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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to just book a room for two adults

70 replies

OnTheSunnySide · 06/01/2016 14:28

even though I will have my 5 year old with me too.

DH and I are going to a wedding. It costs an extra £50 to get a room with a child (Presumably they put another bed in?) but there are double bedded rooms coming up and we would just put him in bed with us.

How does this work - will they be massively narky with us if I turn up with a 5 year old but have only paid for a room for two adults?

OP posts:
SandrasAnnoyingFriend · 06/01/2016 15:43

What a lot of prissy people there are.
If I were you, I'd do it. You're not creating extra work for the hotel, you're using the same amount of resource as if there were two of you (perhaps bar a couple of toilet flushes) and so what exactly would you be paying £50 for?
We have a hotel booked in the summer which has a double and bunk beds in one room/suite. Apparently the bunk beds are only bookable for up to 12yo. Tough, I'm bringing my 13yo and hiding him when we check in - I'm not paying for a whole extra room because they have arbitrary rules about who can sleep in a bunk bed - he does it at my mums house.

anastaisia · 06/01/2016 15:43

I've noticed that different booking websites come up with different options for rooms when you put in young children to other ones. Occasionally this has meant I can book a double for me, older daughter and toddler on one site but on a different one it will tell me I need a family room.

Might it be worth trying a couple of different sites to see if there's any difference between recommended rooms and maximum occupancy for that hotel?

alteredimages · 06/01/2016 15:50

I did this once Blush with a 2 week old baby but we were honest at check in and they very kindly gave us an extra room free because the maximum occupancy was 2 for fire insurance reasons, and that counted even for babies. I stupidly thought that a baby that young wouldn't count but I have now learned my lesson and have never done it again.

If you book through booking.com the section titled 'policies' mentions if children under a certain age can stay in the room, often for free. I now only book hotel rooms that allow two young children to share the room with us.

DinosaursRoar · 06/01/2016 15:51

I think the PP meant by "food head" pay for food per head, ie. you'll pay for a buffet breakfast for your DS, not just take him to the breakfast room with you and pile up your plate with double food then share with your DS you'd not paid for...

LurkingHusband · 06/01/2016 15:51

I am the designated fire safety person in my work (In a very large building) and would have no idea at all if I had managed to get everyone out of the building

A firemen friend told me they always do their own check anyway. You never know if a tramp snuck in and was kipping unknown somewhere. The same reason they completely ignore "Baby on board signs in cars - they don't trust anyone else when it comes to saving lives. (Bloody heroes each and every one).

Original poster
OnTheSunnySide · 06/01/2016 15:54

Ah right - we will be there for a wedding, no hotel food will be consumed. I can't stretch to £10 a head for breakfast so we will just go home and grab something on the way. I would be there for one night.

I was a bit confused by the various sites I searched as one did seem to be suggesting that I could book a double room for the three of us but I actually don't think I would risk being dishonest about it. I just wondered how common it was and if people regularly do it without getting found out. The embarrassment and the cost if we were put me off doing it anyway. As it should I guess.

OP posts:
TheSecondViola · 06/01/2016 15:56

Don't listen to the fire safety bollocks, its always trotted out here and its always nonsense.

Just don't give your money to a hotel that tries to gouge people like this. Most won't charge any extra for a 5 year old, rightly so, so find one of those.

Original poster
OnTheSunnySide · 06/01/2016 15:57

Booking.com say

All children are welcome.
Free! All children under 2 years stay free of charge for children's cots/cribs.

Extra beds are not available.
The maximum number of children's cots/cribs in a room is 1.

OP posts:
YouthHostellingWithChrisEubank · 06/01/2016 15:59

I'd do it. I don't think the fire safety excuse flies, unless the receptionist is making a careful note as to who comes and goes at each hour in case there's an emergency.

Original poster
OnTheSunnySide · 06/01/2016 16:00

one thing that is confusing me is booking.com say "Choose rooms for: 2 adults, 1 child (5)" then list a whole load of rooms at the lower price of £99 but say they are for 2 guests only.

Can I sneak in with the three of us with the excuse that the website says Choose rooms for: 2 adults, 1 child (5) at the top of that room selection?

