Perhaps it's having children that makes the idea of being utterly adult so very attractive. Twenty-four hours with three kids for a fortnight can lead to tension on even the most idyllic holiday. The Brazilians, a family-loving people, have the perfect solution for the harassed parent who wants to escape ever-so-briefly. They're called motels, and you rent a room by the hour.

Do not abandon this column in disgust quite yet. Lonely Planet, no less, describes these institutions as "an integral part of the nation's social fabric, a bedrock of Brazilian morality". There's nothing remotely seedy about Brazilian motels, despite the name. Most are frequented by married couples who simply want a quick break from their brood, or adult children who still live at home. Every town has a couple of dozen to choose from. We went to one called VIPs (pronounced "veeeps") in Rio de Janeiro.

There is a well-established etiquette for customers. In the interest of discretion, a taxi takes you straight to a personal garage from which a staircase goes up into your gigantic room, furnished with fake white-leather sofas. There were mirrors on the ceiling, on the walls, around the hot tub... and a mini swimming pool on the balcony, overlooking the sea.

In the small anteroom, a waiter gently knocked to indicate she (or was it he?) was delivering whatever we had ordered over the phone, so we never saw them and they never saw us. Room service was extensive - sugar cane cocktails, Brahma beer, ciggies, condoms. We could even get scrambled eggs, if homely cooking was our kick. All for less than £50 for four hours, plus the cost of the babysitter back at the hotel where the kids were.

One tip for any of you who avails themselves of these splendid facilities: if you take snaps do so on a separate film to the rest of your holiday. Fun as it is, you really don't want family back home stumbling across evidence of your adult escape.

If you have any experiences of travelling with kids that you want to share, email: travelwithkids@cs.com.