Help! How do you select holiday accom when you want at least one bedroom?

[LittenTree]

I am a newbie and numpty at this. But I can't work out how you can select hotel accom as none seem to give you the option to choose bedrooms. What I mean is, how can you make sure your DC and yourselves aren't all sharing one 'living room' with a couple of sofa beds, for instance? When you do select, you get the 'number of rooms' choice but the fact you have to have at least one adult per room surely means you're requesting 2 completely separate rooms rather than '1 apartment with one or two separate bedrooms' so the DC can go to bed a couple of hours before the adults?

I recognise that I am mixing 'rooms' and 'apartments' but most of the Costas style places I am looking at have pictures of dozens of happy DC cavorting in the pool, but the booking mentions 'room price based on 2 sharing' with the suggestion a DC can be accommodated in a pull out bed. Well, where and how do those multiple DC families sleep??

please guide me!

When we were booking our hol we just booked a 2 bed apartment, £100 more expensive than a one bed - but we want to be able to put kids in an actual room out of the way and not have the faff of putting up and down sofa beds (which are never as comfortable as a bed). Surely you just look at the room description and work out from that whether its a sofa bed type arrangement?

I know what you mean. Are you booking a package holiday? We usually book flights and accommodation separately and I have found booking.com is good for searching for 2 bedroom apartments.

Here is an example

gin the problem I am finding is they you're not ever given the option to select the number of bedrooms! I looked at booking.com but even there, when you select the number and ages of those in your party, the moment kids are mentioned, they split the 2 adults into one per room, then the 'search' starts throwing up 'option: 1 one bedroom apartment (sleeps 3) £775, plus 1 studio apartment (sleeps 2) £725. Total cost of your holiday = £1500'. There you go!..

No! I want one apartment with the possible choice of one bedroom plus a sofa bed or two bedrooms, thanks!

Here's a couple of ideas:

1. In Booking.com, search for one room to include your whole party. Tick the box for apartments and see the options that come up.

1. In Thomas Cook website, search for one room to include your whole party. Under room options choose self catering. See what comes up and look at the drop down menu for room options. It might give you a two bed apartment as an option.

We have the same issue - hate sharing a room with DS. If you try lowcostholidays.com selecting one bedroom only, then when you get the options for each hotel you are interested in select all accomodation options, if its a studio it will say, likewise if its a one bedroom appartment

Sadly will probably give up.

It really is too hard! Why, on lowcostholidays.com, when I tell them we are a party of 4 inc 2 young teenagers (almost) they offer me a TWIN ROOM? I kept going back to check the site had registered the existence of the DC- it has via the flights etc, but why, oh why does anyone write a computer algorithm that cannot recognise that as it has ASKED you about children you might not fancy having either them alone in a completely separate part of the complex; or splitting the family into 2 halves; or putting 4 people including 2 nearly teenagers in A TWIN ROOM?

How hard can it BE?

I quote:
"Overview
In the resort of Cala d?Or's Hotel Cala Gran - Costa Del Sur. Opposite Cala Gran Beach and set within greenery and terraces, the hotel offers a selection of entertainment for young children during the summer and sporting activities including squash, tennis, pool and rifle shooting, making the Hotel Cala Gran - Costa Del Sur a popular choice with families.

The pedestrianised Cala d?Or resort centre is only 200 metres from the hotel where there is a great choice of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants.

All the 77 bedrooms at the Cala Gran Hotel - Costa Del Sur have air conditioning in the warm months and are heated during the winter. Most of the rooms have a view of the central fresh water swimming pool.

The Right Choice?
This hotel will appeal to families looking for a hotel in Mallorca located right on the beach, and with plenty of activities to keep the whole family occupied both in the hotel and the surrounding area.

Location and Resort
The Hotel Cala Gran - Costa Del Sur is situated in one of the nicest locations on the island, in front of the Cala Gran beach, and is just 200 metres from the pedestrianised resort centre with lots of leisure opportunities. There is a golf course within a couple of miles of the property.

Swimming Pools
Outside there are three swimming pools (one of which is heated). Sun terraces surround the pool area and there are plenty of sunbeds and parasols.

Accommodation
Twin/double will have 2 or 3 beds

All have balcony/terrace bathroom/shower WC telephone air conditioning safe * (certain amenities may be payable locally)"

So, what, um, if your family has more than 3 bloody members?

And breathe....

Don't give up yet!

I don't know your dates, but all of these places have 2 bed apartments.

www.lowcostholidays.com/spain/majorca/cala-dor/sun-beach-resort-apartments.htm

www.lowcostholidays.com/spain/majorca/cala-dor/playa-ferrera-apartments.htm

www.lowcostholidays.com/spain/majorca/cala-dor/puerto-del-sol-apartments.htm

If you are searching for hotels rather than self catering, you might have less choice.

Maybe search for the accommodation first, then put the other stuff in.

Thanks, Beam- I regard myself a relatively intelligent so this shouldn't defeat me!

My dates are, for the record, either Sat 28th July for a week or Sat 25th August for a week.

I will check your finds! Thanks

I have 3 dc and have used alpharooms and sunshine.co.uk before and vnever had a problem. Hotels will not have seperate rooms, unless you book a suite and you might get a separate room then but £££

This year and last we have 3 beds, 3 bathroom apartments....before that we've had a 2 bed with sofabed in the lounge. Look at golf resorts if you can - you get big size accomodation....might need to taxi or hire a car if you want more nightlife though...but I think its worth it for the space and quality of accommodation.

It would not be a holiday if me and the kids were in 1 room! I don't know how people do it. You're best off sorting out yourself, as I've found travel agents and the big players like first choice want to stick you in one room, for extortionate amounts of money....and self catering is a kettle and toaster!

Have you thought of a villa? James Villas have 'resorts' on them with apartments......find one you like then google for a much cheaper price!

By coincidence I have spent most of the day trying to find 1 appartment with 2 bedrooms for us.
travelrepublic is the best I've found so far.
You have to trawl through the results (it's taking me ages!) but I have found some.

Well, we took the FamilyLittenTree cure-all solution: we chucked money at it so are now going to be staying in a 2 bedroom private villa with its own pool outside Pollensa! £1530 (but included a hire car!).

Why can't the adverts just say or have an easy-access 'room plan'? Or allow selection via number of bedrooms as opposed to hotel 'rooms'/accommodations? And I still don't get the ad I cut'n'paste earlier.. seriously, how do 4 person families stay at that hotel if '3' is the largest number 'twin/doubles' can sleep? There being no option to ask for bigger accomm! AND these 'twins/doubles' came up after we'd told them we were 4 of us, including one 13 year old, and one 11 year old!

I reread that post and thought 'hang on! £1500 seems rather cheap! I'm sure it was more than that but DH has shown me the receipt, saying it was cheaper than the £2045 advertised because 'it's so close' (timewise) now...well, not really, we're still 6 weeks out, but hey! Saving! (Balanced by the ever climbing (Ryan) airfare.)

Go for self catering, much easier to spec. bedrooms etc