Teens and room sizes on holiday

[loveisagirlnameddaisy]

I'm checking out holiday options for this summer; I am often stumped when it comes to selecting rooms in the search tools. When the kids were little, we would obviously opt for one room for the four of us but often the beds are small camp sized things.

We've just come back from a two night stay in York at the Grand hotel and their family room came with a luxurious super king bed for DH and me, but two fairly uncomfortable camp beds for the kids who are now 10 and 13 (13 yo is 6' tall so a camp bed is not suitable).

To posters with teen or pre-teen kids, do you opt for two rooms which really jacks the price up, or stick with family rooms? It's not even clear on some of the holiday options whether there's enough room - they just state 'double room' even though the price is for four people. help!

you need to check out individual hotels really. If the beds aren’t stated they will be camp beds. Sofa beds are usually tiny and uncomfy too. Some rooms have 2 king or 2 double plus single etc. Premier inn and Travelodge often have a double plus 2 proper singles. If they’re the same sex you may be able to get a 2 king bed room and they share.

It's probably not hugely helpful, (but bumps the thread but I need three rooms: one each for 18 & 15 year old. Bumps the price up massively, but they would fight if they were confined to one room together!

We mostly do self catering since DS was a youngish age as hated sharing hotel rooms.

There are other advantages to 2 rooms: 2 TVs, 2 bathrooms, privacy! It can be quite cramped with 4 adult sized People in 1 room, it would depend on length of stay for me

Premier inn do a double and a proper single but we stay in self catering on the whole. You're going to have to get two rooms if you want a hotel

I’ve just had 2 teens (15 & 13) in their own hotel room. Was well worth the extra money, honestly! Premier Inn, so not high end but everyone gets the same therefore everyone is happy!

Either two rooms or self catering. Not enough space makes it decidedly NOT a holiday and instead an endurance exercise.

Defo two rooms at those ages. Or look into apartments/chalets.

Depends on a number of factors including how long we will be spending in the room and the country. The US, for example, have lots of rooms with two double beds which will sleep four adults. Generally ok for a city break if we’re not spending much time in the room. We had this in NYC earlier this year. For a beach holiday, we tend to book a one bedroom suite and our DCs sleep on the sofa bed in the living room. I try to get a suite with a second bathroom even if it’s just a separate toilet. For our summer holiday this year we have booked a two bedroomed suite; DCs have their own bedroom and bathroom as do we and there is also a living room with a dining table and small kitchen area. It’s basically like a two bedroom apartment but we still have the benefits of a hotel; breakfast included, maid service, room service etc.

Thanks everyone. I should have said in OP that I'm looking at holidays abroad right now and most sites have the search tool which defaults to 2 adults, 1 room. I usually increase that to 2 adults, 2 kids for one room but never sure what I'm getting. Sounds like the general advice is to go for 2 rooms?

This year, for the first time we have booked a villa. Ds15 now refuses to spend any time at all on a rubbish camp bed!!! Or if we go premier inn etc we book a room with 2 double beds in it, Future Inn give this option as well.

Agree on US, we're going there in Oct and have found plenty of options with two double beds side by side which is actually really good for us while the kids aren't fully fledged teens and still happy to share with us.

For your holiday this summer, did you get help from an agent, or speak to the hotel directly? I struggle with booking it all online and not knowing exactly what I'm getting.

I wish hotels would realise
This and make better room solutions !
I've given up because I need at least two rooms but it doubles the cost of the whole holiday!
I don't think kids should expected to sleep on a sofa bed all week! They are so uncomfortable!

But you literally can't fit four decent beds into one room. Why are you surprised you have to pay more for double the space?

We have started going to villas as then you get multiple bedrooms/bathrooms

Haven't stayed in a hotel as a family since the kids were little - we self-cater or book "aparthotel" (which is fancy term for self-catering), or camp.

Ive just booked a cruise with my 17 and 18 year old. We will all be in the same room. My daughter and I in twin beds my son on the sofa. It says the room sleeps four adults. The only time it didn't work great was when there were bunk beds and the top bunk creaking constantly.
There are family rooms that have proper twin beds in them along with a double. If you can't find such a set up then two rooms.

Self-catering is definitely best as the DC get older or you could try looking for an aparthotel which seem quite popular in some countries.

Aparthotels do vary massively though but some will have separate living space that doubles as another bedroom through the use of sofa beds, some might only have a screen that comes across

One or two nights in a family room is fine at that age. For longer I would always go with two rooms. Better for them, better for you. Ds (eldest) was 14 when we first did two rooms abroad. Rooms were connecting and we were comfortable with that.

@Clymene I'm not surprised , I have travelled a lot ! I just wish hotels with AI facilities had apartments type rooms !

I would go for self catering in your position. It's nice to get the extra space, you can eat out so you don't need to cook but also have easy snacky food at the apartment to save money .

To everyone saying book apartments, we've done loads of that in previous years. I was looking for an easy AI holiday this year where I don't have to do cooking on holiday. But the AI package options don't always make it clear what you're getting in terms of room size or layout. Sofabeds seem to be a common solution and I don't think this will be suitable for us.

We've always done self catering for this very reason, our own 'home' for the week and space for us to go when the kids are asleep (although they're teenagers now so we'll probably be in bed first 😆). Cottages in the UK and villas abroad.

And eating is out is ridiculously expensive now - we easily spend £100+ for dinner in UK for four of us. Doing that across a 10/14 night holiday racks up the £££

Have a look at Viva Hotels. They have optional AI, tiny kitchens and you can connect a one bedroom with a studio so you get a 2 bed apartment