Page 4 | These hotel pool rules were bonkers

splittingupquestion · 2025-10-19T14:46:57+00:00

Stayed in a hotel with a pool this weekend for extended family get together. The pool had to be booked in advance by a group to use it - we knew this in advance. We didn’t know until we collected the key that we would have to have one adult per under 15 year old swimming, and 2 adults for an under 8 year old. This meant for our 5 children to swim in the pool we had to have 6 adults in the pool (kids age 14, 13, 12, 10 and 4). AIBU for thinking this was health and safety gone mad? Does this actually seem reasonable to people?

Cherryicecreamx · 20/10/2025 21:31

Dweetfidilove · 19/10/2025 16:39

I take it there's no swimming for the children of single parents 😳. Just wow!

Was just about to comment this. How disappointing - and actually quite insulting - to turn up and be told that I wouldn't be able to have a swim with my son because there's no other adult present!

Starwind74 · 20/10/2025 21:38

Or a 2 parent family with 2 children, one under 8 would have to have someone else with them how ridiculous.

Original poster

splittingupquestion · 20/10/2025 21:56

I emailed the hotel (which has been named in this thread btw) nicely just querying this policy which for all the reasons that have been pointed out on this thread - had a response from the manager that this is indeed the policy for compliance purposes but he recognises it is too draconian and will look at it again. From something he said I think it’s pretty recent & we were the first group for whom it was a challenge.

OP posts:

PuggyPuggyPuggy · 20/10/2025 22:13

autumnevenings25 · 20/10/2025 21:04

@PuggyPuggyPuggy does make you wonder doesn’t it !?

but then again what if you fit the social mould but have twins?! Under their rules that wouldn’t be allowed either!

Maybe nobody thought about twins. I know I hadn't, so I'm only realising now that two parents with twins would have to rope in another two adults to help 😂 it's completely bonkers!

IsThistheMiddleofNowhere · 20/10/2025 22:21

Sounds ridiculous. So a family of four with say, 7 year old twins can't go In the pool together. I agree, its over the top

a222 · 20/10/2025 23:27

waterproofed · 20/10/2025 20:36

Nothing to add, just that I love that you travel with a lifeguard 🤣

i think they just happened to be one / trained. coincidence.

riceuten · 21/10/2025 00:26

Sounds like insurance insistence

NConthe · 21/10/2025 01:27

I can’t find one mention of it on reviews for the Royal Lion but I’m assuming that has to be it.

Surely they are just digging in now rather than admit the staff on the day misunderstood the ratios?

It’s impossible that a family of 4 haven’t appeared wanting to use the pool surely?!

Lockdownsceptic · 21/10/2025 01:32

Totally bonkers. One would think
that the arrangement of booking the pool would be so that families could swim together. Instead this was prohibited. I hope you made it clear that you wouldn’t have booked had they told you of the conditions beforehand and that you won’t be going there again.
And nor will any of your Mumsnet friends.

Bowies · 21/10/2025 01:41

2 adults for 1 child swimming is bonkers, but perhaps relates to their insurance? Maybe due to problematic pool design, or historic events?

Rules for eg 8 varies, even in a lifeguarded pool, DC had to go through a proficiency test to check they meet a basic swimming level and can float and tread water to swim without an adult.

Lifeguarded pools still have regulations about adults in the water, plus your lifeguard holiday companion wouldn’t be covered by their insurance as not employed to do it.

TheFiveLakes · 21/10/2025 07:04

PuggyPuggyPuggy · 20/10/2025 22:13

Maybe nobody thought about twins. I know I hadn't, so I'm only realising now that two parents with twins would have to rope in another two adults to help 😂 it's completely bonkers!

Show quote history

Not just twins though, also two parents and two singleton children (if one is / both are under eight years old).

So the standard conventional/ traditional/ stereotype of a family as seen in every advert for "family" holidays/ days out is also excluded!

SwallowsandAmazonians · 21/10/2025 07:10

Can you share the name of the hotel please? I would really really like to avoid it, this would ruin a trip!

LoyalMember · 21/10/2025 07:11

Yeah, it does. It sounds.like management were being arseholes because they didn't want kids in the pool.

PollyBell · 21/10/2025 07:14

I prssume if a child drowns no one will try and sue because everyone is chatting and drinking and all thinking another adult is supervising?

K9Mum · 21/10/2025 08:31

Wtf… again, crazy world… Pretty soon all adults under the age of 30 will require two chaperones over the age of 60 if they choose to leave the house just in case they contemplate a silly decision. 😆

opencecilgee · 21/10/2025 08:54

make sure you mention this in your Trip Advisor review so future families do not book here

Starlight1984 · 21/10/2025 08:59

Absolute madness.

