What is the etiquette of visiting friends/family at hotels?

[Violetti]

We live in a tourist destination and my parents are visiting and have chosen to stay in a hotel that is very child friendly with the idea being that we will spend a few afternoons there with them at the pool, play room etc. I personally feel like that isn't really taking the piss (especially if you all order food and drinks) but I'm interested what Mumsnet thinks and what others would do.

I would like to invite a friend to join us but I feel like that's probably going a step too far..

Eating and drinking not an issue but I doubt they’ll let you use the pool etc unless you pay

A lot of places I have been with pools have some kind of sign in sheet. You have a better chance of Gran taking the grandkids in, say, than all of you going. Though they may offer a day pass, in which case, that’s the solution.

Yes I wonder if they do day passes for the pool. I can see on the website that they allow one free child per room so maybe I should book my kids in to the two rooms my parents are taking and then they can go wild...

Your parents have a room each?

Why not book one in your name, one on theirs, one child per room, then you can all go because you will all be residents on paper (obviously you don’t have to stay, just collect the key and give to your mum)

They're coming with my brother hence two rooms.

If the rooms they have booked have enough capacity available, add your names. That way you will be guests of the hotel and it won’t be an issue.

in reality, as long as it is just a standard hotel pool, they don’t tend to care if the grandparents host the grandkids and parents. The hotel would prefer better supervision anyway. Just don’t be obnoxious and no one notices.

I would not bring along friends.

I have definitely used pools at hotels I wasn’t staying at with permission of the staff, on the understanding I would be buying food and drinks there.

But the poolside wasn’t busy so I wasn’t taking a lounger and parasol that a hotel guest might want to use. I imagine if they’d been busier they would have said there was no room for me.

Just ask

Also, as your brother will be there too they might be even more welcoming as having you all spend money there will obviously be better than your family leaving their hotel to eat elsewhere so you can all eat together

Phone up using a different name and ask if it possible for guests to purchase additional day passes for the leisure facilities.

That's a good idea.

Yeah I'm sure they'd be less keen if it was very busy. We were there the other weekend at a party and it was busy around the "adult" pool but the kiddie one was very quiet.

Why not just call the hotel and ask them? Or drop by if it’s close to your home?