Struggling with hotel rooms for a family of 4 with 2 teenagers.

[Claymorekick]

So, looking for hotels for a city break to London and all the options seem to be either 3 people in 1 big bed and the 4th in a single sofa bed or 2 seperate rooms. With a 15 year old and an almost 13 year old, neither seem practical or appropriate

Is this just the way it is and if so, what option is best? Me and DH don't really want to sleep in separate rooms (each with a child) when we are on holiday.

I would also find it difficult to leave two under age teens alone in a hotel room overnight. But the solution is simple: one adult + one teen per room.

Air b n b?

Does it have to be a hotel? Youth hostels do private rooms some of which are 4 bed rooms. There are hostels in central London.

Oh someone has already suggested that. 😁

15 and 14 year old and we either did 2 rooms with kids in one and us in another or rooms with a double bed and 2 singles this summer. Kids preferred having own room and nicer for us too. You dont always get given rooms by each other though.

The Hilton Doubletree in London docklands does a family room with two doubles and a sofa bed. The rooms overlook the Thames. It has its own boat that takes you across the river free of charge so you can get on the Canary Wharf tube or the DLR.

We usually use travelodge or premier inn family rooms. I think it costs a lot more to get 2 separate rooms so it's not as simple as just booking 2 rooms as that often makes it unaffordable.

With a 15 year old and an almost 13 year old, neither seem practical or appropriate

Just fib and say your kids are 16 and let them share.

We always stay at Premier Inns (younger DC) and whilst the double bed and one of the singles are comfy the 2nd single always has a very thin uncomfortable mattress. You can get away with it with a tiny 7 year old but only just. We had to request extra duvets to fold and stack up on top last time.

Thank you for all the advice and recommendations. Will go and explore these

And, as I have said already, I know that the option of 1 adult and 1 child per room is the simplest option, it is just that we don't particularly want to do that so looking if there is any other way!

We stayed in an apartment hotel in London. The one bed ones had a double bed and two single sofa beds, the two bed ones had two double rooms and two single sofa beds.

Try the Arlington House apartments if you are not set on a hotel? We stayed here and it's a great location, directly behind the Ritz and overlooking Green Park. They are serviced apartments so have 24 Hour front desk, and are spacious so plenty of room for a family

When booking I put childrens correct ages and 1 adult and 1 child per room but we put 2 children in 1 room and 2 adults in another this year and was fine everywhere we stayed, we told the receptions our plans and no one queried it. Ours are too big to share a sofa bed now and with 1 boy, 1 girl not really appropriate. Some places do 1 double 2 singles in 1 room which can also work and be cheaper.

I’ve had my older teens in their own room since 13/14 and never had an issue. When booking they often want an adult in each room on the records but it’s always been perfectly clear at check in that the DC are in together. Never had an issue.

Kids in one room. Have been doing that here since ds was 13. Why not?

We are a family of 5, with two teens and a pre teen. Youth hostels all the way - we've had some incredible rooms actually, especially outside cities (last one was in the tower of a converted castle, with a mezzanine level and a dinning room for 15€ per person per night - games room with table tennis, table football and snooker tables in the basement, volleyball pitch and extensive terrace to use outside, set in it's own vineyard) but in London you'd get a 6 bed dorm room as a family room.

In our case our eldest is a girl, then two boys, and DD prefers us all in one room as she says her brothers tend to be loud and annoying in her opinion!

Hotels are a nightmare the world over once you have more than 1 child/children over 12. One thing I didn't realise until very recently is that Premier Inn only allow 2 children 15 and under in a family room so once one of them hits 16, if there are 2 parents a PI family room is not an option. Most hotels require someone 18 or over so would generally have to split the booking 1 adult & 1 child in each room. Interconnecting rooms would mean it wouldn't be a problem but if you book 2 x 1+1 but put both the kids in one room, if there's a problem (fire etc) it could be a problem from an insurance perspective. Look at Airbnb or serviced apartments rather than hotels with 2 teens.

Admittedly it's been a couple of years since I booked hotel rooms, but I don't recall having to declare who is in which room. Isn't it just two rooms (types given - "family" accompanying four) and the two adults + children (with ages on check out given)?

Anytime I've done that when booking in the UK I've got a room for four (double with two singles or bunk beds), two rooms - usually a double and twin, either near each other or interconnected. One tome we got a double with a room off it that has two singles (I think that was classed as a "family room").

My boys have always preferred being in a room on their own, though if we were at someone else's house or at home they'd loathe sharing!

If we are on a city break for more than a night we book a service appartment or sc flat. If we don't want to fuss with breakfast we go out and it's nicer having more space as well.

I don't like sharing a room with DD (14), she doesn't like sharing with us. We had DD in her own hotel room next to us one year for 2 nights and it worked as well.

I find it more difficult to search for a decent set-up on a longer holiday

We always book 2 rooms now.

@Claymorekick, what’s your budget? We recently stayed in London and had connecting rooms in a beautiful 5* hotel in Kensington for £180 per room per night. London hotels are quite good value at the moment with foreign visitors being down

We're a family of 5, so need two rooms, I have to say who is staying in the second room.

Travelodge and premier Inn all do a double and two singles, if you are planning on having breakfast don't put they are over 16 as under 16's get breakfasts for free.

Our 2 have been sharing hotel rooms, either interconnected or across the hall/next door for many years. We have never had a problem.

@HermioneWeasley

We always book 2 rooms now.

*@Claymorekick, what’s your budget? We recently stayed in London and had connecting rooms in a beautiful 5 hotel in Kensington for £180 per room per night. London hotels are quite good value at the moment with foreign visitors being down

Which hotel was that? Kensington would be an ideal location due to the main purpose of the trip is a football match at Chelsea!

Contact the hotel directly by phone or email and they will tell you if they have interconnecting rooms and book them for you . Most online booking systems can't guarantee this but if you contact a human being directly it is usually possible to be guaranteed interconnecting rooms.