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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

692 replies

AlbertCamel · 09/08/2024 09:04

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?

OP posts:
Luminousalumnus · 09/08/2024 16:34

tinydynamine · 09/08/2024 09:16

I'm assuming your friend wouldn't dream of doing this in her home country. My advice is: if you wouldn't do it at home, then don't do it abroad.

Why would you not do this at home? Surely it is the whole point of Travelodges! When younger - I wouldn't do it anymore. And we have also done it at euro Disney. Two couples and 5 children in two rooms for 4. The children played musical beds.

Izzynohopanda · 09/08/2024 16:34

DelphiniumBlue · 09/08/2024 16:28

I’d be wondering where the bigger ones are actually going to sleep? Even if they put a couple of kids on lilos, will there be enough floor space to do that? Maybe smallest one can go in with mum and dad?
I’ve stayed in places where there definitely wouldn’t be enough room to fit an extra 2, not enough floor space, or seats, or cups.

I can think upthread, op said the bigger ones were going top and tail on the sofa. Can imagine many teens would want to share a sofa with their sibling!

Longma · 09/08/2024 16:36

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Izzynohopanda · 09/08/2024 16:36

@AlbertCamel When do they go? Waiting with bated breath to find out what happened .

BreadInCaptivity · 09/08/2024 16:39

BreadInCaptivity · 09/08/2024 16:34

If they want to risk it I suppose it's up to them.

Doesn't sound like a great plan to me though, spending the holiday sneaking around, being squashed into

...squashed into a small place.

The younger kids might like the idea now of "camping" on swimming toys but I think the novelty will wear off (as will 2 older children on an uncomfortable sofa bed) after a few days.

10 days is a long time away from home if you're dealing with 4 sleep deprived and grumpy kids living on top of each other.

It's not the same as all making the best of it for a couple of nights away.

Irrespective of if the hotel find out or not, it sounds like a potential disaster to me.

fitzwilliamdarcy · 09/08/2024 16:40

Friend is never going to validate OP by admitting it if it goes wrong - she’ll return boasting about how they had a wonderful time and saved sooooo much money, regardless of what actually happened.

BlackStrayCat · 09/08/2024 16:40

Happy holiday to them, hope they havent seen the Spanish news today.

Maryamlouise · 09/08/2024 16:42

I would do this for one night in a travelodge type place but sneaking about for a whole week sounds stressful

TheGoogleMum · 09/08/2024 16:45

Someone on my husbands side of the family did this at the hotel when we got married. It was in the UK and there were no consequences

macaroniandcheeze · 09/08/2024 16:48

Every time I have stayed in a Spanish hotel they have taken the whole family’s passports to scan and then returned them to us later that day. Also always been required to wear wristbands.

Longma · 09/08/2024 16:48

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Longma · 09/08/2024 16:53

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BiscuityBoyle · 09/08/2024 16:54

I don’t agree with doing it at all. Sounds miserable for the kids too.

I didn’t have to hand over my passport in Germany but I had put my passport number in on an online check in.

Kitkat1523 · 09/08/2024 16:55

ZoeCM · 09/08/2024 15:46

If they get caught and thrown out of the hotel, they have to own it. They can't leave a bad review of the hotel online along the lines of "the staff threw our whole family out onto the street, they frog-marched us out in front of the other guests, it was so humiliating, they won't give us our money back for the days we've missed, the kids are devastated, what a horrible thing to do to innocent children, we had to search for ages for another hotel that had space for us, a last-minute room cost a fortune, we've all been looking forward to this holiday for so long and now it's been ruined". They'll have to accept that they ruined their own holiday, and that the staff were well within their rights to throw them out.

If they got thrown out I don’t think leaving a review would be a priority

Longma · 09/08/2024 16:57

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Kitkat1523 · 09/08/2024 16:58

macaroniandcheeze · 09/08/2024 16:48

Every time I have stayed in a Spanish hotel they have taken the whole family’s passports to scan and then returned them to us later that day. Also always been required to wear wristbands.

That sounds very dodgy ….absolutely no reason for a passport to leave your hands ….I stayed at a family run very small hotel in the back beyond of Croatia last month and even there they had one of those scanners that just zaps the information from your passport whilst you were holding it ( doesn’t photocopy as that’s dodgy too)…..you want to be more careful with the hotels you choose PP ….you should never ever let your passport out of your sight….very basic travel advice

dontstopmenowimhavingagoodtime · 09/08/2024 16:59

Macandcheeese · 09/08/2024 09:09

I work in a hotel. If someone did this and we had a fire we would only be looking for the people booked into the room.

Don't believe this!

You'd go searching each room for the presumed occupants......

Not doing an evacuation of the actual occupants?

dontstopmenowimhavingagoodtime · 09/08/2024 17:00

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Exactly!

macaroniandcheeze · 09/08/2024 17:03

Kitkat1523 · 09/08/2024 16:58

That sounds very dodgy ….absolutely no reason for a passport to leave your hands ….I stayed at a family run very small hotel in the back beyond of Croatia last month and even there they had one of those scanners that just zaps the information from your passport whilst you were holding it ( doesn’t photocopy as that’s dodgy too)…..you want to be more careful with the hotels you choose PP ….you should never ever let your passport out of your sight….very basic travel advice

Show quote history

It’s not dodgy at all it’s protocol as other posters have already explained 🤦🏻‍♀️

Sahara123 · 09/08/2024 17:05

Bigboysmademedoit · 09/08/2024 09:46

We met a family on holiday one year who had this down to a fine art! They had 3 teenage kids - 2 boys and 1 girl. At Check In they dressed the boys identically and made a display of running back and forward to their car getting bags etc. Hotel staff never twigged it was 2 different boys as they were not seen together. They reckoned they’d saved a fortune over the years!

That is a disgrace and not something to be proud of in my mind.
I understand it wasn’t you !

Sahara123 · 09/08/2024 17:06

BlackStrayCat · 09/08/2024 16:40

Happy holiday to them, hope they havent seen the Spanish news today.

What’s happened?!

Kitkat1523 · 09/08/2024 17:08

macaroniandcheeze · 09/08/2024 17:03

It’s not dodgy at all it’s protocol as other posters have already explained 🤦🏻‍♀️

Edited
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You don’t hand your passport over to anyone and let them keep it…..they can get whatever details they need with you still in sight of your passport…..exactly….if a little hotel in Croatia has access to a passport scanner then a big fuck off jet2 hotel should easily be able to do this…..you don’t leave your passports with hotel staff….period 🙄

BlackStrayCat · 09/08/2024 17:10

Nothing has happened. Just the news, tourists (mainly British) behaving and disrespecting Spain.

It is gross and embarrassing and for some reason people seem entitled to do it. I can guarantee you everyone is on high alert for British bad behaviour and will get arrested. It offends me so much as I have to live here.

LarkspurLane · 09/08/2024 17:11

mrsdineen2 · 09/08/2024 15:49

Fucking daftest thing I've read on here.

If two extra children are going to throw a while region into drought, there should be a state of emergency and close the full hotel.

Go and wise up.

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How are you suggesting I "wise up"?

Do you not think that Spain is suffering from drought right now?

BlackStrayCat · 09/08/2024 17:13

You HAVE to give details of your passport on check in. If you "abandon" a minor (teen) you will risk really serious consequences. This is not a toddler for one night in your home country in a Travelodge.

Different country and different rules folks. Here: ID is king. YOU MUST have ID.

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