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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Would it be so terrible to book into a hotel as 2 adults not mentioning the small child...

74 replies

AnyFuleKno · 25/09/2012 22:59

Let's say that you book into a holiday inn or some such immense palace of faceless tourism...state that the room is for 2 adults and then smuggle said small child in.

It really is a tiresome arse ache finding a hotel room that I like that acommodates 3, and in reality dd will end up in the bed with us anyway.

OP posts:

Merrylegs · 26/09/2012 08:31

If you book through Expedia you will find something there I'm sure. Plus you get Nectar points.

MissKeithLemon · 26/09/2012 08:47

I agree with AViewfromthefridge - all those saying that a head count would be wrong in the event of a fire - in reality a headcount or guest list in the event of a hotel fire would be useless as it is not updated each time anyone enters/leaves the building Firefighters would check each room/space for occupants if possible. Thats how it is done in all large buildings of many occupants so an extra baby would be totally irrelevent.

OP - I stay at Premier Inns with my two dc's fairly often. Most of them do not have triple rooms available and I have been told by the hotels before that I must book two rooms and have either dc in one with me in another or have one dc on there own. I often smuggle a dc in to avoid this and the double cost

Portofino · 26/09/2012 08:54

Something like this?

Booking.com is good for booking family rooms.

Beanbagz · 26/09/2012 08:59

AnyFuleKno we stayed at the St Ermins recently and if you ask for their 'double double' it's just two double beds.

We booked a family room (2 adults + 2 kids) and a twin (MIL & SIL) and the cost/beds/room layout was the same for both rooms.

If you think finding hotels rooms is bad for 3, then 4 is even worse. Especially in Europe. Had to book 2 x rooms sometimes in France this summer. Spent the rest of the time camping to make up for it!

missymoomoomee · 26/09/2012 09:03

Don't look on the internet, actually call the hotel. You can explain to the person on the phone that your child will be sleeping in with you and they can book accordingly, I was looking on the net for a room for me and 4dc and stood no chance, the 1st hotel I actually phoned said it was no problem as they could supply a blow up matress.

SlimJimBra · 26/09/2012 09:12

We has a fire alarm at a hotel we stayed at (a holiday inn) at about 2am and they did bring out the guest list and check everyone off so it does happen. However I think this is an Internet booking problem and if yo just ring the hotel they'll be able to sort you out :)

twooter · 26/09/2012 09:59

And don't even think about booking for 5

FutureNannyOgg · 26/09/2012 10:33

I've booked a double/king room several times and just told them we have a toddler, but he co sleeps, no need for a cot. They have always been very accommodating, no extra charges.

FutureNannyOgg · 26/09/2012 10:36

Oh and for internet bookings (trivago etc) i check the terms to make sure I can cancel if there is an issue then ring to tell them there will be a baby - there is never an option for babies on the booking form.

jojane · 26/09/2012 11:23

We booked a travelodge last year, family rooms are for 4 but we had a small baby plus 2 preschoolers - not old enough for kids to be in seperate room so DH checked in then we put ds1 in buggy covered in coats/ light bags etc the. Carried baby in and dd walked. Got away with it but was terrified!

Original poster

AnyFuleKno · 26/09/2012 21:53

well thanks for the fantastic advice. I'm pleased to say that this thread has a happy ending, as I did as several of you advised and just called the bloody hotel that I wanted. They accepted the situation so breezily that I had to check a couple of times that they really really didn't mind!

Booked a double room and they will add dd to the 'fire list' (rest easy mumsnet) and no extra charge.

thanks all, may the skies shower you in your favourite types of biscuits

OP posts:

SlimJimBra · 26/09/2012 22:40

thanks all, may the skies shower you in your favourite types of biscuits
:o
Glad you got it sorted so easily :)

EnjoyGOLDResponsibly · 26/09/2012 22:42

Alls well that ends well OP

LostInWales · 27/09/2012 09:47

Graciescotland · 27/09/2012 10:00

I've done this, a lot of websites don't let you book for three as it says you exceed maximum occupancy/ need two rooms/ adds £80 on to the price, it's bad website design a opposed to hotel policy.

I book for two and include a note in the additional requests box saying I'm travelling with an infant and need a travel cot/ rollaway bed/ would like a room with a bit more space for your own travel cot, never had a problem at check in and we travel a lot.

Graciescotland · 27/09/2012 10:01

Xposts, glad it ended well!

tazzle22 · 27/09/2012 15:31

Birds and procastinator

recent hotel fires froma 3 minute internet search

how about Falmouth this year and Bideford last year

further back but those with multiple fatalities
Penhallow where 3 died
Worsley 7 died
Rose and crown 11 died

yes firefighters will search a room....... but they can miss things especially if they are told only two people in a room and they have already found two. They will re - search a room if they dont find the occupants they know for sure should be there. People have been known to try hiding children in cupboards or under beds to try save them from fire .... or just bundle them up in bedclothes.

As OP decided..... not worth the risk and glad you found that the hotel was brill about it all.

eurochick · 27/09/2012 16:56

The fire risk thing is a red herring. I've been evacuated from a hotel because a fire alarm went off. There was no headcount.

I'm glad there was a happy ending for the OP.

Littleprincessrocks · 27/09/2012 17:01

When I booked in to a Premier inn the family room for 3 of us was the same price as the double room. They pull a small bed from inside the double bed IYKWIM?
It was also the same price for a family room for 4 of us in January as it was for just the double.
Why not look at their hotel as an option?

BertieBotts · 27/09/2012 17:11

DP used to do the fire assessments/evacuations etc at a chain hotel, I'll ask him what would happen if someone sneaked someone extra in and there was a fire.

I agree with the person who said it's a bad website design - there's usually no option in the booking thing to add a baby, until you get right to the end, but you wouldn't add a baby as a "child" because they wouldn't need a full single bed.

KenLeeeeeee · 27/09/2012 17:23

Ring them. I have four children and 98% of the hotels I've looked at online have no option for either a room big enough for all of us, or options for things like adjoining rooms. Most went as far as having a limit of 2 children per adult in a room. Ringing around yielded a much, much more helpful result and we eventually got a room exactly where we wanted it which happily squashed fit us all in.

BertieBotts · 28/09/2012 21:20

DP says: Yes it would cause a problem. If there is a fire, we do a fire report and count who there is. If there is someone not on the list, adult, child whatever, it's a huge safety problem.

(I'm still not buying this because what if Mr. X pulled at a local pub and brought a young lady back to his room? Or if Miss Y is still out drinking at her mate's hen do when the fire happens? How can they know everyone is accounted for to start with?)

halcyondays · 28/09/2012 21:25

What would be the point? if you only have one child it's very easy to find a family room. there should be lots of choice of family rooms for 1 or 2dc. From what I gather (we only have 2), it only becomes an issue if you have 3 or more kids.

MrSunshine · 28/09/2012 21:26

they can't. And thats for fire drills, not actual fires, where that wouldn't actually make much of a difference. Either you have all left the room and got out, or if an adult is incapacitated enough by smoke to not be able to get out, then small children are already gone. Blunt and awful, but unfortunately true.

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