BA Holidays can't guarantee, only request, interconnecting rooms - anyone found a way to overcome this?!

[sunseeker19]

Like lots of families we need interconnecting rooms on holiday. We were excited to find the ideal holiday for us on BA Holidays, but when it comes to booking even though the hotel has interconnecting rooms, BA Holidays only lets you request them and doesn't guarantee it. We've even tried phoning BA Holidays where they have said the same thing. Has anyone found a way around this? This is definitely the holiday we want, at the price we want, it'll be SO frustrating to not be able to do it just because of not being able to risk separate rooms...!

Have you tried asking the hotel directly for advice? They may be able to say how often they are able to accommodate such a request, whether it’s first come first served etc

When booked, contact the hotel direct by calling or email and request it with them direct too.

We're trying to contact the hotel direct but unfortunately not having any luck on New Year's Day! We really want to book asap though to definitely get the holiday at Sale price. It's so frustrating...!

I doubt you'll get an answer prior to booking (even if they were around to respond) we book through Tui but have always been able to make requests to the hotel directly (it often works out cheaper too if there is a cost such as upgrading). Have you got a feasible back up plan if it came to the worst, adult per room with a child?? It's either that or booking a room type that has 2 rooms.

IME they never guarantee it (not just BA, any hotel)

This! It will be down to the hotel rather than BA and whilst the hotel will most likely do their best (once you've made a booking), they won't guarantee it. Same as if you wanted a room with twin beds rather than a double. They will do their best and you will probably get it but you can never be 100% certain until you've arrived.

Take a chance if it is the perfect holiday chances are you will get interconnected rooms and otherwise you can just mix up grown up and children if you have the numbers. It is a pain and it is why we did mostly self catered apartments when kids were young.

Thanks everyone! It's the perfect holiday for us so we've gone ahead and booked it and worst case will have to do the one adult one child per room as suggested. In the meantime though we'll do everything we can to try to get the interconnecting rooms, so any suggestions to help with that massively welcomed...!

Definitely message the hotel directly

No hotel will guarantee it. Their computer system doesn’t have the ability to “link” the two bookings and make it effectively one room instead of two.

Whilst the rooms are flagged as being interconnecting on the system and a manual note will be added to the booking, all it takes is for the hotel to be full, there’s an issue in a double room sleeping a couple (e.g. a leak or air conditioning broken) and they will get moved to the double forming part of your interconnecting.

They will always deal with the guests already there instead of holding the rooms for you. You will still get two rooms but not interconnecting.

Many hotels are acknowledging this as an issue now though and are putting in more interconnecting rooms in new hotels and when refurbishing older ones. Hilton now offer you the ability to select connecting rooms when you book on their website. Doesn’t make a blind bit of difference though as I found out recently when my interconnecting rooms booked eight months in advance weren’t available on arrival.

Thanks everyone - the hotel has offered us the opportunity to guarantee interconnecting rooms for a small additional charge each night. Although it's a pain to have to pay the extra, we've decided it's worth it so that we can all be together and avoid the constant getting ready and out logistics across two rooms!