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?

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?

I would say it is more likely for there to be a fire in a hotel but both situations are very very unlikely and I wouldn't make logical decisions bassed on very unlikely scenarios.

If the hotel has told the guests that they can't have 5 people in the room or they can't smoke or they can't set of fireowrks and the guests choose to ignore the rules I don't think the hotel's insurance would be invalid.

I think if queen choose to bring her own travel cot and have 5 people sleep in the room but queen got up in the night to go to the toilet and tripped over the extra travel cot and broke her leg she probably wouldn't be able to claim on the hotel's insurance, but it seems unlikely that that would happen.

I have found this site

sleeps5.com/

We have done exactly this! Have ID twins and an older child and we did it on an overnight stop on way to holiday. The twins were about 4 or 5 at the time and shared a bed in a family room. We got there late evening and left v early for the airport. They were dressed the same and I walked them in separately. Not sure if anyone would have noticed in any case as the reception was fairly busy.

We looked at that site - very limited and expensive, sadly. For example, July/August, Edinburgh, first place on the website, £209 for the night. Compare that to the price of a Travel Lodge or similar and you'll quickly see why people choose to go 5 to one room. It only includes Paris, so no use to the OP unfortunately (unless it's Paris she's going to?!)

Do it all the time,including France.

It's one of the only perks of having twins

We did this for an overnight stop in France last summer. Hotel had a machine for check in, it was fine.

Struggling to see why we were any less safe than we would have been in 2 seperate rooms tbh.

I do it. It's got unworkable now the youngest is 6, so we look for adjoining rooms or I share with dd1 & dd2, dh shares with ds.

Generally dh had been working, & the kids & I were along for the ride - so I checked in with kids (4 of us) then dh turned up later & I texted him the room number.

Never worried unduly about the fire regs I must admit. The place is going to be full of rooms that are under-occupied; rarely any such thing as a single room in a chain hotel, & lots of the rooms booked as doubles have a seldom used sofa bed & capacity up to 4.

Premier inn . They sleep 5.

I'd be amazed if guests sneaking in invalidates insurance. If it does then why are hotels so lax about it? I imagine if they oversold the hotel it would be an issue but not if a guest 'entertains'. I've had meetings in hotel rooms during the day without having to sign in anywhere and been the sneaker and the sneakee in all sorts of hotels at night and not once have I been questioned about it, even when I've ordered a ton of room service and heartily greeted the reception staff. What happens if you bring someone up for a shag and they don't stay all night? Do people think that would invalidate insurance or cause a problem for the fire service?

I'm not saying I'm right, I don't work in hospitality or insurance but if it was an actual risk then I think hotels would be a bit more vigilant about it.

Yes we're in and out of Premier Inns when we stay all the time.

The desk wouldn't have a clue who was in and who wasn't.

walton not the premier inns we have stayed at

May well depend on the management and we've been unlucky

Premier Inns don't allow 5 to a room - well, not officially. Maybe if you book direct and speak to a nice manager, but the PI website only allows a max of 2 adults and 2 children.

We've always had 5 in.

The double in a family is huge so dd slept between us whilst the boys went in the two trundle beds,last time we erm took a blow up bed but found a third trundle bed under the double.

Nope . It allows 2 kids and then 1 in a cot . We have stayed at loads for 2 years on that basis . Always ticking that in the net booking . when we get there the two singles are made up and a cot . We do this on a regular basis as my dd14 canoes and races.
No sneaking or management relaxation ; just ligit .

Oooh - that's good to know Walton. How do you add the cot to the booking for 2 adults and 2 children, is there a place on the website to do that? We're past the cot stage sadly, but I know others who aren't so will pass this info on.

some of the Travelodge type hotels allow 4 plus a cot. I have 3 DC's plus in my last life I was an EHO dealing with fire safety so I actually do know a bit about the law. all premises let out for sleeping - hotels, b and b, hostel, cottage - need a fire risk assessment. this states the maximum number allowed to sleep in each unit. if there is a fire and that number is exceeded then the insurance does not have to pay out and the owner may even be prosecuted for allowing over occupation. there aren't sentries posted on the doors because owners trust people to keep to the rules. same as there aren't speed limiters in your car to stop you speeding or police on every corner to make sure you are wearing your seatbelt. there is an element of trust. Plus, when you rent a room you agree to the terms and conditions. in them it will say that you must not exceed the maximum number. that's almost as much as most businesses can do i would have said. yes, I know people do it. yes I know its a pain but I have been into buildings after fires and spoken to people involved and no one, no one, ever expects it to happen to them.

Yes, but if you're stopped by the police and not wearing a seatbelt you can be prosecuted as it's illegal. Sneaking an extra person into a hotel room isn't afaik.

Sirchen
Easy
Make net booking , tick two kids add ages . Later option is cot - tick yes .
So mine would be two kids -14 and 11 . Cot yes.
Obviously the cot ain't for them !
Two singles and a cot made up . Every time ; no issues ever .

Thanks

Sirchenjin - I have had a busy day at work. I couldn't think of a better example this late at night. sorry. I didn't think anyone would take it literally. agree with leggings. we did this all the time when our youngest was in a cot.

We have booked a room en-route in France for 5- used Expedia for searching as that offered the option for more than 3 children.

I do think that places like Travelodge/Premier Inn are missing a trick in not providing some rooms for 5-6 people. It's not so much the cost per person but I quite like us all being together, rather than the adults being separated.

The other amazing place for big family rooms is YHA .

Oh sorry - I thought you were referring to/backing up the earlier post by someone who used the same seatbelt/room analogy

I agree professor

See that's the big that makes no sense

2 adults, 2 children and an infant in a cot

5 to a room

2 adults, 3 children

5 to a room

So why can't I get 5 in a room? Happy to pay a supplement

When we went to universal studios the room slept 4 (two double beds) we booked for 5 and the hotel had no problem with it. Got to the hotel and asked where child 3 was to sleep, they were going to charge us £25 for the bed...not the extra child, the bed