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AIBU?

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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:
MrsRobinsonsHandprints · 09/08/2024 09:30

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.

This isn't true.

A hotel has no idea if people are in or out of the room, or if one or all are in a room, or if someone has a guest.

Plus if there was a fire and the fire brigade go to the room they aren't only going to rescue the four that have paid and let the other two burn.

Why do people post such rubbish.

But it is still a terrible idea.

parkrun500club · 09/08/2024 09:30

Purplebunnie · 09/08/2024 09:27

And people wonder why the Spanish hate British tourists. Is it any wonder when visitors they won't pay the full price

Edited

What makes you think only British tourists would do this?

Starlight1979 · 09/08/2024 09:29

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 09/08/2024 09:18

Don't make your two oldest wait outside the hotel. Put ALL your clothes on, and put the two lightest children in the empty suitcases and carry them up to the room.

Make sure you have a plan that in the event of someone knocking on your room door, at least two of the party immediately hide, in the suitcases, under the bed, in the bath or maybe hanging off the balcony.

In case of a fire role call be prepared to disown two your children, (perhaps decide now which you like least).

😂

Purplebunnie · 09/08/2024 09:27

And people wonder why the Spanish hate British tourists. Is it any wonder when visitors they won't pay the full price

Theothername · 09/08/2024 09:27

I hated this sort of thing as a child - I got very stressed and anxious,

MaggieFS · 09/08/2024 09:26

With regards to the fire thing, it makes no sense to me, as pp have said, people can be anywhere so how would they know. But when we had a water outage and insurance would pay for us to go to a hotel, we didn't actually stay, just needed a shower. So I tried to book a single room and explained the situation. The hotel was adamant they couldn't do that for fire reasons, and ended up giving us a family room but discounting the price down to that of a single. There was absolutely no way they could knowingly have too many in a room.

Not the point though. What your friend is doing is fraud/ theft. I have sympathy for people with three children looking for one night in a Premier Inn, but going to Spain with four kids and not paying for their accommodation is beyond excusable.

LewishamMumNow · 09/08/2024 09:26

I would probably do this for self-catering accommodation, but not a hotel. I'd be too worried about being caught, and thrown out!

Original poster
AlbertCamel · 09/08/2024 09:25

They're going for 10 days.

OP posts:
Original poster
AlbertCamel · 09/08/2024 09:24

Plump82 · 09/08/2024 09:22

So is she planning on squeezing all 4 of the kids in one sofa bed. Surely the oldest 2 could almost be the size of adults!

Oldest two are quite big for their age and the 16 year old could easily pass as an adult. They plan to buy lilos/ inflatable beds for the youngest two who are apparantly looking forward to sleeping on them. All four kids will be in the living room, parents in the bedroom.

OP posts:
PiggyPlumPie · 09/08/2024 09:23

I will admit to having done this for one night in a UK travelodge. Youngest slept in with us.

But I wouldn't have done it for more than one night and definitely not for a week!

liveforsummer · 09/08/2024 09:23

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.

We used to do this ALL the time in our youngest days in travel lodge and premier inns 😬. Also known many people do it as said hotels have really limited family rooms so squeeze in a child or 2 to a normal room. Definitely something that's done regularly in the uk. I'd be far more worried to do it abroad tbh

Plump82 · 09/08/2024 09:22

So is she planning on squeezing all 4 of the kids in one sofa bed. Surely the oldest 2 could almost be the size of adults!

Original poster
AlbertCamel · 09/08/2024 09:21

liveforsummer · 09/08/2024 09:20

Why did you call out about it, it doesn't affect you in the slightest!

Show quote history

Of course it doesn't affect me, but we were talking about it yesterday and she felt my arguments against it were unreasonable. This is AIBU and so I'm asking if IABU.

OP posts:
MyStylish40s · 09/08/2024 09:20

I would be very surprised if it went unnoticed.

