to still book our DS (16) as a 15 year old at a Premier Inn?

[VioletOrange]

I’m probably going to get a flaming for this but here goes.

We only have DS, he can’t stay in a PI by himself until he’s 18. If we booked him in as an adult, as he’s classed as one now he’s 16, we’d have to pay for another room. So for now, while we can still just about get away with it, we book him in as a child stating he’s 15.

In one PI where we’ve stayed many times over the years, a couple of the regular staff are aware but they’re ok with this. He doesn’t get up for breakfast so doesn’t benefit from the ‘kids eat free’ deal.

AIBU to carry on doing this for as long as we can get away with it? Not that he’ll likely still want to come away with us in the next few years.

My personal opinion is that on the one hand they class 18+ as adults but want to charge a 16 year old adult prices.

Absolutely not.

To start with, the hotel would have to be fully occupied for this argument to hold any water whatsoever. Occupancy is the biggest thing for hotels and they would rather your son paid the correct rate than take a chance on attracting more lucrative customers who may or may not dine at the hotel's restaurant etc. If they genuinely believed that what you are proposing made any kind of sense for them commercially then they would adopt the policy but PI and no other hotels to my knowledge have anything like this in place.

It is also completely unacceptable for you to unilaterally decide that the pricing policy set out by a business is wrong and that you can lie your way towards a better price on the basis that it's 'swings and roundabouts'. If I wanted two ornaments from a shop but decided to only pay for one and steal the other one on the basis that the profit that they would make on the one that I buy would more than cover the cost of the stolen one, would that be ok? What about if I sneak into the cinema and buy some popcorn but rationalise it's fine as it's better I'm there buying popcorn than not there at all as they would make no money off me then? Don't you see how it's a slippery slope that would send businesses to the wall if we all reasoned ways that the pricing policy doesn't quite apply to us?

When their parents condone such behaviour then yes their children are more likely to all practice such behaviours. Children need to be taught right from wrong not that some wrongs are alright. Perhaps your energy would be better placed teaching your children right from wrong instead of ridiculing honesty.

Who are the 16% YABU respondents? 🤣

If he can't have his own room then nope, shouldn't have to pay adult prices. PI ought to look at that. If it's about the breakfast then introduce a teen price. Otherwise they're literally just out to charge families more for absolutely nothing.

I bet the great train robbers parents did this with them at the PI!

I’ve heard the Kray twins used to sneak in pretending to be the same kid

My Mum and her sisters regularly book a family room in PI and TL as it's the cheapest way to do it and the only way they could afford going away. Nobody cares.

😂 Probably encouraged by their parents!

My exact dilemma and for those saying they have booked 3 adults. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE !
You might mean Holiday Inn or Travelodge but PI expressly only allow 2 adults max per room.
We've often stayed at PI for value stays by the sea, but she's now 16. It would cost me twice, when she could very easily & comfortably stay in the family room she always has, with an additional bed.
The problem is, she looks much older than 16.
and similar to you, won't eat/really doesn't like any type of cooked breakfast. But would have cereal/croissant/juice.
I have been looking, feel ripped off booking another room, but not brave enough to book her in ours!

Check in whilst she’s in the car or outside, then just go to your room.

There seems to be a bit of a pile on against a few posters who see this as wrong, which it obviously is and I cannot see why picking on people for their honesty and integrity is so acceptable here.

You can minimise it all you want saying it’s just eggs etc, but the bottom line is it is wrong and you are stealing.

Not sure why you posted OP. You knew it was wrong and dishonest hence this AIBU, but you are going to do what you planned anyway.

Why don’t the honest posters carry on doing what they are doing and the people who think it is ok to lie and steal carrying on doing that, and teaching their kids that that is acceptable behaviour.

Everyone’s happy!
(Except when business fold, people are stolen from, helpful promotions are withdrawn etc.)

Because they’re ridiculously OTT and judgemental. I’m sorry people online will not ask me questions “like what else do you do that’s fraudulent”, I will ridicule them for making far fetched assumptions.

it’s a forum, we can discuss and give our view, life isn’t black and white.

