'Sneaking' two extra children into hotel room booked for two adults and two children

[AlbertCamel]

AIBU in thinking this may have implications regarding insurance etc?

Friend is off on holiday later today to a large hotel abroad with her DH and four DC aged between 4 and 16. Not a package, no meals included and flights were booked separately.

The room has a small bedroom, bathroom and living area with a sofa bed. It sleeps 4. They've booked it for two adults and two children. That's the maximum number of people allowed.

She wants to check in with DH, their two youngest boys and all their luggage, and have the two oldest boys wait outside until they're 'sneaked' in a little while later.

I think that whilst this is logistically possible, it will have implications but not sure what these implications might be. Friend thinks there's no problem with this and nobody will bat an eyelid.

AIBU in saying it's not a good idea?

If she thinks the staff won’t notice, she’s wrong.

Agreed

But Mumsnet certainly enjoys a Bitchfest thread. Where you can join the OP in being morally superior to others and thus better than sooo many people!

NB I'm not condoning the friend's behaviour but if she wants to risk it - she's an idiot, but hey ho. Maybe you need different friends OP?

Watch out for Basil Fawlty brandishing a broom, saying “right, the game’s up!”, and then hopping about in the corridor, in the troubled foetal position.

This reminds me of my old DF. He used to take us camping/caravanning and some sites would charge you by the number of people in your party. He used to make my brother and I get out of the car and walk in the site by ourselves (we were old enough to do this). He would then just pay for 2!

They would search the room according to their protocols and remove/ assist everyone they find. They would not stop searching once they'd ticked the right number off their clipboard no.

Yes they would. Families can't always book into the same hotel. So you could have relatives visiting, take your children's cousins for the day etc. The hotels I've stayed in has had open bars. People bring people back to shag. People get friendly and sit off in each others rooms. Fire training involves how to sweep a room. That doesn't change. There often isn't time for a look at the guest list. They don't rumage, people don't tend to fit in drawers, or climb into wardrobes if the place is on fire. Bathroom and window points when people are running out of air and it's getting hotter tends to be the norm. Stairwells are on the list. It's rare that there's a fire which means a loss of life in hotels in Spain anyway, especially since the smoking ban and better electrics.
The hotels I've stayed in, once there have been suspicions of sneaking in, the staff started asking for room numbers and occupancy. Just tip the cleaning staff well and not have housekeeping every day.

We go to Spain fairly regularly. We stay in an apartment that's rented out as a holiday let and always give passports which are scanned. In fairness we are adults so not sure on the rules on that for kids.

Recently a lot of hotels where we go have moved to wristbands regardless of board basis and having staff to check them at pool entrances. This was due to an increase in people deciding to save money by booking cheaper small hotels with no pool and just wandering to whatever big hotel they liked each day (people ate oddly quite open about this beforehand on Facebook in groups for the area)

It was causing lots of actual guest complaints about pools being too busy, not getting sunbeds etc when they'd paid to stay there.

I do wonder if your friend would be annoyed if she couldn't get a sunbed etc due to someone sneaking in from outside the hotel?

There will always be people who do this and justify it, and there will always be people that don't as they don't see theft as a sliding scale.

What a way to live! Looking over your shoulder, telling kids to be quiet and sneak in

No holiday is it!

It's her business. Her risk, her holiday so I would not be commenting. It's not as if you are in the same car as her while she is speeding.

But they’re in Spaaaaiiiiin! 😂

My df used to book a double room then sneak us kids in. I hated every minute of the holiday. No way would I do it as an adult.

Shocked at some of the responses. This is theft and will be treated as such by the hotel when they discover it, which they almost certainly will.

This. I know people who work in hotels, and they have had fire scares, and actual fires, and the fire brigade do NOT go looking through rooms with no-one staying in them, and will NOT be searching for extra people that just may be in there.

I mean obviously if someone says 'my 2 extra kids are in there that I sneaked in' they will look, but what if that 'someone' (the parents) are unconscious from the smoke inhalation? As I said, the kids could be missed, and die, and then the parents would point the finger at the hotel/hotel staff, and try to sue them. Even though it was their own stupid selfish fault.

Also, as you said, people staying in hotels are NOT ALLOWED to bring guests back to the rooms anyway. If they do, they will be thrown out! As IF the staff, and the fire brigade are going to search around in a devastating and dangerous fire, for someone who is not meant to be there/someone they don't know about. Give over!

This.
The cleaners will 100% notice. The reception staff will also notice.
This is a really stupid thing to do.

Fire service will force entry and search empty rooms. They won’t assume no one is within, maybe hotel staff would but they won’t.

I would be worried she would get caught out. Too many what ifs for me to be happy to even try. And I don't imagine the teens will be too happy at everyone squeezed in.

What if luggage doesn't arrive so the airline send it on to the hotel and the hotel say they don't have anyone in that name staying there. Or the hotel have an issue with the room and move you to a single room with 4 beds and you then are all cramped in 1 room, or there is a reason to claim on your insurance and they won't pay out because you don't actually have an accommodation booked for a third of your party.

You just decline any room service and ask to change your towels only …it’s a big hotel…,chances are no one will notice ….and if they do they won’t care

But you're her friend. Why do you care ?? Why start an argument and show your disapproval ?

I personally wouldn't do it, just because I couldn't be bothered with the stress of it.

If my friend said she was planning this, I would say ' you're much more chilled than me, I am such a worry wart and it would stress me out. Have fun though !'. If she then asked why I would be worried, I would just say that I always exaggerate all the risks of stuff like that.

Logically, they'll be absolutely fine. I wouldn't get into a tiff about it at all. She's your friend. Don't judge her.

I have done this in Airbnbs which allow up to four (we're a family of five, with twin DC). I do it in ways that seem appropriate to me - ie no one is squashed in to too small a space or sleeping where they shouldn't be. I wouldn't do it in a hotel just because it sounds like a terrible idea for a holiday.

But why would you worry about someone else’s holiday 🤷‍♀️…. I haven’t got the head space to worry about anyone’s family but my own

😂😂 omg just laughed so much at this.

Because I care about my friends and their families and wouldn't want their holiday to be ruined by something that could have been avoided.

They will be just fine 🙄

I like the American system… you just book a room and they ask you how many keys you want. I’m sure somewhere is a clause about over occupancy but I’ve never seen one.

Housekeeping won't notice the lilo on the floor... Or the state of the sheets after over a week... The receptionists won't notice the extra kids... The pool won't worry about a couple of extras without any hotel ID...

You have no idea what sort of hotel it is. It is despicable to rip off people who are trying to earn a living, whether or not they get caught out. It is also a dreadful example to be setting to your children.