4 people in one hotel room

[MuffinFace]

I'm trying to book a night in a hotel near Manchester airport and am baffled to find that the only way for our family of 4 (2 adults, an 8 year old and a 4 year old) to do this seems to be to get a room with 2 double beds. It's sometimes a proper double bed and a double sofa bed on offer, sometimes 2 full double beds. I don't understand how we're supposed to arrange ourselves - I get that there are technically 4 spaces in the beds but who wants it as two doubles rather than a double and two singles?! I had similar problems before booking in Edinburgh and in Germany. AIBU to think that most people booking 4 people in a room would want 1 double and 2 singles instead of 2 doubles or am I missing something?

8 year old can disappear off with dad while 4 year old falls asleep then come back at bedtime. He definitely can't sneak into the same bed as her without waking her, and won't lie still once he's in there like an adult will!

I really like The Hilton Doubletree rooms for our family get togethers.

Yes they have 2 double beds but that’s better than many hotels who just have the one double bed and make you pay a premium for a family room.

Exactly my thoughts! It's who's choosing two doubles in the same room I don't understand, versus double and two singles. As you say, must be cheaper for the hotels I guess and seems like most people put up with it. It's not the norm for family rooms where I am which is why I'm surprised.

Top and tail the kids so they effectively have a bed each.

Or ask for an extra duvet so you can make the kids bed into two.

Or call the hotel and ask what they have available.

Not my experience in Florida or New York

There are a lot of other places in the US than Florida or NY. NY space is a premium. In Florida, our beds were king size, and that was a budget room. Get out of those tourist states and accommodation tends to be cheaper and not ran to quite the cost efficiency you see in more in demand areas.

We spent two weeks with DD4 and DD6 in Southern Africa. Four different hotels, all of them were like this.

Used to be very common in France too, before chain motels.

Just deal with it!

It's going to be very difficult for everyone to go to bed at different times when you only have one room - as soon as the first person goes to bed you'll have to turn the TV and the lights off and all be silent. We usually get round this by having an evening meal out or an evening film at the cinema then everyone goes to bed at the same time (meaning DP gets an early night as he doesn't usually go to bed until 1 am) and it's screens off for everyone as the glow can be irritating for those trying to sleep.

If you absolutely need different bedtimes you would be better with two rooms, one adult and one child in each.

2 single adults sharing would want 2 doubles. A lot of families would probably settle for 2 doubles. Changing 3 beds takes longer than 2 beds and 2 doubles take less room then a double plus 2 singles. I expect it's a mix that it can appeal to wider segment of the market and costs less both in terms of wages and size of room you can rent to 4 people. From the hotels point of view wanting to maximise profit it's a mix of reducing costs and increasing occupancy rates. As long as most families don't value the different set up of 3 beds versus 2 in a 4 person room enough to either take their business elsewhere or pay a big enough mark up to increase profit they'll stick with the 2 doubles model. Although some chains might purposefully go out of their way to appeal to the market of people who need a 4 person room but don't want two doubles, it's not economically smart for all hotels to target that subsection of the market. Different types of hotel appeal to different segments of the market.

Each time this happened, our kids shared the bed. It's not a problem.

This. I don’t understand the issue. AT ALL.

Me. Mine both likely to settle better in a strange room when sleeping with a parent, and not big enough for it to be a problem sharing.

Though I agree with other posters, it's likely about what's cheapest for the hotel rather than an attempt to cater to people like me.

Fwiw the 4th bed we've had in a premier inn had been quite uncomfortable. My kids at this age agreed to share a double so that everyone got a comfy bed. My friend used to put them to sleep across the bed when small so they had more space from each other (one was very wriggly!)

The other thing you could try is searching for a room for 5. I know they are not common but you only need 1.

Hardly anyone is choosing this because it’s not a choice given by most hotels.

We spent a whole holiday like this when our children were young. It was no problem.

I think the issue is space and it does appeal to some people - two friends sharing. Most adults don’t want a single bed. Sofa beds are uncomfortable normally and smaller than a real double bed.

I'm with you OP. My kids will share but I often have to listen to moaning of 'he kicked me' etc. It annoys me that I have to pay 200-300 a night for worse sleeping conditions than at home.

I usually hunt down rooms that might have a double and bunk beds, or have the second double in a separate area (eg L shape room). Hostels can often be good to get proper family rooms (on the continent anyway).

Tbh by the time you've got the king size bed, and the sofa bed out as a double, there isn't any floor space anyway and you are all practically in the same bed!

Pretty much standard whever we book. We usually do one kid in with each adult. You can call the hotel and see if they have the beds that split and can make them up. They might be able to.

If it’s cheaper for the hotel it’s ultimately cheaper for the customer too. And based on the number of people happy to squeeze into one room as a family of four I’d say a lot of family are pretty price conscious.

I agree OP. As a lone parent, booking two rooms and an adult in each isn't an option. My children are opposite sexes and when younger were fine to share a bed but I think it's a bit inappropriate now, although they're happy to share a room in single beds.

And I don't want to share with one of them: once they've gone to sleep I want to be able to relax in my part of the room - separated at the very least by a curtain if not a door! - and lie on my bed and read a book with the light on, not have to sit in the dark! And to be able to access the terrace and have a glass of wine watching the sunset with the sea view, without disturbing them.

For one night in an airport hotel we'd lump it but for hotels meant for an actual holiday stay the lack of appropriate family rooms is a total pain and rules out a lot of hotels for us due to the impractical configurations of sleeping areas and beds and will only provide something resembling what could appropriately be called a "family room" if you book a two bedroomed suite at exhorbitant expense.

There should be something sensible in between a standard double with an uncomfortable sofa bed shoved in it, or one room with no division or privacy and two double beds in it (just why?! 🤣🤦🏻‍♀️) and a suite with an additional living room etc that isn't needed. Far more hotels used to provide appropriate family accommodation.

Last year was the first year we booked 2 interconnecting rooms, and that was when DC were 16 & 17. Before that it was always DC in the one double bed.

I agree with PPs that it's the whole "... I don't understand how we are supposed to arrange ourselves" that is the funniest bit of this thread 🤣

The hotel don't know your particular problems with when/ how your children fall asleep, and tbh they don't care.

Sounds like two rooms would work better for you, one parent/one child in each - if your children are such awful sleepers, you’ll all have better sleeps this way.

Those saying the DC share. I'm a single mum I stayed in one with a double and single. The DC ended up sharing the double because they both got jealous of me sharing with one of them.. Boy and girl but they were about 5 and 7 then. What do you do when the DC sre opposite sex when they are older? Mine have severe autism they would be happy to share. But I just don't think it's appropriate.

Yes it's incredibly irritating.

What do you do when the DC sre opposite sex when they are older? Mine have severe autism they would be happy to share.

You book 2 rooms. Although I appreciate it's an added complexity if you have special needs to consider too.