to think that a family of 5 should be able to find budget hotel accommodation when travelling!

[DorisIsAPinkDragon]

I know many will say "you chose to have 3" but surely there must be some companies that cater to the not particularly enormous family market. The average family size is quoted as over 2 (?.4) this means that these companies (Premier Inn, Days Inn and Travelodge and the like I'm talking to you!) automatically exclude a vast proprtion of travelling families. I don't want (and can't afford, the diesel cost alone is horrific) separate rooms so any suggestions welcome....

I have just tried to book at short notice for a trip to Scotland next week with 3 children (5) (3) and (1). When I last stayed with Premier Inn (4 weeks ago) we were able to book the baby in and the 2 children now their website specifically states 2 children and I can't do anything to make it take the third arrrrggghhhhhhh.

The thought of travelling 12 hours (Plymouth to Inverness) with the 3 in the back (we're not posh enough for dvd players!) and the driving alone makes me shudder aaaarrrrgggghhhh (again!)

Ultimately why oh why did my parents upsticks and move to the other bloody end of the country (oh apart from being closer to my sisters )

So AIBU and what do you do?

Have you tried using Laterooms?

In the Search box you have the option of searching for 2 adults and 3 children.

YANBU! Particularly irritating - just who decides that the "family" as in family room/ticket etc is 2 + 2 ffs?
In Scotland we have always been lucky with Crieff Hydro - lovely ajoining room albeit with a camp bed for one of my 3 offspring - but that was part of the fun.
AND some free childcare into the bargain

Try phoning the hotel to ask about including the third child.

We either go go two rooms somewhere cheep, or One large room somewhere invariably expensive.

Tehre is a website somewhere for families of 5. I'll try and find it.

We didn't choose 3 - we had twins second time around !

We have the same problem - but when ours were little (they are now 9 and 7) we used to used the family room in the Travelodge - we were told it was fine by them. Probably worth ringing to check first.

My parents couldn't afford hotels for a family of five so that was why we always went camping.

I was recently trying to find a room in Paris and found it hard to find one for three people, let alone four or five.

Hotels would rather you use two rooms as they can then charge you accordingly. Presumably there is enough demand so that rooms are not left empty, else they would change their room configurations.

IME it is hard enough for a family of four so I don't envy you organising holidays for five.

My suggestions would be a) days out not a major holiday b) camping eg in France where the weather is better.

Agree. We ended up camping when we went to a wedding in Worthing a few year back. Thank f* it was warm and dry.

sleeps 5

YASOOOOOOOOONBU
There's quite a lot of us families of 5 out there.

We're on our way camping (my sister has kindly loaned us her caravan) and doing the family thing at the same time. Both my sisters and my parents are now in Inverness.

We managed to get away with the 1 year old 4 weeks ago but in the intervening period premier inn's website has been changed so you can't book for 3 children in 1 room.

We really don't have a lot of money floating round (the caravan offer by my sister my appreciated, thank you for all your helpful suggestions and the website for 5 would be great if you could find it Lynette.

It would be so much easier to fly and hire a car but dd2 has meds that have to be kept cold and equipment that's not light ( and I wouldn't trust in a baggage hold) so this is going to be us for the next few years if I want to see my parents and sisters (and dn and dn's)

I checked this out today as my brother has booked in to a Premier Inn to visit us next weekend. He has 3 DS's 2, 5 and 2 months. He rang last night to say I might have to have one of the boys stay with me as he thought it was only 2+2 in the room. However on the T&C on Premier Inn's website it states 2+2 AND an infant up to 2 years old in a cot. It's worth checking the fine print for the definition of a family room. Hope you find somewhere suitable.

thank you Jennie I'll check the T&C haven't been updated aswell, and give Premier Inn a call.

Then start a campaign for NORMAL families of 5 so I'm not back here in a year's time with the same problem!

we just book a hotel room with two double beds and either put all three dcs in one if it's a king size, or take an air bed for ds.

it was way easier when one was in a travel cot.

or move to north america where 2 bed suites are the norm - there's always a sofa bed as well.

Marriott have two double beds as standard and will put a put up bed int he room - you can ask for room only and haggle the price..

If you try Holiday Inn's - soem where marriotts and will stil have the two double beds

Plymouth to Inverness - Leamington Spa have a Holiday Inn that was a Marriott check them

Also near leeds there was a marriott that changed to Hols Inn

You mention you don't have DVD players in the car, but do you have a laptop? The children can watch films on a laptop and you can buy something to plug into the cigarette lighter to charge it.

If you phone the premier inn then you can add a baby in a cot. I did this to stay at the Glasgow Cambuslang Premier Inn. We stayed there with 9, 7 and 3mth old.

yep Travel Lodge/Premier Inn etc, you can definitely take a baby/toddler in a cot or sharing your bed up to the age of 2 as well as 2 adults and 2 children. We have done this a few times, goodness knows what we'll do when she's 2.....

I second atswimtwolengths comment about the laptop. That's what we do.

nickoftime do you just say on the booking you are a family of 4 and then noone mentions the 3rd child when you turn up?

Going to Majorca this year and there was only 2 aparthotels in the whole resort that had room for a family of 5-we kept being offered 2x 1bed apartments!

In the uk we just do cottages-you can get a lot that will do 2 nights for the same as a hotel -out of summer holidays that is.

1 night in a budget hotel is a problem-I would advise ringing the hotel direct.

Centerparcs let under 4s (iirc) sleep in a single bed (or at lleast they did with my twins 2 years ago).

Sorry if I've turned this into a general family of 5 thread, but it's such a pain.

we went to Alcudia this year and stayed The Marina Delfin Hotel. Was 4 single beds and a cot. Would love to stay there again but not sure what we'd do bed wise?

try www.roomfor5.co.uk