Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

is this allowed?

46 replies

nybom · 23/06/2009 21:26

hi,

DH has booked a double room in a five star hotel for this weekend, but he didn't mention our children because he didn't want to book a suit which you'd normally get with 4 people...

now he's thinking of ways of me checking in without the children (as he'll join us in the evening) and then smuggling them in later when the reception is busy...

to save me all the fuss: does anyone know wether you HAVE to book a suite if there's four of you? please tell me there's a way round this and i can just check in "legally" with the children!

OP posts:
themoon · 23/06/2009 21:29

Where will your children sleep if it's only a room for two? You will need to tell the hotel so they can put up third bed and travel cot or something.

Portofino · 23/06/2009 21:30

Umm, normally hotel rooms have a max occupancy including put you up beds. Some hotels charge extra for these, or some are free depending on the age of the child.

How old are your dcs? Do you need an extra bed or are you happy with both in the double with you? Not exactly a romantic hotel stay!

thisisyesterday · 23/06/2009 21:31

not sure if you have to have a suite, but they really ought to know who is in there.

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 23/06/2009 21:31

I don't know whether you have to have a suite - in hotels, we usually have a family room or an extra z-bed for our dd, but maybe it's different with two children. However, I'm sure you have to book places of some type for your children (even if they're too young for the hotel to charge for them) as your booking with the hotel is a contract and smuggling in extra guests is theft or fraud.

Original poster
nybom · 23/06/2009 21:56

forgot to mention - they are 1 and 4 years old. we're taking a travel cot and the 4 year old can sleep in our bed (or vice versa, the beds there are MASSIVE).

meanwhile, DH has just come up with the idea that i leave DSs in a restaurant whilst checking in...

OP posts:
saggyhairyarse · 23/06/2009 22:17

I know it's a bugger but also they need to know who is where because of Fire Regs.

janeite · 23/06/2009 22:20

Ooh this is not a good idea at all. What if there was a fire?

annh · 23/06/2009 22:57

Are you sure you even have to pay for them at that age? What happens if reception doesn't become "busy" - how are you going to sneak them up to your room? And what are you going to do with them once you get them there, how will they eat? Actually, I've just noticed that you are checking in on your own and your dh thinks you can leave a 1-yr old and a 4-yr old unattended in a hotel restaurant while you do so?! And possibly for whatever length of time it takes you ensure the coast is clear to sneak them up? Is the man mad?

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 23/06/2009 22:59

Just tell them.

Tell them it's nothing extra as you're bringing your own travel cots.

What exactly is he planning to do for breakfast in this five star hotel? Go to little chef?

oranges · 23/06/2009 23:00

I'm pretty sure you won't have to ay extra for the children anyway. Why not ring them up and pretend to be someone else and ask?

MissSunny · 24/06/2009 00:50

Message withdrawn

MissSunny · 24/06/2009 00:50

Message withdrawn

Original poster
nybom · 24/06/2009 08:43

aw thanks miss sunny , but DH has now decided he will come clear and simply tell the hotel that - ooops - there are two children as well.

we still need to figure a way round me trailing through london (this is where we going) with 2 children, a buggy, a travel cot and luggage for 4 people for 4 days... DH thinks i should just limit the things i'm taking and stuff them in the back of the buggy..

honestly, he has more common sense than me usually, but when it come to money and practical thinking with regards to housework and/or children, it's the opposite way round.

OP posts:
LIZS · 24/06/2009 08:46

Won't they supply a cot of you ask ?

Original poster
nybom · 24/06/2009 08:51

DH said last time he booked a room in that hotel he had asked (though we stayed without the children) and they said it would cost an extra 25 pounds.

OP posts:
ChopsTheDuck · 24/06/2009 08:56

for the sakle of £25 you may as well pay it. I have snuck kids in hotels before though. Mainly because we have four and we end up getting spread over two rooms if we tell them! Thats generally for a one night stop over though rather than a planned break.

Original poster
nybom · 24/06/2009 09:07

the 25 pounds wouldn't be the biggest problem. there's the 4 year old as well, and also, DH is afraid they'll give us two doubles or a suite or something if he tells them...

OP posts:
LIZS · 24/06/2009 09:09

most have a sofa bed for under 12's

Original poster
nybom · 24/06/2009 09:55

so DH rang the hotel, and it costs an extra 370 pounds as we had to book a second double room.

DH announced this to me in an accusing tone of voice and our discussion ended up in the usual quarrel about tidyness and general state of the house, money, work and who's to blaim for what...

OP posts:
AMumInScotland · 24/06/2009 10:23

So why didn't he think all this through before he made the booking?! There's plenty of other places where you wouldn't have had this problem if he'd bothered to think ahead.

Original poster
nybom · 24/06/2009 10:36

i don't know... he's usually a meticulous planner.

OP posts:
Blackduck · 24/06/2009 10:59

do they not have a family room? I wouldn't want another double room because at those ages I wouldn't have ds away from me.

Original poster
nybom · 24/06/2009 11:07

booked up... it is from tomorrow evening onwards. we're setting off tomorrow morning at 5 am (yaaaawn...).

OP posts:
DadInsteadofMum · 24/06/2009 11:48

Sorry wished I had spotted this earlier - I never tell hotels, its got nothing to do with fire regs (thats just the usual H&S red herring) and all to do with them making money. Hotel staff in the big hotels have no idea who is walking through their lobbies so there would be no "sneaking" element to it.

My advice? Cancel (you probably can do this up to 24 hours before arrival at no charge)

Rebook (it will be a central booking system they will never know)

And save yourselves paying for something you don't want or need.

geordieminx · 24/06/2009 12:09

You are not seriously going to pay another £370 are you???

You could find somewhere in London for all 4 of you cheaper than that|!!!

Swipe left for the next trending thread