To book a family room for 4 when there are 5 of us?

[CollectingCoins]

Planning a one night city trip in UK. Finding it impossible to get a family room for 2 adults and 3 kids. Seems we will need an extra room no matter where we stay. Is it totally unreasonable to book one for 2 adults and 2 kids and sneak the extra kid in?

@nataliaosipova

I second phoning and asking. I strongly suspect you can't book these things online as they are wary of people taking the piss and putting five adults into one room to save money. I wanted to stay in a particular hotel with our 2 DC and couldn't book s family room on the internet at all; one phone call with a conversation about the ages of the children and the configuration and it was no problem at all.

@toptomato

We have stayed in lots of premier inns as a family of 5, and booked one child as an infant. I also emailed the travelodge to ask if it was ok to have 3 small children and they said yes. I’d just email or phone now mine are a bit bigger and take a ready bed for the smallest if they said we could have 3 kids in the room. No one has said no yet.

As above. ^ Many places - including travelodge and premier inn will consider accommodating a 3rd child by putting in a fold-up bed, or a cot (so 5 people in a 4 person room,) but FFS don't just take an extra one in and not tell them, that is bonkers!

@cherrycokewinning

Let me get this right- you think the policy is such that if a hotel resident slips another guest in (for a sneaky bonk say) and the hotel burns down, their insurance compan will refuse to pay out due to sneaky bonk partner? Really?!

YES.

REEEALLY!

cherrycokewinning your advice is dangerous and foolhardy. Stop talking drivel FFS. Are you trying to get someone into trouble?!

no, you are right Cherrycokewinning, who cares about the fire and safety rules and regulations, who cares about any of this.

Seriously Llangollen, there is nowhere in fire safety regulations that will tell you you cannot have an extra person per room. Fire safety is extremely generallt, termed, and surprisingly lax. Insurance companies will never break down by specific room how many people are allowed in there. It just doesn’t happen.

generally-termed

CherryCokeWinning

Yes, technically the insurers could turn down a claim if there is overcrowding. The occupancy rate will often be set by fire regulations so are important. Many of the terms and conditions that are set by the insurers and failure to adhere to them could prejudice a claim.

Certainly not stealing as you aren't taking anything extra and there is no service, zilch at Premier Inn. You're lucky if there is anybody on the desk during the night at night. It's pile em high with the bare bones of staff. I for one don't feel guilty re slinging an air bed on the floor for a 3rd child. Would rather use a service where you can just notify them that you are doing it. Had no idea re Hilton. Is there anybody else that does this?

I have done this before. IME a chain hotel such as Ibis/Travelodge will be strict about numbers, but an independent place will put in a camp bed for the extra person.

I just used to directly phone the hotel, as opposed to a general enquiries line for big chains. I found that the actual hotel would say it was fine to have an extra child whereas the general line for the chain was more likely to be "computer says no".

Premier Inn had no problems letting us have an extra child in the room, the said it would be a squash but provided a travel cot and bedding or extra pillows/blanket and the offer of a fold up bed.

Now the dcs are older so we just get an extra room and make sure we book rooms next door to each other.

We've always had the breakfast the next day where it is pretty obvious what we've done ax you give your room number. Nobody has ever said a word.

I think we could all agree that if the snuck-in child tripped on a poorly maintained floor tile and smashed all her teeth out that the hotel's insurance would not pay out for the dental work.

Tippz you’re talking rubbish. I have seen insurance policies for hotels and other buildings of multiple occupation. What you’re saying simply isn’t true

As I and many others have said..

YES YOU CAN HAVE AN EXTRA PERSON SOMETIMES IF THEY CAN ACCOMMODATE THEM,

BUT YOU MUST TELL THEM.

SORRY FOR SHOUTING, BUT PEOPLE DO NOT SEEM TO BE LISTENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quit talking crap @cherrycokewinning

Well it's the parents who miss out then. I would be happy to take that risk when coping with the highly risky business of bathroom use.

no one is listening because you’re so clearly wrong what you’re saying could never be right Tippz. It’s not worth it.

The rules are different in hotels FFS. I cannot believe some of the dangerous INCORRECT information a few people are spouting here.

Most people KNOW I am right, I am aiming the comments at the few people talking shit.

Right. So which hotels insurance policies have you read?

I'm backing up the YHA suggestion. We've stayed in many hostels, in cities as well as on the moors and mountains. They're excellent for a couple and any number of children. You can eat their food or bring your own. There's usually a decent self-catering kitchen. You get best deals if you have family membership of the YHA.

@cherrycokewinning

My brother works as a MANAGER at the Premier Inn, and so I know what I am talking about.

When you book a room with Premier or Travelodge, you agree to the terms and conditions when you book.

If you book 4 people in, and sneak an extra person in, and you are found out, the hotel can and sometimes DO ask you all to leave, with NO refund.

If you are not found out, and there is a fire, and one of your children is burned alive in a fire, (because they are not registered as being there,) you will NOT HAVE A LEG TO STAND ON when it comes to recompense or insurance claims, because you LIED ABOUT YOUR CHILD BEING ON THE BOOKING.

Do you not get this very basic, simple information? Do you lack comprehension skills THAT badly?

No-one is saying you cannot HAVE 5 people in a 4 bed room, AS LONG AS YOU TELL THEM.

Now stop talking shit, and stop talking dangerous nonsense that will get people into trouble.

If we had to book two rooms every time we went away when the dc were small we would never have gone anywhere as simply couldn't afford it.

We didn't go away much for this very reason.

5 in a hotel room is absolutely minging and no fun whatsoever. Now mine are older we stay at the Novotel in London which has two rooms off its own private corridor. Kids have one, we have the other. Its amazing and an actual, proper break for dh and I.

I am done with you on this thread coz I cannot communicate with people who are THAT clueless that they dish out dangerous shit that can harm people!

I agree with tippz

I think its really not on to 'sneak an extra kid in'

you presumably chose to have three children, did you not think that it might be expensive to go on holiday

Can't get past pp poster saying sprogs, such an utterly charming way to describe dc

Oh god not a MANAGER

Bet he’s well up on the group insurance policy

Scabbersley would you mind sharing which Novotel you stay at, for future reference?