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AIBU?

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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:
CrackersDontMatter · 08/01/2022 16:36

North Lakes hotel in Penrith has rooms that sleep 5. King bed, sofa bed and bunk beds that fold out of the wall.

Original poster
Dishwashersaurous · 08/01/2022 16:15

And even the couple of websites that do allow you to put in five people, like voco.

Then get this error message.

The number of persons travelling for your stay exceeds the capacity of the room type selected. Please select a different room type or increase the number of rooms

OP posts:
Original poster
Dishwashersaurous · 08/01/2022 16:09

And we've always done cottages before. But just really fancied a hotel, someone else cooking breakfast. And the kids are old enough that we can go out for dinner and then all go back and just crash into bed.

Thanks for all the suggestions

OP posts:
cultkid · 08/01/2022 16:03

resident hotel soho will let you have five, I just stayed there (in the suite admittedly)

We have only got two children at the moment but our third is due in a few months. It's been something that is fiercely on our minds
It's hard enough to find a room allowing two kids, even when there are two double beds

I much prefer staying in an air bnb because I hate having no kitchen space, the snacks get so expensive without somewhere to feed the kids yourself and I also hate sitting in darkness when they go to sleep

At the resident I think it was like £250 for the night it had two rooms one of which was a sitting room but it had a sofa bed in. Our boys slept in that then down the hall way a bedroom for us. there was a kitchenette in the sitting room and it had a fridge and nespresso machine. They also do shopping for you ahead of your arrival and just charge what it costs.
Separate toilet / bathroom and walk in wardrobe

I honestly couldn't fault it it was so handy

I think all resident hotels are like this
Xx

MissBridgetJones · 08/01/2022 15:56

Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall have family rooms. A double bed, and then a bunk room off this that has bunks or bunks + single bed.

Have stayed in at least 2 rooms here where we have booked for 2 adults and 2 kids and ended up with a triple bunk room.

That said, the rooms are like goldust and kids holidays very over-subscribed x

Ozanj · 08/01/2022 15:55

Travelodge family room - you need to call them as it won’t be accepted online. If your children are all under 12 they will give you an extra single sleeper but only really in locations where room sizes allow it. Hilton Doubletree also do this.

thebestever · 08/01/2022 15:53

Our family of five have stayed several times at the Durley Dean in Bournemouth. They have a variety of family rooms - plenty of space - and there's a pool there too. Not pricey.

bettybadger · 08/01/2022 15:51

This hotel has family rooms with 2 queens and a single - might not be quite the vibe you're after though (spa/golf). www.londonbeach.com/Hotel.html

But there are places out there. Hotels with family rooms will cater for at least 2 adults/2 kids and some will be large enough for an extra camp bed - will probably require a phone call though rather than being visible online...

Original poster
Dishwashersaurous · 08/01/2022 15:26

Sorry the booking.com filter is what I did. Only apartments or any hotels actually require two rooms if you try and book

OP posts:
Original poster
Dishwashersaurous · 08/01/2022 15:25

Thanks his isnwhat I did and only apartments etc came up. Or when then tried to book the hotel, wouldn't allow only one room.

OP posts:
mrsmoppp · 08/01/2022 15:06

Family of 5 here. Premier inn and sneak one in.

FAQs · 08/01/2022 14:58

Oops missed they had already been suggested 👍

FAQs · 08/01/2022 14:57

Have you looked at YHA they have set ups for families and some of them are really nice now.

OhThatChicken · 08/01/2022 14:51

We took our kids to Hyatt House Manchester - it's an apartment hotel, you can basically get a room that is a bedroom (with a massive king size bed we put our two DC in) and then a living/dining area with a pull-out sofa bed (where the grown ups slept - with the added benefit that we could watch TV/make drinks etc once the kids were asleep).

It's not cheap (about £140 a night) but we all absolutely loved it and it was a perfect base for a weekend exploring Manchester.

I'm not sure if they have others elsewhere.

jetadore · 08/01/2022 14:28

We just stayed in a premier inn family room which had a double and two single beds. I’m sure trvelodge is the same. If your kids are happy to sleep together in the double then you and oh can take the singles? Not as comfy for you as the double has the decent mattress but would work, maybe the smallest child in with you and the others on the singles? Anyway that’s what I’d do,

Thelovelyflower · 08/01/2022 14:24

Just ring the hotels. We are a family of 5 and tend to book fully refundable places for a family of 4 on Booking.com and then contact the hotel after making the booking to check if it's ok to bring a 5yo too. Lots of places are fine with it and don't charge extra if an extra bed isn't needed.

skellingtonboot · 08/01/2022 14:24

@Lemons1571

The trouble with interconnecting rooms is that you generally get charged for 2 rooms.

Hilton have a few 5 person rooms - 1 double 3 singles or 2 doubles 1 sofa bed. You can search for these specifically which also helps.

Well of course you would get charged for 2 rooms. Why on earth wouldn't you?
1winterblues · 08/01/2022 13:58

Sorry not read the whole trip, but we use travel lodges and just sneak and extra child in. They really don't care.

Also discovered youth hostels which are quite cheap, you can get private rooms for families and we have paid about £60 in some big cities for breaks

maddening · 08/01/2022 13:51

We had a suite in Liverpool that had a bed and 2 sofa beds in the lounge x

Janek · 08/01/2022 13:48

A colleague of mine with four children claims his family always use one room in a Premier Inn. I think the youngest two share a bed, but he apparently always agrees it with the hotel in advance.

DeepaBeesKit · 08/01/2022 13:41

Is there any reason you don't want Airbnb? Hotels can be expensive, you might find you can get a reasonable 2 bed Airbnb and it's nice having a sitting room & kitchen when you are away with younger children as I doubt you want to go to bed at the same time as your primary school kids!

DeepaBeesKit · 08/01/2022 13:39

They probably don't do it because you will get stag/hen dos sneaking loads of adults in one room to save money.

Also alas they arent there to provide cheap holidays, they are there to make money and can make more making people take 2 rooms. I think airbnb has also taken some market share for families looking for city accomodation.

APurpleSquirrel · 08/01/2022 13:29

We stayed at the Doubletree by Hilton London Docklands at October half term & had a room with two Queen beds & a double sofa bed so could sleep 6, though we were only a family of 4.

Envoitrevisage · 08/01/2022 13:19

@Dishwashersaurous it’s easy on the Voco website, literally pick a date and then add the people.

To want a UK hotel room which sleeps a family of five
BoredZelda · 08/01/2022 13:13

The fire thing is ridiculous as there's no way that the hotel would have a clue who is in and who is out at the time.

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.

But sure, you decide that your individual circumstances trump the safety of other guests, and just hope that half the other guests haven’t decided the same thing.