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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

79 replies

DorisIsAPinkDragon · 09/08/2010 18:57

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!) Grin 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 Wink)

So AIBU and what do you do?

OP posts:
PerpetuallyAnnoyedByHeadlice · 09/08/2010 20:01

they have rooms for 5 in Inverness-shire here

good luck hunting!

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 09/08/2010 20:05

Am watching this thread with interest...

Just out of curiosity, what would happen if you booked into a Travelodge or similar with 4, and then snuck the 5th one in later?

Original poster
DorisIsAPinkDragon · 09/08/2010 20:22

I checked the current terms and conditions and they do take up to 2yr olds in a cot in addition to the 2 other children.

Rang the hotel and spoke to a lovely lady who took the booking. Yeah!!! {grin] Grin

We are still going to have problems in a year or two (DD can't be 2 forever) so any bright ideas, welcome as this is now going to be an ongoing regular-ish journey for us.

And defineme I have no problems in turning this into a family of 5 issues type thread the other stuff bugs the hell out of me too...

OP posts:
TheButterflyEffect · 09/08/2010 20:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
DorisIsAPinkDragon · 09/08/2010 20:42

perptually I've just had a look at your link and it's great as it's a uk based one there's loads more in Cumbria and I'll definitely be saving that for the future (I thought I was the same as Lnette's link till I looked properly (now slightly less stressed) Although now I've got no excuse for not starting the packing prep....

Thank you ladies another problem solved by MN

(and it's nice to know I'm really not unreasonable) Wink

OP posts:
stleger · 09/08/2010 20:59

We got a room with de Vere for 5, they did try to talk us into two rooms though. My dh reckons the best way is to ring 'family hotels' direct, and avoid chains. Now i have 3 teenagers who want to bring a friend...

throckenholt · 10/08/2010 07:29

Just out of curiosity, what would happen if you booked into a Travelodge or similar with 4, and then snuck the 5th one in later?

in a word - nothing. But we felt very guilty and only ever went in little groups (we have id twins which probably helps !). I was also concerned about what might get said if there was a fire drill.

I don't think we will do it again - now ours are getting a bit big for it. There is room with the 3 kids on the big bed and DH and I on the sofa, and pull out thing. But the stress of getting rumbled is more than I can deal with now.

You can do it with littlies but when they get to 6-7 it stops being an option.

weegiemum · 10/08/2010 07:36

Youth Hostels! - they are not the "bring a sheet sleeping bag and do your own cleaning" haunts of yesteryear, they are hotels these days! Great breakfasts!

We regularly stay in them now with our 3 who are 6, 8, 10. Sometimes dh and I even get a double bed in a "family" room. When you are en route they are fab. We recently did 2 nights in the St Paul's YH in London - well under £100 per night for all 5 of us.

If you are doing Plymouth - Inverness then there is a fabulous YH in Kendal which has great family rooms we have stayed at several times. We would also highly recommend the one in Warwick, but that's a bit too far South for you.

We joined the SYHA as you get them all cheaper, but if it is a one-off then you can buy temporary membership for one night to stay.

Any baby under 2 should be able to be booked into a travel in as "baby in cot" (tick the box). We only started youth-hostelling when we were rumbled carrying 3.6 year old d2 in as "baby"!!!

throckenholt · 10/08/2010 07:39

oh - I forgot youth hostels. We were going to do that this year - but wanted to stay for 2 nights and it actually worked out cheaper to go for a cottage (then we stretched it to 3 nights because it was the same price !).

Will definitely do YH another time though.

MilaMae · 10/08/2010 07:40

We take a Readybed in a travel bag so not obvious.

There is never anybody on the desk(or anywhere).

By the time we've gone backwards and forwards collecting stuff from the car nobody is none the wiser.

lady007pink · 10/08/2010 07:40

We're staying at Premier Inn next week as 2 Adults 2 children, but booking DD2 as an infant even though she's 3.8yo! I phoned earlier this year to make sure this was OK and I was told it was.

WillbeanChariot · 10/08/2010 07:43

For the plymouth to inverness trip have you ever tried the sleeper train? Not sure how easy it would be with a family of 5 but I have been on it and thought how much kids would love it, and you are getting your travel and accomodation then. You can get some good deals especially if you don't need to travel on a friday and do a bit of London on the way. I think you could book 2 adjoining cabins for you and the dc and dh could book a bed in another cabin.

