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

secure.scotlandshotel.com

Scotland's spa hotel has rooms for up to 5 people ( town not city though)

Have you looked at sleeps5.com they list hotels theoughout the UK with rooms for 5, 6 or 7 guests, you can call the hotels direct

I wouldn't give sneaking an extra child in a second thought. 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. They certainly wouldn't be checking guest lists against the people who are out of the building.

Exactly!

When I’ve booked hotels they aren’t interested in who else is in the room with me. The last time I make a booking for 5 (two rooms), for some reason it was on the system as 2 adults only. The idea that someone from reception has a list of every person in the hotel at the exact time of a fire is laughable! What about people who stay out all night? Or are in clubs or bars? Also, people take guests back to their hotel room all the time. It’s no different.

I have openly walked through reception with an extra child and no one cares. Not if it’s a big chain hotel.

I’ve also phoned the hotel directly and they’ve been able to help with extra beds or I’ve offered to bring my own.

It’s the online booking system that’s impossible to get past OP. You need to phone direct.

As for insurance being invalidated and not having a leg to stand on - for what exactly? I’ve made claims on my travel insurance ans was never asked how many people were in the room.

We use premier inns and their beds are pretty big so them and the emergency sleeping bag work well for the five of us. We don’t get the over priced breakfast and eat pastries in our room and have never had a problem. Wouldn’t dream of booking two rooms. Love the YHA too where we all def get a bed.

Sorry I see that's already been suggested!

www.crieffhydro.com/hotel/

Crieff Hydro has family rooms for up to 6 people.

Booking.com allows you to enter number of adults and children in your party as well as rooms required, location etc. It's not perfect (it does suggest 2 room hotels too) but it definitely helps. You don't need to book with them afterwards if you don't want to, but it might be helpful as a search tool.

Youth hostels? Some of the city ones are lovely.

I wouldn't give sneaking an extra child in a second thought. 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. They certainly wouldn't be checking guest lists against the people who are out of the building.

We stayed in a B&B in Aberdeen quite a few years back with 3 young adults) have you looked up B & B? (there was one in Whitby I remember where I stayed with dd adult once too

Oh it's so frustrating. We have children with SEND too and found places like travel lodge, premier inn etc won't let us pre book interconnecting rooms and tell us it depends what's available when we turn up. We've stayed in a couple of suites where they put camp beds up in the living space (near legoland). We stayed in a hotel near the Harry Potter studios with one double and 3 singles all in one room, it was amazing as everyone was happy, we all had proper beds and it was much less stressful as even in suites the children dislike the new environment and feel scared even though we're in the room next door with the doors open.

That said I agree hotels should do a few larger rooms though as a person who needs a disabled room with accessible shower when travelling with my mum, they are few and far between too

Hotels make more money filling them with boxes for 2. It's business I guess

I also recommend bunk houses that you can book exclusive use of - we stayed at the one at Celtic camping, flat rate per person

They do exist but look at b&b's. I've stayed in places with a double and 3 singles here in the U.K. and in Europe. What you cannot do though is squeeze an extra child in a double bed officially, but not can you in the USA (officially). Holiday inns in the U.K. normally offer 2 double bedded rooms as do other larger chains

@BasementIdeas
In bad fires or other situations where buildings become damaged, then a list of who was supposed to be in there is really, really important! I thought this was common knowledge!

We have a similar issue but we are a small family (DH, DS 15 and me) with hotel chains .
DS is now 5ft 10. He doesn't sleep in the same room as us at home, he doesn't sleep on a sofa/"put-u-up" bed at home so why should he be expected to share with us just because he's not an adult and on an inferior bed?
I rang Premier Inns about interconnected rooms and all they did was put me through to the hotel that I wanted to stay at. The answer to my request for an interconnecting room was that it can be requested but not guaranteed. So if 2 families book in on the same day and there's only one set of rooms available then the first to check in will get them. Not much use if you have travelled from the other end of the UK.

Booking.com you can book small apartments with two bedrooms for city breaks.

Hiltons always have 2 double bed rooms.

I was also going to suggest youth hostels, I've not been to one for decades but they are only getting better.

Covid means they can't easily rent out beds in a dorm, so if you cannot find one with a family room you might get a dorm.

This one has rooms for 5 people, a bar and a cafe.
www.yha.org.uk/hostel/yha-bath

Don't sneak children in. If anything were to happen you wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

Also a family of 5. I've found that if you telephone some hotels, the ones that have large family rooms, they'll often put another single camp bed or similar in for you, for an extra £10 or £20. It's worth doing a ring round.

Having said that, we stayed in London in October at a Hilton (Hampton Hilton London Park Royal) in 2 inter connecting rooms, it was a fab new hotel, 2 massive rooms for about £170 for both rooms which I thought was good value.

Also, what happens when someone hooks up? Are they meant to inform reception of the extra person staying in the room?

I'd book a 4 bed room & top & toe 2 of the kids.

The Hilton doubletree in London docklands has lovely big family rooms for 5.

Also, https://www.coppidbeech.com/family-friendly-hotel/ this hotel (perfect for a trip to legoland) was brilliant... we had a double bed in one room and 3 single beds in the adjoining suite. It was really reasonable too. (Haven't been there for years though).

Someone mentioned the stay city suites. That was also really good. Plenty of room and options to take your own food/get take aways in your room to keep cost down.

Many hotels will arrange a camp bed for little kids if you call and ask.

I just looked at York on booking.com and there's a place called The Diamonds (or similar) that does rooms with two doubles and one single. So I think they are out there, if a bit like hens' teeth!