How to help fiercely independent sleeper share a hotel room successfully?

[okinawamama]

We are headed out on a 10 day vacation with my two boys. DS2 is 21 months, and a fiercely independent sleeper. He will not be APOP in any way anymore. At home, this is fine, but our last hotel stay was completely disastrous. We put him down for bed at 640, and he didn't fall asleep for the night until a little after 11. We left the next day.

So, we are completely insane to try it again, but life must go on (right?!.....). So, what do you ladies do when you have to share a room with your kids (this is obviously not our first choice, a suite would be work best, but it's not an option at our location). Also, tips for naps when sharing a room with 3yr old (who doesn't nap) and a 21 month old? My DH will not be with us during the day so taking the 3 year old out will not be an option.

I obviously plan to stick to the same routine, keep white noise and have the room as dark as possible, but I guess I'm specifically looking for ways to help divide the room so that he can't see us. Do any of you use curtains hung from the ceiling (how in the world do you do it?)? My DH thought of putting a tent up in the room, but that seems completely ridiculous, but we are desperate and totally anxious.  I've googled and it looks like the UK has many portable black out curtains with suction cups (that is frickin GENIUS!), but I've searched high and low here in the Us and can't find anything comparable. ANy other room sharing tips are completely appreciated. I literally was awake in the middle of the  night for 1.5hrs stressing about this.

[eva026]

I've googled and it looks like the UK has many portable black out curtains with suction cups (that is frickin GENIUS!), but I've searched high and low here in the Us and can't find anything comparable

We have those and am pretty happy with them. Before we got them we just stuck thick, black bin bags onto the windows and to be honest they blacked out even better.

About dividing the room, could you maybe do a "fort" for the kids? Put a barrier of chairs and blankets up to section off their sleeping space (not over their head ofc) and have the LOs sleep on a mat on the floor to put them lower down so they can't see over the blanket wall?

[C&B&E]

Have you seen these crazy things??!  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Content-Calm-Cot-Canopy-Net/dp/B002DPPHCG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358968554&sr=8-1

We've got a gro blind (with suction cups) but I've recently tried something else that has worked well - plastic black tablecloths!  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Plastic-Tablecover-/221117476653?pt=Table_Linens&hash=item337ba0ef2d  they are light, fold up really small, and do the job well (we've used binbags before but they are so fiddly and don't lie flat against the window).  The one I had was a bit too thin, so two would be better - and then just stuck on the window with selotape.  I think if I was going away I would probably buy 4 and then would definitely have enough to cover a large window. 

Nap time - have you got a portable dvd player that your 3 year old could use?  If not, then some quiet activities like stickers or a new jjigsaw puzzle? Have you seen these water beads?  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aqua-Crystal-Expanding-Storing-Crystals/dp/B007K6HEJM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358968761&sr=8-2 Something like that would be great to keep him occupied stood up at the sink in the bathroom, and they are so tiny they would take up no room in your suitcase! 

[okinawamama]

Have you seen these crazy things??!  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Content-Calm-Cot-Canopy-Net/dp/B002DPPHCG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358968554&sr=8-1

OMG! that's a babywhisperer's dream! If I wasn't on my last baby, I would probably snag that up (of course, it looks like it's only available in the UK).

The trash bags or table cloths are a perfect idea! Sometimes the best art the ones that should be the most obvious/easy! I can fold a few up in our suitcase and bring those along.

About dividing the room, could you maybe do a "fort" for the kids? Put a barrier of chairs and blankets up to section off their sleeping space (not over their head ofc) and have the LOs sleep on a mat on the floor to put them lower down so they can't see over the blanket wall?

That might work! I need to look at the hotel floor plan for the room and see what it looks like and the furniture that is available to us.

Remember when vacationing meant grabbing a couple cute outfits and a magazine....

[C&B&E]

http://www.amazon.com/Content-Calm-Original-Darkness-Protection/dp/B002DPPHCG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358969346&sr=8-1&keywords=Content%26Calm+Cot+Canopy+Net

Are you in the US?  they have them on your amazon - even more pricey though  !

Remember when vacationing meant grabbing a couple cute outfits and a magazine....

and now it's more like a military operation  !

[Erin M]

Bring your baby monitor and then you and A can always camp out in the hallway, bathroom, or down the hall and watch movies, play games, etc during nap time.  Monitors have decent range, we went away for Thanksgiving we had the bonus of having dh's family staying across the hall from us, so we'd go over to their room while James slept, but you could do something similar out in the hall.

We always all go to bed when the baby goes to bed as well -- just means that he goes to bed a little later to line up with the girls' BT and dh and I bring our computers, iPads, etc so we don't have to go to bed quite so early. 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

We usually have our kids bedtime a little later than normal and ours a bit earlier and all go to sleep at the same time. I used to take a dark bedsheet to put over the curtains, but I don't bother anymore.

[nwmm]

When I was a kid (US) there were these "tents" you put on the top of a kids bed.  Like a hideaway for their bed.  Same regular bed and bedsheets with some sort of tent looking top. 

[nwmm]

Check out the toys r us website. I remember and prefer the solid color less busy ones I remember from years ago but this lead might help.....

[MommyMoulton]

Try KidCo portable beds. Fold up small and its basically a mini tent. My DS loves it. Plus you can get it ahead of time and use it at home first so he doesn't stress about the new environment. I bought mine at Sears.

[CCCmom27]

Have you had a look at the floor plan?  If it had a space big enough when you walk in the door (then a small hall and the bathroom off to one side before going in where the beds are) for a crib/packnplay then you could put him there .  We did that when C was about 18 months old and then put the white noise machine in the little 'hall' closest to the area with the beds.  Once he was asleep we were able to watch tv or whatever without bothering him.  You could maybe take some of those command strips and somehow attach a dark sheet or something to block it off even more.

We only had the one at the time but if DS1 isn't going to sleep at the same time I'd have him be out of sight...maybe go for a walk or hang out on the floor with some books or toys where DS2 can't see him.

[nona]

maybe this time will be different?

my DS was similar. he would not fall asleep with us in the room even as a baby. we went to spain and we were all in a hotel room and he needed to nap so DH & I just sat outside the hotel room door until he fell asleep. granted, not sure  how that is going ot work with a 3 yo.

so will he not just pass out from exhaustion in a stroller while entertaining  your other LO? we just sucked it up and did that in Spain otherwise we would be stuck in a hotel room the whole time.  maybe do it every other day?