OP posts:
mummytime · 06/01/2016 16:01

Have you tried contacting the Hotel direct? I've had some very good deals offered when doing this (inter-connecting room for less than 1/2 price). Travelodges and Premier Inns don't usually charge extra.

Original poster
OnTheSunnySide · 06/01/2016 16:02

like this...

to just book a room for two adults
OP posts:
TheSecondViola · 06/01/2016 16:09

You put in 2 adults one child, and that room is offered to you. So yes, you're fine to book it.

cittigirl · 06/01/2016 16:10

If you go to hotel policies, a lot of them have 1 child under a certain age free. Or under important information.

BaronessEllaSaturday · 06/01/2016 16:12

Are you sure booking.com isn't trying to get you to book 2 rooms it's doing that to me so although on the search I did I'm getting a room showing for £75 the total is £150.

NK5BM3 · 06/01/2016 16:13

I would check with the hotel directly. I've just literally booked for a wedding that we are attending and on the website it said double rooms. I said I will have 2 kids with me as well as dh and they said well we need to charge £10 more for extra bed and trotted out something about fire insurance etc. I was fine with the extra £10 though. Best to get it all legalised.

Anotherusername1 · 06/01/2016 16:15

There is an issue at 12 - it seems that many hotels think a 12 or 13 year old is old enough to have a room by themselves. I disagree. I go to hotels that allow me and my son to decide when he's old enough to have a room of his own. The most I've ever paid for him to be in the room is an extra £35. £50 is daylight robbery.

Trespass is not a criminal offence. The hotel would have to show that having your son in the room had caused damage. Use of loo paper and water? £50's worth? I don't think so.

I was annoyed years ago when I stayed in a B&B in Dorset. My son was still young enough to go in a travel cot and grobag (both of which we took with us) and they charged us £10 extra! For nothing. Well, for a bowl of cornflakes. It was a rubbish B&B too. I wouldn't have minded if it had been a decent one.

Mrsbennington · 06/01/2016 16:16

I tried to book a family room once and there were none available but the man on reception suggested I just book a double and either bring my own cot/blow up bed or have child in bed with us at no cost - so that's what we did and they knew he was with us.

NewLife4Me · 06/01/2016 16:19

I think its dishonest but not surprised there are so many dishonest people around.
I wonder, the people who do this what on earth they would do if there child was injured or there was a fire?
They'd kick up enough fuss about insurance then.
Some folks = bat shit crazy.

rookiemere · 06/01/2016 16:21

I'd speak to the hotel about it.
It would really spoil your night if they aren't fine about it when you rock up, although I agree £50 is a lot for an extra child in a room.

Postchildrenpregranny · 06/01/2016 16:25

The main problem would be the hotels insurance and yes, if, god forbid, there were a fire
I recently booked an apartment sleeping three adults. I (genuinely)wasn't sure if a second adult daughter would stay or not but was prepared to sneak her in, in the event (the DDs and I would have shared the kingsize double, DH the sofa bed ) . They actually upgraded us to a two bed apartment. I asked if it was OK for second DD to stay as they wanted the names of all guests , because of the above I suppose . They were fine about it

If DC is in your bed I can't see they'd mind

Funinthesun15 · 06/01/2016 16:27

What a lot of prissy people there are.

What just because they don't want to do something that they find morally (for want of a better word) wrong and dishonest.

rookiemere · 06/01/2016 16:28

Thing is it's not too hard ( I would imagine) to sneak in an extra child - so there's been threads about 3 DCs rather than 2 in a room, or potentially an extra adult, but a 5 year old is rather difficult to hide.

LeaLeander · 06/01/2016 16:34

I would not feel comfortable being dishonest.

We are not free to change price tags on items at stores if we don't like the stated cost, nor to decide only to pay for two tickets instead of three when taking a child on transport, nor to decline to pay for his/her restaurant meal "because it was only a bit of extra, not worth much." So why is it OK to add to a hotel's occupancy without paying?

Extra toilet flushes, extra towels, extra potential mess on floors, bedding etc. may not seem like much to you but in the aggregate they are of practical concern to the hotel management. Not to mention extra liability should the child somehow be injured on the hotel premises, or injure someone else, etc.

MLGs · 06/01/2016 16:35

Would worry about if there was a fire tbh and no one knew there was another person due to be in there. I accept that's unlikely however.