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Original poster

'Sneaking' two extra children into hotel room booked for two adults and two children

692 replies

AlbertCamel · 09/08/2024 09:04

AIBU in thinking this may have implications regarding insurance etc?

Friend is off on holiday later today to a large hotel abroad with her DH and four DC aged between 4 and 16. Not a package, no meals included and flights were booked separately.

The room has a small bedroom, bathroom and living area with a sofa bed. It sleeps 4. They've booked it for two adults and two children. That's the maximum number of people allowed.

She wants to check in with DH, their two youngest boys and all their luggage, and have the two oldest boys wait outside until they're 'sneaked' in a little while later.

I think that whilst this is logistically possible, it will have implications but not sure what these implications might be. Friend thinks there's no problem with this and nobody will bat an eyelid.

AIBU in saying it's not a good idea?

OP posts:
dontstopmenowimhavingagoodtime · 09/08/2024 16:59

Macandcheeese · 09/08/2024 09:09

I work in a hotel. If someone did this and we had a fire we would only be looking for the people booked into the room.

Don't believe this!

You'd go searching each room for the presumed occupants......

Not doing an evacuation of the actual occupants?

Kitkat1523 · 09/08/2024 16:58

macaroniandcheeze · 09/08/2024 16:48

Every time I have stayed in a Spanish hotel they have taken the whole family’s passports to scan and then returned them to us later that day. Also always been required to wear wristbands.

That sounds very dodgy ….absolutely no reason for a passport to leave your hands ….I stayed at a family run very small hotel in the back beyond of Croatia last month and even there they had one of those scanners that just zaps the information from your passport whilst you were holding it ( doesn’t photocopy as that’s dodgy too)…..you want to be more careful with the hotels you choose PP ….you should never ever let your passport out of your sight….very basic travel advice

Longma · 09/08/2024 16:57

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Kitkat1523 · 09/08/2024 16:55

ZoeCM · 09/08/2024 15:46

If they get caught and thrown out of the hotel, they have to own it. They can't leave a bad review of the hotel online along the lines of "the staff threw our whole family out onto the street, they frog-marched us out in front of the other guests, it was so humiliating, they won't give us our money back for the days we've missed, the kids are devastated, what a horrible thing to do to innocent children, we had to search for ages for another hotel that had space for us, a last-minute room cost a fortune, we've all been looking forward to this holiday for so long and now it's been ruined". They'll have to accept that they ruined their own holiday, and that the staff were well within their rights to throw them out.

If they got thrown out I don’t think leaving a review would be a priority

BiscuityBoyle · 09/08/2024 16:54

I don’t agree with doing it at all. Sounds miserable for the kids too.

I didn’t have to hand over my passport in Germany but I had put my passport number in on an online check in.

Longma · 09/08/2024 16:53

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Longma · 09/08/2024 16:48

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macaroniandcheeze · 09/08/2024 16:48

Every time I have stayed in a Spanish hotel they have taken the whole family’s passports to scan and then returned them to us later that day. Also always been required to wear wristbands.

TheGoogleMum · 09/08/2024 16:45

Someone on my husbands side of the family did this at the hotel when we got married. It was in the UK and there were no consequences

Maryamlouise · 09/08/2024 16:42

I would do this for one night in a travelodge type place but sneaking about for a whole week sounds stressful

BlackStrayCat · 09/08/2024 16:40

Happy holiday to them, hope they havent seen the Spanish news today.

fitzwilliamdarcy · 09/08/2024 16:40

Friend is never going to validate OP by admitting it if it goes wrong - she’ll return boasting about how they had a wonderful time and saved sooooo much money, regardless of what actually happened.

BreadInCaptivity · 09/08/2024 16:39

BreadInCaptivity · 09/08/2024 16:34

If they want to risk it I suppose it's up to them.

Doesn't sound like a great plan to me though, spending the holiday sneaking around, being squashed into

...squashed into a small place.

The younger kids might like the idea now of "camping" on swimming toys but I think the novelty will wear off (as will 2 older children on an uncomfortable sofa bed) after a few days.

10 days is a long time away from home if you're dealing with 4 sleep deprived and grumpy kids living on top of each other.

It's not the same as all making the best of it for a couple of nights away.

Irrespective of if the hotel find out or not, it sounds like a potential disaster to me.

Izzynohopanda · 09/08/2024 16:36

@AlbertCamel When do they go? Waiting with bated breath to find out what happened .

Longma · 09/08/2024 16:36

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Izzynohopanda · 09/08/2024 16:34

DelphiniumBlue · 09/08/2024 16:28

I’d be wondering where the bigger ones are actually going to sleep? Even if they put a couple of kids on lilos, will there be enough floor space to do that? Maybe smallest one can go in with mum and dad?
I’ve stayed in places where there definitely wouldn’t be enough room to fit an extra 2, not enough floor space, or seats, or cups.

I can think upthread, op said the bigger ones were going top and tail on the sofa. Can imagine many teens would want to share a sofa with their sibling!

Luminousalumnus · 09/08/2024 16:34

tinydynamine · 09/08/2024 09:16

I'm assuming your friend wouldn't dream of doing this in her home country. My advice is: if you wouldn't do it at home, then don't do it abroad.

Why would you not do this at home? Surely it is the whole point of Travelodges! When younger - I wouldn't do it anymore. And we have also done it at euro Disney. Two couples and 5 children in two rooms for 4. The children played musical beds.

BreadInCaptivity · 09/08/2024 16:34

If they want to risk it I suppose it's up to them.

Doesn't sound like a great plan to me though, spending the holiday sneaking around, being squashed into

BlackStrayCat · 09/08/2024 16:31

Do people think people in Spanish hotels in high season with police breathing down their neck are thick?

"Oh, its just Spain"

Do they not realise that it is the biggest and easiest scam to spot? That British people have an horrendous reputation here already?

itsnotagameshow · 09/08/2024 16:29

namechangetheworld · 09/08/2024 10:07

Presumably they can take a couple of sheets from home along with their blow up beds?

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Possibly, but seems such a faff to pack 2 bottom sheets and 2 top sheets with no spares, along with lilos - may as well go camping and not rip off the hotel or expect your children to spend 10 uncomfortable (even sweaty) nights in the same bedding you`ve lugged from home.

Longma · 09/08/2024 16:29

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Longma · 09/08/2024 16:28

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DelphiniumBlue · 09/08/2024 16:28

I’d be wondering where the bigger ones are actually going to sleep? Even if they put a couple of kids on lilos, will there be enough floor space to do that? Maybe smallest one can go in with mum and dad?
I’ve stayed in places where there definitely wouldn’t be enough room to fit an extra 2, not enough floor space, or seats, or cups.

Otherstories2002 · 09/08/2024 16:26

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I have.

cannellonies · 09/08/2024 16:25

CoffeeGood · 09/08/2024 16:09

And if they were the ONLY people doing it, so two extra people in the whole of Spain, then perhaps you might be justified in your dismissive vitriol, but it would seem that it's a common thing. Have you seen the drought in parts of Spain at the moment? In some areas (I have 2 lots of family out there) you can't fill your private villa pool so Airbnb's are in all sorts of problems with people having booked a place with a pool and finding it's not available and if you go over your quota of water you get charged a MASSIVE amount. Some hotels are hanging on by a thread, due to COL, their expenses and controls, and some hotels ARE on the verge of closing anyway and just a few families thinking it's no big deal, like you do, and thinking the rules don't apply to them, literally could close the hotel.

Go and wise up yourself!

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The most ignorant post of the day.

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