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?

I thought they had a depressed adult child

Aw diddums are you diamond shoes too tight OP? I don’t know if your posts are meant to be lighthearted and my lack of sleep is causing a sense of humour failure but you’re coming across as very smug and superior, and frankly it’s not a pretty sight. If you have a backup plan if you get caught out then go for it. I personally wouldn’t take the risk as I’m a catastrophiser and would imagine the worst but that’s me not you.

I had a read up on it as was interested on the policies. Most hotels in greece will offer free or cheap child places up until the age of 12. After 12 they will charge as an adult So your son woild be charged as an adult place.

I imagine that as they are now classing your son as an adult when you put him as 12, that only certain room types are available for three adults plus one child. Thats why your options change when you change his age.

Every hotel I have been in, and we travel a lot around europe, passports are requested upon arrival at the check in desk. Now I would assume at this point, they will check ages and possibly charge you the extra, or you might get away with it, depending on who is on the front desk. I imagine if you don't pay it and risk it, and they spot it then they will ask you to pay the difference upon check in.

Maybe you can call them and explain the situation to gwt the room you want, but I imagine they will still charge him as an adult so it will be more expensive. Or, lie and risk it but noone can tell you what will happen on the day, it will depend on the person on the desk that day and the particular hotel policy on this particular issue on how they deal with it, maybe they make you pay, maybe they dont let you stay.

Also, would this invalidate your travel insurance?? Worth looking into as well

Greece in August will be horrendously hot. 🔥

Yes, misrepresenting a child's age to a hotel, which could be considered a form of fraud, could potentially invalidate your travel insurance policy if a claim arises from that trip.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

Fraudulent Misrepresentation:
Providing false information about a child's age to a hotel (or any travel provider) could be viewed as a fraudulent act.
Policy Voidance:
Many travel insurance policies include clauses stating that the policy will be voided if there's a fraudulent misrepresentation of information.

I also found this out

• Occupant Details for Registration:
• Greek law requires hotels to register all guests with the police, which typically involves collecting names, passport details, and possibly addresses.

Therefore OP I would based on the fact it invlaidates your insurance and the hotel will be checking and recording your childs ages and details, not risk it. I have a nearlt 12 year old, looks like we will be paying more this year too :(

Most Hotels in Greece will be fully booked in August. You are planning to lie when you book, rock up and expect them to accomodate you and if they can’t do it, what’s your plan B? You are clearly unwilling to pay for an upgrade and count on being a CF/Karen who shows up and can get what she wants despite it being against the local regulations.

as an aside, touring historic sites in 40 degrees and with kids, changing Hotel every 3-4 days), children cramped on a sofa bed, also doesn’t sound like a luxury holiday to me. But seems like you want it your way or the highway.

And the Hotel will say a bigger suite then or two rooms and an adults shares with him.

I'm not sure I really understand this one? He's a lovely, kind kid and we're a close family. He's not at all 'teenaged' in the Kevin and Perry sense, we enjoy all hanging out together. I don't really understand why we wouldn't be happy to carry on sharing until he's not happy to do so. He's only just turning 13 soon, he'd very much still a kid. And I'm not trying to book a room (like one room where we're all in the actual same room), I'm trying to book a suite where we're all in two rooms that you enter via the same door so we'd be in separate bedrooms. But it means we share the balcony and sitting area and kitchenette and all the other family stuff. Doesn't everyone do this?

I did this in Bilbao last summer, kids were 9 and 12 at time, we booked fairly last minute, maybe 10 days in advance and hotel options were limited. I could only book a family room, at the hotel we wanted stayed in, if both kids were 11 and under, so I booked it and said she was 11. Discussed with my husband before booking, he said they wouldn't throw us out when we rocked up, and we were going to plead innocence on arrival. They never even asked for her passport, they looked at mine, can't even recall if they looked at my husbands.

I also recall booking a transit hotel in Doha for 2 adults and a child, and poling up with 2 kids and no-one batted an eye lid. The youngest was almost 2 at the time.

