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

Extra two children!!! He was very insistent that it was above board. But my impression of him is that he's a bit of a blagger, so I shall choose to believe you!

The Merlin hotels (Chessington/Alton Towers/LEGOLAND) have lots of options for sleeping 5 or 6.

Not a city break I know but a fun night away for a family.

Sorry, the OP hasn’t said she’ll do it but others are suggesting she does and saying there’s nothing wrong with lying to the hotel about how many people are in your party.

It's not necessarily trying to get a cheaper holiday, it's any holiday. We haven't holidayed in five years because of the increased cost. It's unaffordable now.

The OP and several other posters are saying they do it because it’s cheaper than booking two rooms. So it is to get a cheaper holiday.

You can dress it up all you like. It’s still lying.

Some hotels offer apartments such as Cotswold Water Park so you can enjoy a hotel breakfast.

I don’t think this is what you want but I know Butlin’s Bognor have 5 person rooms. One bed is a sofa bed.

There must be others who do this set up if they can.

We always booked two interconnecting rooms, they worked well and had the benefit of two bathrooms.

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!

Watergate Bay Hotel, near Newquay in Cornwall has family suites which accommodate 5. I used to work there and yes, they do get booked up well in advance for the school holidays but cancellations do come up. Not so bad during term time as you'd expect. It's a wonderful hotel but very much on the pricey side.

The buildings are designed for a maximum occupancy which is based on a calculation of how long it takes x number of people to escape in a fire safely. Over occupancy is one of the biggest causes of death in a fire as people can’t escape in time and succumb to smoke inhalation. @BoredZelda

Building occupancy is worked out on a spacing factor , escape width and travel distance. I'm interested in where your information is from around over occupancy . The number of people killed in fires in non-domestic buildings is about 50 a year in the UK . You are right smoke inhalation is a killer . The number of people killed in hotels in the UK in the last few years solely because of a crush in escaping must be near zero.

I’m sure hotel staff are far too busy to check whether someone is sneaking extra children in for free and having free breakfasts into the bargain.

I just wouldn’t do it because it’s lying. But it seems there are plenty of people who are happy to lie to get a cheaper holiday, if this thread is anything to go by.

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

But the risk you take nonetheless.

There was a chain hat had a discount on for second room but I can’t remember who they were now

Hilton do it.

Well of course you would get charged for 2 rooms. Why on earth wouldn't you?

Because some hotels offer a second half price.

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.

Marriott will often let you squeeze into their rooms with two doubles if you have 3 kids. Just call the hotel to book (vs booking.com) and usually they are very happy for you to sell share (provided you pay for the extra stuff like breakfast if you’ve gotten a room with the breakfast rate etc).

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

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

We stay at the Mayfair on Stratton street in London. 2 double beds

But it’s not cheap. Depends on budget.

Swan Hotel in Wells has "Mews" appartments which are like tiny cottages on the hotel site - have a kitchen and sitting room and 2 bedrooms - the biggest have bunk beds and you could add an extra pull out bed. Bedruthen Steps in COrnwall has family suites with a tiny bunkroom which can accomodate 5.

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.

Going forward, france often has big family rooms, can recommend multiple places , also Germany too. Family of 4 but the spare bed was useful for cases