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Original poster

Anyone been caught 'smuggling' third child?

36 replies

pilipala29 · 02/09/2014 20:46

We're thinking of going to London for 2 nights at half term and staying at a budget hotel. It doesn't allow for 3 children and 2 adults so we're thinking the youngest (3years) can just sleep between us. I know it's cheeky but we'll save over £100. Has anyone been caught doing this? What happened? WHat would you do?

OP posts:
Elmersnewfriend · 02/09/2014 20:49

Watching with interest. Particularly as DS3 (3) never sleeps in his own bed anyway, and so we would genuinely be having him in our bed all night long anyway!!

Cereal0ffender · 02/09/2014 20:50

My friend does this, goes in with 2 leaves 1 in room and smuggles other on in during bringing bags kerfuffle

StarlightMcKenzie · 02/09/2014 20:55

Does it 'not' allow it, or are the rooms just too small for more than 4 beds so they don't try and sell you a room for five because there are none!?

I have spoken to many a receptionist as we leave such hotels as we can book 2 children and a cot, so therefore 3 children ARE allowed/insured/catered for whatever might be said. They all say different things though. Usually, if you arrive late at night, the night receptionist won't give two hoots.

mandy214 · 02/09/2014 21:00

Most of the budget hotels don't have manned reception desk any more - its mostly a buzzer that you press to call in order to check in. We stayed in two different ones over the last couple of weeks and only saw the receptionist for minutes. We 'smuggled' DD2 (age 5) very easily although we didnt sleep very well because she takes over the whole bed like her father.

Original poster
pilipala29 · 02/09/2014 21:00

I can only book for 2 children but yes I can get a cot in the room. He might get a stiff neck sleeping in it though...

OP posts:
StarlightMcKenzie · 02/09/2014 21:02

We order to cot so as to alert them that there are 3, but then collapse it and ignore it and the kids top and tail.

Sunna · 02/09/2014 21:04

If there's a fire how would they know how many people were really in your room?

StarlightMcKenzie · 02/09/2014 21:21

They'll know that there are 2 adults and 3 children because 2 adults, 2 children and a cot IS 3 children.

Frontier · 02/09/2014 21:21

If that's the concern Sunna, no-one should ever have guests to stay - how would anyone know how many people were in the house?

anotherdayanothersquabble · 02/09/2014 21:26

The how many people in the hotel room question is a moot point. Many people book hotel rooms and don't register all of the guests. Also, they have no idea who is in at night and who is not, they could have gotten up early or be still out clubbing.

lucyclaudeclaude · 02/09/2014 21:44

Think the way forward is to smuggle smallest child in in a holdall a la Rick Stein and his little dog Chalky ( he got caught but was forgiven as Chalky was an aggressive little shit and the management were too scared to argue).

sanfairyanne · 02/09/2014 21:48

nah - it is easy

worst case scenario - dh sleeps in the car/gets another room

travelodge let you have 4+ baby/toddler anyway though

morethanpotatoprints · 02/09/2014 21:51

Sunna

Yes but in your own house you take your chances, in a hotel it would affect insurance should a fire happen.
Does anybody just think this is dishonest? I can see why you would ask for a cot though and not use it especially if the bed would be wasted anyway.

ihaveadirtydog · 02/09/2014 21:53

We've done it by booking the cot too - planned for 3rd child to share with us but she actually wanted to sleep in the cot even though she was 3 and had been a bed since 18 months old Grin

mummymeister · 03/09/2014 00:09

the number that the room can sleep is set by a fire risk assessment. if the room is over occupied and a fire breaks out then the insurance company may well choose not to pay out because of this. I think it is just one of those things that if you have 3 kids you have to suck up and buy the extra room. cots are supposed to be for aged 2 and under so if your youngest looks older than this they can could challenge it on the desk. what do you do at breakfast time? they have become a lot hotter on this in London and if you get caught and there isn't another room what do you do then. sorry, just would not do it. and at what point are you going to go for the extra room? when youngest is 4,5,6 until you get caught? there are websites with hotel rooms sleeping 5. these rooms do exist.

SoonToBeSix · 03/09/2014 00:15

Premier inn were great they let us have five in a room. Two dc in own beds one dc in cot and one co sleeping baby.

SoonToBeSix · 03/09/2014 00:15

Sorry I meant six!

lucyclaudeclaude · 03/09/2014 06:30

Have just realised! Our dc's 2 & 3 are identical twin boys that should make it easier to sneak them in. They can swap at half time during breakfast too!

sanfairyanne · 03/09/2014 08:08

duh Grin

you planned that well - identical twins - great ruse Smile

TheBogQueen · 03/09/2014 08:10

We did it when staying fur a night at the premier inn

It was fine

ajandjjmum · 03/09/2014 08:12

The numbers would be useless in the event of fire, as you don't have to sign in and out, so there would be no record of who was in the building at the time.

I'd do it OP without a second thought - the twins are just an advantage! Smile

Pastperfect · 03/09/2014 08:22

I've done it loads of times in all sorts of hotels from premier inn through to some of the best five stars in the world.

The only place where we had an issue was at Centreparcs where they were totally outrageous and claimed we needed to book a three bed place for a family of five because you couldn't have three DC in one room. When I pointed out the youngest would be weeks old and sleeping with us I was actually told by some horrid little bastard on the phone that it was both inappropriate and illegal to have a baby share my bed

StarlightMcKenzie · 03/09/2014 09:01

That's ridiculous! My 3 children share a bedroom and it is tiny. Sometimes the youngest comes into our bed in the night.

Premier Inn Reception are inconsistent with what they say is allowed. I only ever ask them upon leaving, but most of them don't have a problem with a 3rd child, just an expectation of a 4th bed.

specialsubject · 03/09/2014 10:23

it is fraud.

happy with that? Go ahead.

that said, if the hotels had more sensible pricing policies they'd get a bit of money rather than have people thieving.

mandy214 · 03/09/2014 11:20

Fraud? Hmm Not sure the legal definition of fraud covers an extra child in a hotel room.