Hotel would not accomodate mum with two children

[jane2364]

Am I wrong to be outraged at the Holiday Inn Regents Park, London for not being able to cater for a mother and two children? They do not have family rooms (at any time) and would not allow an interconnecting room, saying an adult had to be present in both rooms. This is the first hotel that I have encountered that just had no solution for this.

Go somewhere else, they clearly don't want families staying.

The 'point' of interconnecting rooms is NOT so that you can put children in one and have adults in another at all.

It is so that they can accommodate a group of people without having to have a few large rooms that would then be underoccupied most of the time.

It is for their convenience, not yours.

Though their website says they have family rooms and that they welcome famililies and have a list of their family friendly features?

Standard rooms in many London hotels are tiny, no way you can fit a third bed in, even a z bed. Proper triple rooms are rare. I contract London for a tour operator so I've seen a lot of hotels!

Hilton Paddington has family rooms and Park Plaza Westminster has nearly 50% room stock as studio rooms with a double sofa bed for kids.

Sirzy - why is it not the point that they don't enforce the policy but it prevents a normal, common even, family set up from using their business for no reason?

They do enforce it. Unless they check who is sleeping where each night enforcing it is harder though, if a family book one parent and one child into each room they may decide to swap that to the children in one room together - doesn't make it right but how do you suggest they stop it?

It has always been standard policy at all the hotels I've stayed at that they want at least one adult in each room, even interconnecting!

Try HI Camden lock thats nice and has rooms with 2 double beds. Free breakfast for kids with adult as well.

I had to stay in a hotel with ds1 and ds2 for a week, when they were 12 and 14. The hotel put us in a twin room, with an extra bed in it (a camp bed, iirc). It was a bit cramped, but perfectly practical - I would have assumed most hotels could do this - maybe I am wrong, and the hotel I was staying at was unusual.

Though their website says they have family rooms and that they welcome famililies and have a list of their family friendly features? generally or at that particular hotel? If it's their general holiday inn page then of course it will say that as many of their hotels DO accommodate. If it's hotel specific then perhaps family rooms are limited and they were already booked out?

I find it fairly easy to specify the number of beds I need on hotel websites/ booking engines, Yes, lots of hotels don't have space/scope to cater for "2 twins plus a Z bed", but there are plenty that can.

Family rooms do tend to get a lot of bookings in London over October 1/2 term.....best not to take a chance and book what you actually need at a hotel that can cater for that size of party.

That sad, I hope you find a solution.

Outraged?
What are there no more hotels anywhere in london?

Mildly irritated maybe. Couldn't bring myself to be outraged over something so minor. Is there a reason why this particular hotel is so important to you?

If this is the first time you have encountered this then you are lucky.

I think you're getting a bit of a hard time here. If they don't have any family rooms (rather than them all being booked) they are basically saying that their hotel isn't available to single parents with more than one child. Frustrating that they can't just let you have a camp bed in a double room.

If they don't have any family rooms (rather than them all being booked) they are basically saying that their hotel isn't available to single parents with more than one child no, they are saying their hotel isn't available to families. It's got jack all to do with being a single parent. Lots of hotels cater specifically for families, some don't cater for them at all, some only do single rooms for business use and some have a variety or rooms which may or may not already be booked.

What a shame there are no other hotels in Regents Park that'd be more suitable for your situation. Much better to be outraged

Welcome to Mumsnet, jane2364. Where you'll find we don't really like journalists trying to get a story out of us.

The op means they don't want to share a room with their dc , they want interconnected only.

I've just entered a random date in December on the website & put 1 adult 2 children & it came up with various room options for booking two rooms (did say too many people for one room)

We always use Premier Inn. Loads of hotels in London don't have rooms big enough to accommodate more than two people.

would it let you book those 2 rooms though if one was only for children?

Yes. It got as far as asking me for credit card details.

It didn't say if they were interconnecting rooms or not.

Pair of interconnecting rooms=same space surely??? I've even seen hotels advertise them as for families.

OMG. They don't have a swimming pool either. Or a Michelin starred restaurant. Beyond unreasonable.