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Original poster

To want a UK hotel room which sleeps a family of five

282 replies

Dishwashersaurous · 08/01/2022 09:47

So, thinking about having a break in another UK city for a couple of days over half term just to have a break.

We're a family of five, three children primary age.

I envisaged a hotel room with two double beds, like those you get in US motels. Kids more than happy to share a bed.

We've only camped or cottages in UK before.

Now, despite searching and searching it seems that it is impossible to get a hotel room to sleep five. Which means two rooms, which obviously is much more expensive, when literally going to just be sleeping. We all happily sleep in one room in a tent.

So, good people of mumsnet, AIBU to hope someone can help me find a hotel room which sleeps five. Or don't they exist

OP posts:
OliviaBond · 08/01/2022 23:04

[quote Notoironing]@OliviaBond would you share the place you stayed near the Harry Potter studio?[/quote]
It was this one. It's only 3 star and the bathroom had a leak when we were there, but the room was nice, toasty and warm and breakfast was fine. It was just so relaxing to all be in one room so everyone actually slept!

To want a UK hotel room which sleeps a family of five
Icannever · 08/01/2022 22:54

Marriot hotels will give you a second room half price if
Booking with kids so that could work
All merlin hotels (legoland, chessington, Alton towers) have five bed rooms

DieSchottin93 · 08/01/2022 22:42

Have you phoned up any hotels to ask or are you just trying to book online?

I work as a receptionist in a small hotel and there's a couple of rooms that would fit a family of 5, we'd just need to know in advance so we could pop a cot/z-bed in there for the third child. Depending on hotel policy there may be a small extra charge for it.

If you phone the hotel up directly and get them to make the booking for you the receptionist should be able to override any messages that come up about exceeding the maximum occupancy Smile

whatkatydid2013 · 08/01/2022 22:32

This is from the IHG website for the voco hotel mentioned. You can search on there by area for where has rooms for 5 and the group has loads of chains

To want a UK hotel room which sleeps a family of five
Notoironing · 08/01/2022 22:32

@OliviaBond would you share the place you stayed near the Harry Potter studio?

Sunshinegirl82 · 08/01/2022 22:23

The Ickworth in Suffolk will also accommodate 5 in one room by adding additional beds to their larger rooms.

Sunshinegirl82 · 08/01/2022 22:14

Bedruthan Hotel in Newquay have at least one room that accommodates 2 adults and up to 4 children.

3scape · 08/01/2022 22:05

It's kind of utter utter made up bollocks about looking for listed occupants only! Lol. Fortunately firefighters are more sensible than most posters about the possibility of additional people being in rooms.

Blueeyedgirl21 · 08/01/2022 22:05

YHA hostel private rooms
Great fun for all

3scape · 08/01/2022 22:02

Adjoining rooms. Lock and block off one door so everyone uses the one outside door.

Alwayswonderedwhy · 08/01/2022 21:59

We always found if you phone the hotel they'll put an extra bed in a family room. Now the kids are older we tend to book two rooms.

Silverswirl · 08/01/2022 21:56

@Wtfdidwedo

Also I can understand the room occupancy for fires but I can promise you my husband and I would be carrying our under 5s out in a fire!
Not if you were both unconscious you wouldn’t.
Silverswirl · 08/01/2022 21:55

@BoredZelda

Not very helpful when your sevond child turned out to be twins

But the risk you take nonetheless.

Then every single parent who has a second child has to factor that in and as the rate of twins is fairly low I don’t think many would even consider this a possibility when wanting a second. I certainly didn’t give it a second thought!
Silverswirl · 08/01/2022 21:52

@ImInStealthMode

Hotels are subject to a lot of regulations related to occupant per square footage and insurances around room occupancy which is why they won't let you take a room 'for 4' and put 3 little ones in a double bed.

I used to work for Premier Inn and hated CFs like the PP's friend. If there'd been a fire the rescue services would search that room for 4 potentially unconscious occupants to rescue as per the rooming list, not 5.

Bigger rooms designed to accommodate 5 are around but few and far between, more and more those rooms are converted to master suites now which command a higher rate.

Unfortunately it's one of the considerations when having a 3rd child, it makes any kind of travel that includes a hotel twice as expensive than for a family of 4.

Or in my case no consideration because I went for a second child and had unexpected twins! Nothing you can do there really! Such a pain when hardly anywhere caters for 5. Cottages you often have to get somewhere with 3 bedrooms for 6. It’s the same with holidays abroad Having 3 kids just cuts down your choices by 80%
ImInStealthMode · 08/01/2022 21:45

@CornishTiger

It’s so frustrating. There was a chain hat had a discount on for second room but I can’t remember who they were now
They're high end but Handpicked Hotels do this (at least the ones I work with do). 75% of the room rate for children sharing when their parents are paying full rate IIRC.
ImInStealthMode · 08/01/2022 21:36

@BoredZelda

'If there'd been a fire the rescue services would search that room for 4 potentially unconscious occupants to rescue as per the rooming list, not 5.

That’s untrue and it’s spouting nonsense like this that is easily dismissible that means people will continue to do it.'

On what basis is this untrue? I went through numerous fire drills and a couple of genuine emergency evacuations when I was working in hotels and the fire service were handed a list/map of occupied rooms including number of occupants. Residents potentially more vulnerable (limited mobility or deaf) were highlighted. Residents who had evacuated themselves were checked off.

Unlikely as it might be that all occupants were rendered unconscious in a serious fire, rescue services would only look for the number listed. An extra child hiding under the bed or the duvet in fear could very easily be missed in chaos.

olivehater · 08/01/2022 21:26

Put them down as two kids and an infant ( so you get the head count) then sneak them in.

Darbs76 · 08/01/2022 21:20

Look for an apartment or AirB&B instead of a hotel

SeeminglyOblivious · 08/01/2022 21:17

We're a family of 5. We've stayed in more than a dozen different Premier Inns in the past year for 1-5 nights, in one room, and never had a problem.

It's probably an unnecessary step but we don't all enter and exit together. So I check in with 2 dc. Then go out to the car, give DH the check in card and directions and he brings in dc3. Then we leave and enter separately from then.

We always book for 2 adults, 2 dc and a toddler so there's a travel cot in the room - as in our experience you tend to get a bigger room then - we just put the cot down and two dc top and tail in one of the singles. I have no concerns about max occupancy as max is actually 5, just that one dc must be under 3.

Morally I'm OK with it. We book cheap Premier Inns to visit family or for weekend breaks or overnight theme park stays - stays that, had we had to book two rooms, we wouldn't have booked at all. So as far as PI profit is concerned, they get one room booking or none 🤷🏻‍♀️

KenAdams · 08/01/2022 21:09

Trivago let's you search for 3 kids

KiloWhat · 08/01/2022 20:48

It's annoying but you either have to ring or pay for two rooms.

Silverswirl · 08/01/2022 20:45

Family of 5 here.
We air B and B for 2 nights. Works out well.
Most hotels require you to have 2 rooms and also my eldest is now reluctant to share a bed as she’s 13 now.
I would never ever sneak a child in becuse it’s a huge fire / evacuation risk and it invalidates the hotels insurance. If they see you, they will not be happy at all and I don’t like being dishonest

Didiplanthis · 08/01/2022 20:38

We have had 5 person rooms at airport hotels if that might work for you ? We also have 3 x DC

Janek · 08/01/2022 20:37

Gah, quoting didn't work, that was @orangebonbon

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