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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

545 replies

VioletOrange · 02/08/2023 09:49

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.

OP posts:
ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 03/08/2023 04:02

So many people justifying their own fraudulent behaviour. Sad.

Whatever happened to integrity?

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 03/08/2023 04:05

VioletOrange · 02/08/2023 11:44

If I stuck to the rules then our 2 night stay, costing almost £300 would double in price and cost almost £600!

There is more than adequate room for 2 adults and 1 teen in a family room. There shouldn’t be a need to have to book a whole extra room to accommodate a 16 year old.

Then book somewhere else, rather than cheat an establishment for your own gain.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 03/08/2023 04:08

VioletOrange · 02/08/2023 11:54

And yes, we should maybe decide to book at a Travelodge instead but we do like a PI bed.

So it's ok to scam them in order to satisfy your preferences?

What other types of fraud do you endorse?

What if your employer decided to only pay a portion of your wages? Figuring you could make do on whatever they felt like paying, even if it wasn't the contracted amount...

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 03/08/2023 04:11

VioletOrange · 02/08/2023 14:22

And while we’re on the subject, as he’s still not legally an adult and still classed as a child, why does he have to pay adult train fares/plane fares etc? Yes there are concessions such as 16/17 saver passes etc but why can’t there just be a blanket ban on children under the age of 18, who are still classed as children IN LAW, being charged adult prices?

It's nothing to do with their legal age, it's their size!

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 03/08/2023 04:12

gingerguineapig · 02/08/2023 14:41

definitely baked goods from breakfast buffets are fair game for a snack at the beach later

I see no problem with this. A breakfast buffet is all you can eat - it is perfectly acceptable to take something with you for later. I don't have a cooked breakfast so I don't see the issue with taking a yogurt or pastry for mid-morning.

All you can eat for one meal, not all you can eat in a day.

Honestly the grifting mingers here!

Someoneonlyyouknow · 03/08/2023 04:17

Would my 6'3" DS pass for 15? Even though he was. Not that he would have agreed to share a room with his parents

Someoneonlyyouknow · 03/08/2023 04:25

And lying about their age doesn't work with much younger children who like to tell all and sundry that they're NOW 4,

BlastedIce · 03/08/2023 04:47

FerretFumbler · 02/08/2023 09:58

Do they all know you are lying and taking advantage of a system to help families with younger children?

Show quote history

Who cares? I certainly don’t think PI care if they’d have a stricter policy.

Wintercomesoon · 03/08/2023 04:49

FerretFumbler · 02/08/2023 09:58

Do they all know you are lying and taking advantage of a system to help families with younger children?

Show quote history

Why would a family with a younger child need to benefit more than one with an older child ?

BlastedIce · 03/08/2023 04:53

FerretFumbler · 02/08/2023 09:58

Do they all know you are lying and taking advantage of a system to help families with younger children?

Show quote history

Actually bless you that you think PI are doing this to “help” families with younger children? It’s like you believe that it’s not just a marketing strategy and they’ve not factored in the amount of 16 year olds that will be passed if as 15.

Poor PI and the £375 million profits, I hope the shareholders don’t have to eat the left over breakfast to survive!

Wintercomesoon · 03/08/2023 04:57

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 03/08/2023 04:02

So many people justifying their own fraudulent behaviour. Sad.

Whatever happened to integrity?

I’d reserve your concerns of integrity for PI. I have friends who work for one and the company does not let their integrity get in the way of working them to the bone.

BlastedIce · 03/08/2023 04:59

Wintercomesoon · 03/08/2023 04:57

I’d reserve your concerns of integrity for PI. I have friends who work for one and the company does not let their integrity get in the way of working them to the bone.

Show quote history

Now why am I not surprised at that 🤔?

BlastedIce · 03/08/2023 05:02

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 03/08/2023 04:08

So it's ok to scam them in order to satisfy your preferences?

What other types of fraud do you endorse?

What if your employer decided to only pay a portion of your wages? Figuring you could make do on whatever they felt like paying, even if it wasn't the contracted amount...

