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?

Sure. You don’t get anywhere in life without stretching the rules.

We can afford it I suppose but it’s just a massive shock that we’re having to pay twice what we were a year earlier and that we can no longer book 2 room suites when he’s still very much a kid and not an adult. The 10 year old is actually the taller of the two!

I did this recently. I said my 14 year old twins were 12, because the hotel booking system had no mechanism to allow me to book one room for me and one for them. It wanted me to have an adult in each room. I didn’t want to say there were going to be two adults - so I made them younger rather than older. Nobody said anything but it was only for one night in London. You should read the terms and conditions though just so you know what might happen if the hotel is not happy.

There’s lots on trip advisor that come up with 2 adults and 2 children that give one room and that was with putting the ages in.

Thanks but we have a specific itinerary as we’re travelling to get the plane from zakynthos so there aren’t many options.

But you wouldn't have to show your passport or pay a tourist tax if you are already from the UK

The price of holidays!

Yes but you said about the other package holiday makers, the same hotel will also have package holiday makers.. possibly in the room next to you 😂they could be anywhere

I'm finding that rooms suddenly aren't available at all if I put in his accurate age

There are lots of options that offer one room and suites that would accommodate your family on Trip Advisor when you put in the ages of your children. There’s links for booking.com as well as other booking agents and you can book for whatever amounts of nights. I think you’re being goady tbh given some of your replies here.

Zakynthos isn’t huge and the airport is easily reached from most parts of the island.

So the one person who’s said what you wanted to hear must be right and everyone else is wrong?!

Up to you if you’re happy to breach the t&c’s but as it’s so important that you’re all together in a 5* hotel on such an inflexible itinerary and at the busiest time of year I think you’d be really daft to not ring and check.

Have you emailed the hotel or tried to book directly?
Often Expedia or Booking .com aren't geared up for anything other than the algorithm.

We've had similar with our blended family. Just email.

Surely on the booking you put one adult with one child, and the second adult with the other… and then allocate the rooms as you actually want when you get there? The hotel won’t be checking who is sleeping in which rooms.

I don’t think you understand. We’re flying into Athens and travelling via road to zakynthos with various specific stops on route to see Ancient Greek sites.

We don’t want two rooms, we want one two room suite so we can all be together.

Well it sounds like that is impossible, so either go to Butlins instead or pay for 2 rooms?

If you mean would I rather listen to the person who’s actually done it several times and has actual experience rather than listen to a lot of naysayers who are being super cautious but have no actual experience, then yes, you’d be right.

I’ve just looked and there’s in theory a 2 bedroom suite for 4 adults and 2 DC so I can only imagine it’s an availability thing rather than no rooms at all . In my experience these big 2 room family rooms go quickly

I’m surprised a 5 star hotel would put children on a sofa bed, sounds a bit 3 star to me!

I don’t know what you want people to say really. You’ve got 4 options:

Lie and then possibly have nowhere to stay if the hotel find out and refuse to let you stay.

Pay the extra for a 2 bedroomed suite.

Book 2 seperate rooms.

Downgrade to a 4 star with two bedrooms.

Judging by your posts though you only want to go down the lying route. Which is fine but I reckon we might see another thread in the summer complaining the hotel turned you away.

I don’t know how you’re booking but on booking.com children are 0-17

My kids shared with me and my exh until 17 (when we split up) and in fact my girls and I have shared since. Unless it’s a package I just was economical with the age truth

Good luck then!

I hope it works out for you but it’s definitely something to factor into future holidays.

With an child at the mandola rosa on the dates we want, we can book a 'luxury guestroom seaview with balcony' which is a double bedroom with another smaller bedroom that has a small double in it for £617 a night. But when I change his age to an adult, the cheapest room available is Suite Mandola 2 bedroom which is 2 bedrooms and a lounge, for £1300 a night. Quite the uplift and we really don't need that much space.

They ask you to state the kids ages though, and the prices go up quite dramatically, or rooms become unavailable when I up the age.

But you like sleeping cramped in one room? Does not sound luxurious for your kids to sleep in a sofa bed together especially at this age.

You want 5* but you don't want to pay the cost for the necessary room requirements
Champagne lifestyle on a sparkling water budget

I work in travel so I fully understand about your itinerary. I hope you get caught because your behaviour is embarrassing 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

Pay for what you need