I’m not sure why you’re getting such a hard time; it’s a perfectly normal request! We’ve stayed in lots of hotels with this arrangement. It does get a bit harder as they get over 12, but it’s normally possible. You might need to be flexible with which hotel (the larger hotels are often better at having suitable rooms). Also, if you find a hotel you like the look of, go through the hotel directly (either website or email) if the 3rd party sites aren’t offering the option you need. Sometimes, if there’s 4 of you, you should be ok in 1 room but with 2 double/king beds, especially if you are only staying for a couple of days. I definitely wouldn’t lie about ages when booking.

I’m surprised a 5* hotel has a sofa bed option for two older children, I’ve not experienced this, it doesn’t sound very luxury for them (or you!).

I don’t think you’re being unreasonable in trying to cut a few corners to keep to your budget, lots of people do this. Personally I’d hate to be crammed into one room, and would always go for the two bedroom option. We do this now with our under 4s, I like to be able to relax when they go to bed, glass of wine on the balcony, not having to creep about. I definitely wouldn’t fancy it with early teens!

Op we have this in Greece! We have three small children, a suite suits us perfectly but the main booking sites often don’t let us book as a family of five (they suggest two rooms - and last year we did book two interconnecting rooms - and were assigned two next to each other with a shared balcony!! My eldest was 4! They’d nothing to swap too and we also did the separate parents dance). So I hear where you are coming from.

I generally look at rates online and email and book directly for Greece. I know it may be different as we don’t tend to stay in the large conglomerate type hotels - but we’ve never had an issue in an email explaining we want a suite for two adults and three kids (two in a bed, one still in a travel cot). We sometimes pay extra but usually find they try to put us in the bigger ‘one bedroom’ suites (plus lounge) as a result.

We book rooms with 2 bedrooms, a shared bathroom, living room and balcony. Everyone gets done space and privacy that way. They can lie in, or go to bed early without it affecting everyone else.

Kids get older and as they do certain things cost more. It shouldn’t be a surprise!

@Crazybaby123 that’s a really crucial point about travel insurance becoming invalid. Should anyone get ill or have an accident it’s likely to cost much more than a bigger hotel room for a few nights.

Really? With another bedroom, if the kids want to go to bed early or sleep in then they can without blocking you from a communal space.
You say you like being close but surely once they're asleep you're not bothering them so them having a bedroom isn't taking that closeness away.
He also might feel differently by August, I'd rather have extra unused space than make a teenager more uncomfortable than necessary.
And, whatever about the bedroom, they should have a proper bed to sleep on not just a sofa bed. It would be one thing if necessary but you are going for 5* hotels and say you can afford the difference to get them a bed so I don't know why you wouldn't.

No. Most people booking a family room have one which is one room with say a double and 1/2 singles, ensuite and balcony. You are booking a small apartment, effectively. That's why I asked. I don't see why a hotel would object to a just 13 year old - you should probably phone the hotel, booking apps aren't very flexible.

You can get 2 bed family rooms in some hotels. We had last Yr in Menorca, DD (15) in 1 room, DH & I in other with both DS in a twin room next door. It's less common though & need to book early. We didn't need to lie about her age.

I don’t understand why you don’t get two adjoining rooms. The kids can sleep in one and you can sleep in the other while leaving the door slightly ajar. We always do this. I certainly wouldn’t be making my children sleep on a sofa bed.

Is there a door between you? Otherwise how would you be intimate with your dh?

Seems like you’re getting a weirdly hard time on this thread. I am normally scrupulously honest and would never lie about age to get in on cheaper tickets, or sneak another child into a room. That’s not what you’re talking about here though. Could you not just email the hotel and ask? It may be there’s a bit of flexibility that their online system won’t allow

At 48, perimenopausal and after 20 years married, strangely this isn’t really my biggest consideration!

I had the same issue and also in Greece - emailed some of the hotels and they said flat out no, the rooms I was interested in and will fit 2 adults and 2 children, would not accommodate 2 child and one teenager. Not sure what would have happened if we lied and just showed up, but didn't want to risk.

This is why we use a travel agent, ours never fails to find us exactly what we want.

As DC get older holidays do get more expensive. You just have to suck it up.