MrsSkylerWhite · 09/08/2024 09:20

What a stupid thing to do.

liveforsummer · 09/08/2024 09:20

AlbertCamel · 09/08/2024 09:16

We actually fell out about it yesterday, well she was annoyed and said I was trying to ruin her holiday before it had even started. I was just pointing out that there may be fire/ insurance implications and for her to be aware of this.

So Spain will most likely be OK. I don't want them kicked out! However, her boys are pretty loud when they're at home and so it's unlikely they won't draw attention to themselves on holiday and full of energy and excitement.

Why did you call out about it, it doesn't affect you in the slightest!

FinalInstructionstotheAudience · 09/08/2024 09:19

It is disgusting
So bloody entitled and arrogant. I would not want her as a friend

Original poster
AlbertCamel · 09/08/2024 09:19

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 09/08/2024 09:18

Don't make your two oldest wait outside the hotel. Put ALL your clothes on, and put the two lightest children in the empty suitcases and carry them up to the room.

Make sure you have a plan that in the event of someone knocking on your room door, at least two of the party immediately hide, in the suitcases, under the bed, in the bath or maybe hanging off the balcony.

In case of a fire role call be prepared to disown two your children, (perhaps decide now which you like least).

Love it!

OP posts:
toastofthetown · 09/08/2024 09:19

They might get kicked out of the hotel and asked to pay for another room. Depending on the size and layout of the hotel will probably affect how likely that is. It will also be cramped, but that’s not your problem.

People on MN always cite numbers in fires, but with a hotel it’s common for people to be away from their rooms and to bring guests to stay in their rooms. If there were a fire register to sign guests in and out that would be different, but I’ve never stayed in a hotel like that. It’s not like any hotel would say “well we’ve got 234 guests checked in, 234 in the car park now, so we’ll stop checking rooms now we’ve met the number”. Either everyone will be trapped in the room in which case it would be checked; no-one is there and again it would be checked; or some of the party escaped the fire and can raise the alarm that there are still people trapped.

Original poster
AlbertCamel · 09/08/2024 09:19

tennesseewhiskey1 · 09/08/2024 09:14

Your friend is an idiot. I sued to work in a hotel and we have kicked people out for this.

So it happens quite frequently? Friend said people do it all the time, I just don't know anyone else who would.

OP posts:
TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 09/08/2024 09:18

Don't make your two oldest wait outside the hotel. Put ALL your clothes on, and put the two lightest children in the empty suitcases and carry them up to the room.

Make sure you have a plan that in the event of someone knocking on your room door, at least two of the party immediately hide, in the suitcases, under the bed, in the bath or maybe hanging off the balcony.

In case of a fire role call be prepared to disown two your children, (perhaps decide now which you like least).

PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich · 09/08/2024 09:18

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.

That's not right, you'd have no idea who was in the hotel at any given time. People bring others back to their room all the time, or stay out. You wouldn't have hotel staff fretting because not every single guest's at the assembly point, or there are a couple of people they don't know there in last night's clothes. The fire service don't check for specific people, they check for people.

Either way, it does sound like a crap holiday and I imagine the staff will spot pretty quickly what's going on. They'll be asked to pay for another room or leave.

Original poster
AlbertCamel · 09/08/2024 09:17

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.

Oh that's what I told her.

OP posts:
namechange128468 · 09/08/2024 09:17

It’s a terrible idea. They’ll be caught and will spend the whole week stressed about being caught. They’ll have to pay tons more or even be kicked out and find alternative accommodation.

Original poster
AlbertCamel · 09/08/2024 09:16

We actually fell out about it yesterday, well she was annoyed and said I was trying to ruin her holiday before it had even started. I was just pointing out that there may be fire/ insurance implications and for her to be aware of this.

So Spain will most likely be OK. I don't want them kicked out! However, her boys are pretty loud when they're at home and so it's unlikely they won't draw attention to themselves on holiday and full of energy and excitement.

OP posts:
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