids to an out-of-town wedding. Honestly, a hotel babysitter is out of the question. I do not feel comfortable leaving my kids with a complete stranger in a strange town, even though I was on the other side of the fence.

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Eh, never used one... I don't think I would. Just seems risky to me.

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Only once, in Vegas. She was an older woman, and the kids survived, although I was a little nervous. Yes, they were kept in the hotel room. I don't remember what it cost.

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Nope. And never would.

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I have not. I guess nothing I was going to do trumped the fact that a total stranger was watching my kid. Just my .02.

If you do--please ask a lot of questions!

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I don't think I would trust one even though they are probably just fine.

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i have heard of a sitting service in a hotel and it was like a small daycare. I personally wouldnt be able to do it, i dont have a sitter because i wont leave my kids with anyone i dont know i worry to much.

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I was never that trusting. I am sure they are fine, but I didn't leave my kids with anyone but my mom, or mother in law. Just me!! I was a bit neurotic, and over protective!!

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I have used them many times throughout my travels, including Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Miami, and even Lake Geneva, WI. In most cases, the hotels outsource sitting to local services. If you talk to your hotel concierge, they can provide you with a list of the services they recommend. Most of the time, it is up to you to contact the service directly and set up the service you want. They can also tell you about their screening processes, etc. Usually there is a 4 hour minimum required and rates vary but I would say average around $18/hour for one child, with additional charges for multiple children beyond that. You should plan to tip on top of that.

As far as set-up, YOU dictate what you are comfortable with. I have always required the sitter to stay in the room with the children. This has never posed a problem.

One thing to note, the sitter will not be allowed to disclose a personal cell number to you. If you want to check on your kids, you will have to call the room. The reason for this - if you needed that sitter again during your trip, you could now contact them directly and cut the agency out. The agency obviously does not want that. Just keep this in mind if you'll be out in the evening when the kids are sleeping. Calling the room may wake them up...try to feel comfortable with your sitting arrangement so you don't need to check in if this will create an issue for you.

I have never had a bad experience with any of the hotel sitters I've used and we have used at least 10 of them. On a long 10 day vacation, my hubby and I try to do one date night, so we have become familiar over the years with this service. I definitely recommend taking advantage of it if you can, but always trust your gut. I have told my husband every time, "if I get a bad vibe when the sitter arrives, we're not going.". He supports that, which means I always know I won't have to head out the door feeling uncomfortable.

Enjoy your trip!

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I didn't know such a thing existed, honestly, and NO, I have never used one, and now that I know they're out there, I NEVER WOULD!

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I never have. I would ask the hotel a Lot of questions. Ask them how they screen the sitters and how long the sitter has worked for them.

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