to sneak DTs into hotel room?

[QueenofKelsingra]

Posting for traffic really.

We have 3DC, DS (4yo) and DTs (22m). We need an overnight stop on the way to our holiday. planning to stay with a chain hotel and I know the room is big enough to fit 2 travel cots in. the hotel however have a strict 2 adults 2 kids policy.

has anyone done the sneaking the extra child in method to avoid having to pay for 2 rooms? it just seems mad to pay for an extra room when there is space in one room for us.

any thoughts?

[Sleepwhenidie]

Sorry, thought my second attempt was ok...park & suites - all over France and you get two rooms, a small kitchen/eating area and bathroom, for about 170 Euro so usually cheaper than two rooms would be and works better as only one door to corridor.

[Moreisnnogedag]

I think in terms of fire they might notice the second travel cot. Personally I'd do it - luckily they're twins!

[girlwhowearsglasses]

That's interesting Sleepwhenidle thanks

[dolphinsandwhales]

Yanbu, if I were in your situation I'd do this. I'm sure no one will notice anyway, you'll just have to choose your moment to sneak in :-)

[Pooka]

But surely what you'd end up doing is dh or you in with your older dd and the other parent with the twins. Makes more sense than paying for 2 rooms and STILL all 5 of you sleeping in one room?

That's what we have done with our 3 - dh and I separate and take one or two of the children with us, with the other parent with the remaining child. I bagsy dd because she's a delight to share a room with. Ds1 and ds2 more challenging get up at a ridiculous hour

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

How will you sneak in a travel cot?

[Calloh]

I agree with Ms and Ikea, I don't think the potential rescue by firefighters is an issue.

You don't usually have to sign in and out at hotels so they probably have to check each room hired anyway but I doubt they have time to cross reference it to the list of guests - I don't know, maybe they do.

I hope you find a room for five so you don't have to worry.

[SirChenjin]

We've done it, I don't feel any guilt whatsoever.

[QueenofKelsingra]

thanks for the websites, will have a look and see.

they are b/g twins so not nec as easy to sneak in as ID twins!

doctrine hotels rarely watch you unloading your luggage, I doubt they'd notice the travel cots, DH would be making several trips to the car and back anyway.

pooka that is what we will do once they all require beds. its just silly when we can physically fit into one room easily!

[Evie2014]

If hotels thought extra people staying in rooms was that big a deal they'd have sentries posted on every floor. And they'd have to be a lot more worried about all the grown ups sneaking extra people into their rooms than a couple of babies.

[phantomnamechanger]

I think you should write the kids' names on bits of paper and draw for it, leaving one unlucky child behind. Either that or just pick your 2 favourites. Maybe have a rota, taking just 2 of them everywhere you go.(

[SirChenjin]

You are very easily shocked then Phantom.

[ikeaismylocal]

Do you also void your car insurance by having 2 kids per seat belt etc.

I don't think you can compare driving with kids sharing seat belts to an extra small child sleeping in a hotel room, do you suggest that those situations are equally dangerous?

[BigGlasses]

I have the same as you OP, dd (4) and DTs (2). And we've snuck them into a family room (2+2family room that is)when doing one night stopovers when travelling. The one time we stayed at a premier inn for a few nights I had to phone (so couldn't get the cheaper online rates) and booked interconnecting rooms, but then when we turned up it turns out there wasn't any interconnecting rooms in that hotel and that the rooms we had been assigned weren't even on the same corridor! Not exactly a fun break with dh and I spending evenings apart in separate rooms with sleeping children.

All those saying, just book the extra room or find a room for 5, I'd bet are people who don't have 3 children. It's not easy finding family rooms for 5 and there are never any deals on them.

[QueenofKelsingra]

sorry it is just not comparable to seatbelts! what a ludicrous thing to compare it to!

and I am not planning at any point to make my kids go without beds for a holiday ffs!

I am talking about 1 night in a big hotel on route. the risk of it bursting into flames is so minimal its not really a factor - nowhere near the risks of car travel without seatbelts!

and before anyone starts on the 'holidays are a luxuary' 'go somewhere cheaper' etc - we are going to see DH's family who we haven't seen in 2 years and so the DC can spend time with their cousins and improve their bilingualism.

[phantomnamechanger]

possibly I am, possibly just quite sad that so many people are out to cheat the system in any way they can and only think of themselves in every situation - even when it comes to basic safety like this. OP has enquired whether they can make an exception and been told a firm no. That should be the end of the matter. Flouting safety regs for financial reasons should not even be considered.

[phantomnamechanger]

Re: the seatbelt comment - I was NOT saying you would take that risk! I was making the point that you WOULD NOT, so why do something that's actually very similar, in that it could void the hotels insurance. It really is directly comparable.

And as for cramming extra people into a car - I know people who do it and think its fine as they have never had an accident or been stopped by the police. And so they'd tell you it's fine too if you were to ask whether, as a one off, it would be OK. I on the other hand think they are very stupid, like most of the "it'll never happen to me" brigade.

[phantomnamechanger]

the risk of it bursting into flames is so minimal it's not really a factor

the thing is, these things are not predictable - my friend was woken in a brand new hotel by the fire alarm at 4am cos a toaster was on fire - the place had only been open a week.

would you say the risk of a hotel fire is more or less likely than , say a jet plane disappearing off the face of the earth?

This is not about weighing up the odds and thinking "we'll be OK, a fire is not very likely, even if it was we'd get the kids out, all will be well". In that scenario the insurance would still be voided for the hotel.

Try and think of your kids grown up and living in cramped student digs with a landlord who's flouting his insurance & fire regs - would you be happy?

[RufusTheReindeer]

I want my family in the same room, I am happy to pay a premium.

If there is a fire I do not want some of them in a different room

[BertieBotts]

Do it. You're not going to leave the children unattended so the fire risk isn't an issue, you'd grab them and get them out yourselves. In the unlikely event that you're all taken out by smoke, it's either too late anyway or firefighters aren't going to be checking the check in records and saying "Hmm, only need to rescue 4 people from this room, won't bother looking for this child who is right in front of my face." And TBH in other European countries, health and safety isn't taken as seriously anyway. It's not even common for people to have smoke alarms in Germany. I doubt it will even register.

Why would the behaviour of guests void the hotel's insurance? That's ridiculous. They're not running an army camp, it's a hotel. They can't check everyone is sticking 100% to the rules constantly.

[Becles]

Do it with a clear conscience.

[Parliamo]

Those of you on about insurance and fire regs di you actually know this stuff, or are you just bullshitting for the sake of being in the awkward squad? I'm involved with a charity run house that we let out, and there is so much discussion, so many grey areas and things open to interpretation we need expert advice, and even then nothing seems cut and dried.

We're doing something very similar for similar reasons, and again, not because I begrudge the money, but because 2 rooms doesn't work for us.

[Parliamo]

^^discussion about insurance and elf and safety.

Grrr I really need to stop posting on my phone

[ReallyTired]

Why don't you look for a smaller family run hotel where they are prepared to be a little more flexible. If a hotel says no to having 5 people in one room then there is really little choice. Which part of France are you looking for accomdation?