Although I think a lot of these rules are nonsense! During the summer we booked the Bounce Below at Zip World and I had to "supervise" two 16 year olds. On what is essentially a trampoline. And is actually that big that you can't even see them anyway. So I just sat in a freezing cold cave for an hour staring into space. No idea what I'd have done if anything had happened to them either. Absolutely fucking pointless.

MeandT · 21/10/2025 09:13

Starlight1984 · 21/10/2025 08:59

Absolute madness.

Although I think a lot of these rules are nonsense! During the summer we booked the Bounce Below at Zip World and I had to "supervise" two 16 year olds. On what is essentially a trampoline. And is actually that big that you can't even see them anyway. So I just sat in a freezing cold cave for an hour staring into space. No idea what I'd have done if anything had happened to them either. Absolutely fucking pointless.

You were there to supervise to make sure they followed the rules about large humans (adults, late teens, basically anyone heavy) not jumping in the same place on a net at the same time.

When we were there 2 (fairly substantial) adults ran through the cave gap onto the net we were on and did a giant bounce in the middle together as they went through. My (under 10) DD was bouncing in the edge as they ran in.

The result of her landing just as they hit the bottom of their landing together, was that she might as well have been jumping off a 6ft wall onto concrete. She was on crutches for a fortnight because of the damage to her knee ligaments - we were lucky she didn't break a bone.

That's why you were supervising to make sure your 16 year olds actually followed the rules. Unfortunately they can't pluck out which adults also need supervision at the point of entry 😡

As for OP's pool...I've stayed at campsites with enormous pool areas where those ratios wouldn't be a bad idea ;) But in the context of exclusive use of the pool & no-one else to piss off, it's bonkers!

Starlight1984 · 21/10/2025 11:42

MeandT · 21/10/2025 09:13

You were there to supervise to make sure they followed the rules about large humans (adults, late teens, basically anyone heavy) not jumping in the same place on a net at the same time.

When we were there 2 (fairly substantial) adults ran through the cave gap onto the net we were on and did a giant bounce in the middle together as they went through. My (under 10) DD was bouncing in the edge as they ran in.

The result of her landing just as they hit the bottom of their landing together, was that she might as well have been jumping off a 6ft wall onto concrete. She was on crutches for a fortnight because of the damage to her knee ligaments - we were lucky she didn't break a bone.

That's why you were supervising to make sure your 16 year olds actually followed the rules. Unfortunately they can't pluck out which adults also need supervision at the point of entry 😡

As for OP's pool...I've stayed at campsites with enormous pool areas where those ratios wouldn't be a bad idea ;) But in the context of exclusive use of the pool & no-one else to piss off, it's bonkers!

Show quote history

Well yes absolutely. I understand what "parental supervision" is. My point being that, at Bounce Below, it's 4-5 different levels staggered in a massive underground cave and is actually impossible to spot your own child once they bounce off!

So for the majority of the one hour they were in there, I couldn't actually see them so would have been unable to spot if they were doing anything wrong or not!

I just meant that some of the rules are completely non-sensical.

autumnevenings25 · 21/10/2025 12:18

@NConthe
im not sure it’s the Royal Lion - just because the OP said it was £400 a night so assumed it was one of the more posher spa type ones?

NConthe · 21/10/2025 16:24

autumnevenings25 · 21/10/2025 12:18

@NConthe
im not sure it’s the Royal Lion - just because the OP said it was £400 a night so assumed it was one of the more posher spa type ones?

It’s the only one I can see mentioned on this thread and OP says it’s been mentioned. Pinewood is not a “hotel”

Original poster

splittingupquestion · 21/10/2025 16:59

autumnevenings25 · 21/10/2025 12:18

@NConthe
im not sure it’s the Royal Lion - just because the OP said it was £400 a night so assumed it was one of the more posher spa type ones?

I paid 438 for two rooms if that helps

OP posts:

pollymere · 22/10/2025 12:44

They don't trust that children will be able to swim. The ratios seem out though. I'd expect one adult per one under eight and one adult per two over eights. That's what I grew up with.

mamagogo1 · 22/10/2025 12:57

1:1 for non swimmers is not a bad idea, but once they can swim competently 1:2 is enough and for teens it’s more about monitoring behaviour than safety (well keeping them from doing stupid things). We are 2:1 for dsd due to special needs and I have to be 1:1 for dd (also sen but less severe)

autumnevenings25 · 22/10/2025 16:35

Must be pinewood then…..?!
Why not just say??