'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?

They would all have had their passports registered at immigration.
Not sure if their holiday address is required - it used to be.
The hotel would inform the Local Police of the registered guests.
Spanish bureaucracy beats UK hands down.

It's a busy time of year, so possibly the 2 missing immigrants might not be noticed. I wouldn't chance it.

@Izzymoon It's not nonsense as people with hotel experience are telling you; without a rooming list they'd waste time searching unoccupied rooms for a start!

Bringing an adult back is no more allowed by hotels than sneaking extra kids in. Lots of time we've stayed in hotels on weekend breaks the doors have been locked after hours and the night porter / security checks name and room number (and amount of people booked to stay) before granting access. All the hotels I've worked in have done the same.

Splitting 4 pizzas between 6 isn't invalidating Dominos' liability insurance, FFS.

I couldn’t get this upset about something that doesn’t impact me and isn’t my decision. Live and let live and get on with your own life instead of asserting yourself on others.

It might he morally wrong but it isn't the reason holidays are expensive.

I have done this many many times.I don't understand how people get caught out, unless it's a very small hotel

I think hotels are now extortionate even taking into account running costs, im in Ireland and our local , run-of-the-mill hotel is around 400 per night at the weekend for a normal double and you know what I’m not sure it even includes breakfast!!!

Oh well then, that's fine. If something's too expensive for you, rather than just not go or cut your coat according to your cloth, you break the rules and squeeze the whole family in. 🙄

This. Sounds like a shit holiday too, especially for the teenagers.

😂😂

@CheeseWisely Lots of time we've stayed in hotels on weekend breaks the doors have been locked after hours and the night porter / security checks name and room number (and amount of people booked to stay) before granting access. All the hotels I've worked in have done the same.

I have literally never, ever been asked to do a security check and confirm the number of people booked to stay before being allowed back into a locked hotel room.

I'm on holiday just now. At no point have I given my holiday address to anyone

It's so CF, especially as even if it's room only (not even breakfast provided) they'll be using water, toilet paper, maybe complimentary toiletries, and you say they're planning on using the pool! Will there be enough towels and bedding? Storage for clothes and cases? Sneaking extra food from the breakfast buffet is also tacky.

They may get away with it, regrettably, depending on how much the cleaners care. (They're going to notice blow up mattresses on the floor!)

A relative does this in the UK. Parent and 3 adult kids in one room in a Premier Inn.

Four children in one living area, with two of them on lilos? Where are the older children getting their privacy from?
As much as the parents are being tight and CFers, it sounds bloody miserable for the kids!

I think your friend sounds like a dimwit. She is effectively stealing. And while I am sure she is feeling smug with her 'ingenious' ploy of simply forgetting about two additional children when making the booking, the reality is going to be awful. Six people in accommodation that is meant for four (and even that is a stretch, I wouldn't dream of going on holiday and having someone sleep on a sofa) and they're going to be jammed in like sardines.

And as I said, it is stealing/deception because they should have either booked the two rooms or opt for a holiday they can actually afford.

And nobody likes to feel ripped off, that includes people working in hospitality. I'd be pissed off if I owned a hotel and in peak season two random teenagers decided to avail of week's holiday without paying anything. It's cheap and dishonest.

If she doesn't think she is doing harm, ask her (and I suppose it's also a question for those that think it's okay and that lots of families do it):

Will their extra kids use a sunbed by the pool?
If so it means an honest paying guest can't. And in some hotels there aren't enough to go round at the best of times!

Will their extra kids use a hotel towel, either in the room or by the pool?
If so that's cleaning costs that get passed on to an honest, paying guest.

Will their extra kids use the lights or the lift without everyone else using them at the same time?
If so, that's electricity costs that get passed on to an honest, paying guest.

Will their extra kids be paying any tourism tax that's required?
If not, that's revenue lost by the country visited.

I'm sure there are many more, fairly minor things like the above, but if lots of people are doing it, then the honest people are paying more and losing out! As a "full fare" payer, that makes me quite grumpy.

And possibly most importantly...
Has she bought travel insurance for the extra kids? If she has, and god forbid anything happens she will have to give details of the hotel, the room etc and if they don't have authorised accomodation or for some reason the hotel needs to be involved (accident by the pool for example) then the insurance will be invalid and the repatriation costs may well ruin them. Even if she has EHIC card, (I'm assuming she's not daft enough to travel without that!!) it that won't cover all costs.
If she hasn't, well that's another issue and she's an idiot.

6 people in one room - it’s going to be very noisy. Pity the poor folk on either side of them.

Not fair since they use the pool area without paying for it as well. They should have stopped at two children if that is what they can afford.

@Izzymoon You've never been asked to confirm your name or room number on arrival back to a hotel in the middle of the night? Just saunter in and straight into the lift? I wouldn't want to stay in any hotel with such lax security

That doesn’t sound like a holiday- all those teenagers fighting over a sofa bed 😝😝😝😝😝😝😜😜

good god I bet it stinks in the morning

think I would stay at home

best of luck to her bahahahahaha

Agree that it is not standard in European countries to be asked about your accommodation. US immigration do ask this and in my direct experience get really grumpy if you only know the name of the hotel/resort and the town, rather than the full postal address, including zip code.

Gosh some of the replies on here! What sort of person contemplates this stupid fraud and then has the brass neck to burden their friends with the knowledge? At best they are a person who can’t keep a secret and will get caught; they are definitely the best example of entitled I’ve read on here. The OP is very polite about them in the circumstances

It happens frequently enough that when we go to Spain everyone who’s checked in is given a wrist band. No wrist band and no access to any of the facilities.

day guests or visitors to the hotel are given individual wrist bands that relate to a day entry but they have restricted access.

whether she gets away with it will depend on the type of hotel but she wouldn’t in the hotels we’ve been to lately unless she only plans to sleep there.

Presumably the hotel buildings/corridors/stairs are designed to be able to evacuate a certain number of people in a certain time. If just one room has extra people in it then maybe that's not such a problem, but if lots of them do then it's going to start to make an impact.

There's a fire limit in places like theatres for the same reason.

I've never had to give my hotel address to anyone on a European break. I have in the US. Also I've never come back to a locked hotel reception area and had to give room details!

I've stayed in Greek hotels without pools and used other hotel pools in the area. That's not unusual, and buying food and drinks.

@Otherstories2002 You've just reminded me; the last two times I've been to Spain (one holiday and one business, different locations) I've had to wear a hotel wristband despite being B&B only.