Aging child down to get a hotel room together

[Thematic]

My kids are 10 and just 13. We want to be able to stay in one hotel room on holiday in Greece this year but everywhere I'm looking considers kids as kids only up to the age 11 or 12, and over that they are adults. They won't allow us to book into one room, even though it has two double beds (well, a double and a double sofa bed) if I put 3 adults and 1 child. This is only b&b so he won't be consuming excessive food, and we're booking flights separately as it's not a package holiday. I wouldn't mind paying more for him, but I'm finding that rooms suddenly aren't available at all if I put in his accurate age. Do you think it will matter if I put him in as 12?

Well as you need him to fly on a passport with his age in. …

It's not a package holiday, flights are booked separately.

ime most hotels take scans of passports at check in so you could find yourself without any accommodation if you’re not honest. Can you contact them to see if there’s any flexibility?

Last time I went to Greece the hotel asked for copies of the passports, so you may come a cropper that way....

Agree with the others. You’ll have to show your passports.

I agree-you willl have to hand over passports when you check in.

Not worth it

every hotel reception we’ve visited abroad has asked for our passports when booking in. So you may have a problem there.

Won't the hotel see his age in his passport, they might not mind but I don't think you can hide it

Lots of holiday places in Europe and beyond review and/or take a copy of your passport so you may not be able to get away with the subterfuge I'm afraid

I'd also say your 13 year old will be pretty cramped on a sofa bed. We've gone for villas since ours reached that age as it works out cheaper.

Yep, last Greek hotel I went to took passport copies. Wouldn't 2 rooms be better anyway with DC that age? Ideally interconnected.

This is ridiculous! Your’e not going to out your 13yr old in another room are you?! Just call them op.

This looks to me like a computer booking issue. If you call the hotel and speak to a human being you are more likely to get a little leeway for a child who is a few months older than the cut off line. I’ve done this before when booking.

Exactly! Nowhere offers adjoining rooms and its not like he's old enough to go on his own. And I wouldn't put the 10 year old in another room so they can be together.

Have you looked for an aparthotel ?? They're often a better option and rarely cost much more.

We're travelling around - we hate staying in one place for more than 3 days, and it's impossible to book a villa for such a short stay. We like posh hotels too.

I'd email and ask for the same room.

We like 5* hotels and all the luxuries that come with it.

Hotel will ask for passports on check in.

Yes just do that, .

What about a suite? We had some lovely two bedroom suites 5* hotels in Thailand, not sure if they are a thing in Greece.

Every Greek hotel I've stayed in (a lot of them) have taken and scanned my passport on arrival.

They've also been very helpful when I've emailed them with requests I couldn't make on the website.

Perhaps I’m missing something but l just looked on On The Beach and there are loads of hotels where you can get 1 room for a family of 4 including two teenage kids.

I searched for first week in August, Greece, 5 star hotels, from London airports. 45 holidays came up.

What am I missing? Or have I searched for the wrong thing?!

This is for suites with a bedroom and a lounge with a sofa bed. Moving up to a 2 bedroom suite takes costs from about £800 a night to about £3k a night though!

This isn't package holidays, this is direct booking (or via expedia/booking.com) of 5* hotels. All consider kids up to 12 and adults from 13 up. A lot of room types suddenly become excluded and priced become extortionate -going from about £800 a night for a suite with a bedroom and lounge to about £3000 a night for a 2 bedroom suite or villa.