FessaEst · 10/08/2010 07:55

I second the Youth Hostel suggestion - we always get a family room (even pre-DC, DH refused to share with strangers!). They quite often supply the travel cot. We have met loads of other families doing the same thing. Breakfast is usually included too!

roundthebend4 · 10/08/2010 08:02

we stuggle tried to book 2 rooms for travellodge/premier in and requested next to each other so could put ds1 , 16 and ds2 13 in it and me and dd and ds3 share other one ,

But was informed that cant have second room less theres adult over 18 in it which is kinda hard as single parent .Yet i have to pay adult prices for food and on buses trains etc

BonniePrinceBilly · 10/08/2010 11:16

Travelodge family room. If you've ever stayed at a travelodge you will know that the are invariably staffed by a couple of bored underpaid teenagers who couldn't care less if you brought 6 children and a pet elephant, as long as they don't have to do anything for you.

I've stayed in at least 5 different travelodges with my 3, no problem whatsoever.

roundthebend4 · 10/08/2010 11:20

It's more down to ages size of teens that makes one room awakward now at 16,13 ds are not so keen on sharing a odd night here there is doable but then that means I share double with dd and ds3

TheButterflyEffect · 10/08/2010 11:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mumofthreesweeties · 10/08/2010 12:08

Recently we travelled with my family of five and we booked one family room at Holiday Inn. The trick is to call up the hotel first and ask if they will allow the infant in the same room with a cot in for an extra 10 quid. If they say they will then you can book direct through them. IF you go through to their central reservations then they will insist that you book two rooms. It is a pain though, I dont particularly see how a family of five can be seen as a large family!!! YANBU to be annoyed

frostyfingers · 10/08/2010 15:40

It's a nightmare - we have twins, plus another and on one website the booking kept being thrown back at me because it wouldn't allow me to put two ages the same. After a couple of goes I gave up and lied which was fine, but it does irritate the hell out of me.

As do all those "family" tickets of 2+2 - in France a family seems to be easily 4 children (something to do with being a more Catholic country perhaps!) - they just asked their ages and as long as they were u16 it was fine. And that's another thing - why does a child stop being a child at so many different ages....12, 15 and 16 seem to be the most popular cut offs, but I've had 13 and 14 as well.

Roomfor5 · 10/08/2010 17:39

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NickOfTime · 10/08/2010 17:58

not in north america, room for 5. plenty of 2 bed suites or family rooms to be had wherever we go. Grin far too many to be listed! curious as to why you've only got two best western's in canada on your list? most of the large hotel chains here have family rooms that sleep 5. in fact there are so many we usually let the local AMA travel agent check availability for us for when/ where we need accom - she'll call back with 5 or 6 options. Grin

in the uk we usually check out motor lodges tbh. one is normally a roll-out or sofa-bed, but it suffices.

sorry, defineme, i missed your q earlier. no, we always list 5 on the booking - but we normally just book accom, rather than a package, so we usually book the room direct with the hotel, rather than doing a search for accom for 5, iyswim?

i do prefer 2 bed suites now... am really bored with sitting in the dark waiting for kids to go to sleep so i can watch the tv with the sound turned down... Grin

the good thing about over here is that accom is reasonably cheap, and most of the 2 bed suites also have a kitchenette, or even sitting room area and dining table - really handy for feeding littlies if you can't bear a restaurant, a fridge to keep a bottle of milk cold, and most of the hotels have a reasonable restaurant with kids menu/ room service/ pizza delivery Grin.

for longer holidays we normally have a sc apartment anyway. much easier with dcs than a hotel room. you can still eat out at local restaurants but can knock up pasta in a hurry if the kids are crotchety or tired.

Roomfor5 · 10/08/2010 18:30

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Maisiethemorningsidecat · 10/08/2010 20:29

I'll check out your website, RF5 - it's a great idea. We're planning to go to Normandy next year with a stopover somewhere Oxfordshire-ish, so have a feeling we'll be doing the sneaking into the hotel thing

stleger · 10/08/2010 20:58

Roomforfive - great idea

tokyonambu · 10/08/2010 22:15

Aparthotel type things probably work. I've only got two, but I've had places which would clearly work for (and are advertised for) six.

YHA, as mentioned.

For what it's worth, Japan you'll struggle to get three in a room and will rarely get four: we found that we had little option but to get two interconnecting rooms.

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