Would I do the same with a small independent B&B, no I wouldn’t.

So right there. It black and white!

Oh, the row I had a few years ago. Me and three DDs, booked as two adults and two children and paid for two adult breakfasts. A receptionist decided to play by the rules and inform me I wasn't allowed to do this and needed two rooms. The look on her face when I asked her whether the 11, 9 or 7 year old should sleep on their own ...

Absolutely. As I said earlier I do financial crime as a job and got to say pretending a 16 year old is 15 and having a few hash browns isn’t on our list of scams and fraudulent behaviour.

Maybe I’ll ask my boss to add it just be be sure

I think that would be extremely prudent!

It is still wrong!

There is no chance I’d be caught if I stole money from my PTA, so slipped a few extras in bag going round Sainsbury’s. Would I do though? No. Because it is wrong!

I genuinely cannot believe so many people think stealing is ok, and presumably teach their kids this. Shocking.

Perhaps this is why my PTA have had to buy a load of pencils for the school. Another case of ‘it’s only a …’ ‘minor’ stealing?

So here we go again with the “I bet you teach your kids” blah blah blah!

You’ll see that 84% think it’s ok!

You can polish your halo all afternoon!

I find it rather telling that the people who insist this is all absolutely morally justified feel the need to ridicule and exaggerate what posters with the opposite viewpoint are suggesting. I think everyone understands that a 16 year old pretending to be a 15 year old isn't akin to serious fraud or murder. However that doesn't mean that it is completely fine and not wrong. It also doesn't mean that parents aren't teaching their kids influential moral lessons about life. That it's ok to outright lie and break rules for personal financial gain. Not the same as robbing a bank but it certainly blurs the line. Add to this the idea that it's ok because it's a large profitable business. You can see how this could easily descend further into sneaking a few things past the self service tills at large supermarkets etc as it's quite easily justified using the same rationale.

People also keen to stress it isn't 'black and white'. I think it is actually is completely black and white and you are deliberately choosing to break the rules and deprive a business of money that you legitimately should pay. It IS stealing. It just makes you feel better to believe that it is morally hazy and not really stealing like the shoplifters that you love to look down on.

But 86% that have voted feel this way, I think that’s really telling,

And again (and put in bold), I’ll not have others make wild and ridiculous assumptions about me, I will point out the ridiculousness of their assumptions.

You will be teaching your kids these lessons whether you like it or not. Kids learn from what they see adults do and the behaviours they model. You may well be telling them that stealing is wrong but if they see you lying and sneaking people into hotels then of course they will think this is a legitimate exception to the rules (as you clearly do). The fact that 86% of people agree with you doesn't mean that you are right. There are loads of stats floating around about extremely dodgy stuff that the majority of people would do when polled anonymously. Most worrying of all the stats are very high for some really terrible things if people are given the assurance that they would never get caught. Human beings are flawed and self serving and we should be cautious about setting society's moral compass based on what the majority would do.

I dont necessarily disagree but what about in the case of a fire?

These hotels don't know if you are in your room or not anyway.
You could be out all night.
They have no way of knowing who is actually in each room at any part of the day.

I have been involved in two different fire alarm issues overnight when staying in hotels. Not one asked us which room we were in. We were simply asked if we knew of anyone still in the hotel or anyone stuck.

Yep I teach my children to be astute and take a view, I’ve taught them well, thanks!

Fine to disagree but the hyperbolic language being used is so far beyond ridiculous it’s laughable.

If there genuinely was a victimless crime then this is it.

And excuse me if I don’t shed a tear for those poor shareholders who might lose absolutely sweet FA because of this dreadful fraudulent behaviour.

Faux outrage much but hey that’s MN

I'm sure you have taught them to be 'astute', 'savvy' and 'smart'. Dress it up how you like and add a bow, it still is what it is. I will raise my kids to be honest and decent people and to be wary of people that take a rather pragmatic approach to paying their way...

And that’s fine, but as I’ve said can we keep this in perspective?

Because your hyperbole is making you look ridiculous.

Why can't you just book a family room for 3 adults?