Show quote history

😁

😁

How many shares do you own in PI?

Moonmummo · 03/08/2023 05:24

Just go to Travelodge, 3 can share a room without the stress / fraud / dishonesty. Premier Inn's loss! TL is just as good just wiithout the silly age rule.

IamfeelingConfused · 03/08/2023 05:42

Most hotels consider ‘children’ to be under 12. I don’t think you can make yourself feel better by trying to say a 16 year old is not 18 so that makes it ok.

Hecate01 · 03/08/2023 05:57

Housekeeping manager here. We don't care how old the kids are, what annoys us is when people think they are being clever by not adding children on the booking to save money then rock up demanding a sofa bed is made up. The price for the room is a flat rate so you are not saving money by not declaring your children are staying and if there's a fire then we are not looking for them because technically they don't exist on the headcount.

Just do it and I can guarantee that no one will care or say anything, just leave them a good review and everyone is a winner.

Oliotya · 03/08/2023 06:21

SirSmellyJohn · 03/08/2023 01:15

I agree with this. It may seem harmless and I agree the rules are bonkers, but what if everybody did this?

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What if everyone did it? What do you think would happen?
A teenager doesn't wake on their 16th birthday and suddenly their consumption is so great they might bankrupt premier inn.

Oliotya · 03/08/2023 06:23

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 03/08/2023 04:11

It's nothing to do with their legal age, it's their size!

Show quote history

Yes. Because one does usually wake on one's 16th birthday having grown 3 feet overnight.

BlastedIce · 03/08/2023 06:39

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 03/08/2023 04:05

Then book somewhere else, rather than cheat an establishment for your own gain.

Show quote history

Nah, stick with the original plan and save yourself £300!

PI are rich enough and you’ll not get arrested.

FabFitFifties · 03/08/2023 06:40

Those saying it doesn't affect anyone else - of course it does. If lots of people do this it pushes prices up for everyone. Just like people not paying for anything else. I'd still do it though OP 🤣 I wouldn't get away with it though, my son would refuse to play along, which is annoying, because at 12 1/2 he's still in age 9-10 trousers.

BlastedIce · 03/08/2023 06:41

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 03/08/2023 04:12

All you can eat for one meal, not all you can eat in a day.

Honestly the grifting mingers here!

Show quote history

Grifting mingers…

You really do love PI!

Have you considered taking a deep breath and thinking logically?

Duckskitbank · 03/08/2023 06:59

Does he actually want to share a room with you? I’ve stayed in a couple of Premier Inn’s and the rooms were minuscule.

I’m not being sarky, just interested. My DC are younger and still want to be close to us (very close if it’s a Premier Inn) but I imagined they would want their own space when they hit the teens.

Morph22010 · 03/08/2023 07:02

Needmorelego · 02/08/2023 11:57

@Comefromaway are they? I seem to remember when booking the family room was more expensive. I might be remembering wrong though. It does say it’s one double bed and one sofa bed so I suppose that is the same. I have been informed that I’m sleeping on the sofa bed 😂😂😂

We stay in premier inns a lot of they have always been the same rooms, family, twin or double, they just make up the sofa bed for family or twin and leave it as a sofa for double. Four people family room it’s still the same room but there’s a pull out bed under the sofa they make up as well

Isthisasgoodasitis · 03/08/2023 07:12

Do you think your average 16 year old can cope in an emergency in unfamiliar surroundings? When I booked my dd as a 16 year old she was put in a room the otherside of the hotel on a different floor she realised I had the toothpaste but by the time she located our room was in such a panic she spent the night with us anyway … NEVER again she was in family room with us until she was 19 then if they couldn’t book us next door to each other we didn’t stay …… why it’s necessary to disclose medical conditions disability’s or learning issues to book family safe accommodation still eludes me since when was it down to a hotel to decide when a child is able to cope in its own room 🤦‍♀️

Dacadactyl · 03/08/2023 07:33

Yes I would 100% do it.

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