Anyone ever snuck an extra child into a family room?

[Maisiethemorningsidecat]

We need one family room, for one night, before we catch the ferry. It's going to be £82 for the room for 4 of us, and I really, really don't want to spend the same again for the sake a few hours kip.

I'm thinking of a ready bed on the floor for the youngest, and then a staggered check-in iykwim past the (usually unstaffed) reception (it's a travel lodge type thingie) - anyone done this and lived to tell the tale?

At Premier Inn, always PLENTY of room. We use them whenever we need a hotel for this reason.

Very child-friendly layout, too, there's really nothing to break in there.

Very good sound-proofing.

We've had the breakfast a few times, it's good.

What we do is trade-off.

Once they're in bed, we both sit outside in the corridor. One goes to the bar for two hours whilst the other knits or reads (me) then switch off whilst the other plays a games console (him).

Then call it a night.

Then off to bed.

Another time, I spent the evening in the bathroom.

I brought along some nice bath foam, face masque, hair masque and just had a soak and some pampering.

Then got out and applied self-tanner, gave myself a mani and pedi, swilling some bubbly.

All whilst DH went to a mate's down the street and played on the Xbox.

Then I had a light snack, yes, in the bathroom and went to bed.

Felt great in the morning.

Sounds ideal. I was planning for one of us to settle the 3 year old, whilst the other takes the eldest 2 (who will be almost 12 and 14) out somewhere in sunny Dover, then come back and into bed (quietly). Nothing stirs the youngest, so we should be OK...if I can persuade DH that he should be the one to show them the sights of the docks then I may copy your spa evening...what a good idea

I recommend the Waitrose brand rose stuff, Maisie. It's lovely.

To be really decadent, I showered first after using my E'Spa body brush, for the self-tanner.

It was lush!

I packed a cool box with some smoked salmon and Carr's cracked black pepper water biscuits, cucumber and pats of butter, to compose a wee supper before bed, one of those single bottles of bubbly from POP.

Aw, it was nice.

Thanks - I'll look out for the rose stuff. You were being very good to yourself by the sounds of it - smoked salmon and bubbly, yum

We're doing it again this weekend! I'm looking forward to a night in .

Enjoy!

Has anyone done this in France? I have struggled to find French hotel rooms which even allow 2dc. They all say max 3 person.

It depends on the hotel. At the Premier Inn we stayed at, the reception was upstairs via the lift. We had booked for 2 kids as the other 3 were supposed to be staying with relatives. However 1 of the 3 chickened out and insisted on staying with us. So we had 3 kids and the relatives had 2. The receptionist didn't check how many people were with me and husband just went up to the correct floor in the lift with 3 kids... the next morning we went for breakfast but it was very busy and no-one enquired about the extra child. As for being comfortable, it depends what your tolerance is really. I sleep really badly away from home, so yes, I slept badly. Plus my daughter snores. We had 2 kids on the pull out beds and 1 in the bed with us. At some point I think I chucked my husband out the main bed to squeeze in with a child on the pull-out bed. But he ended up creeping back in. For the sake of £84 it is probably worth being slightly squashed, imo.

So sneak 'em in.

Never been hard at any Premier Inn.

And the ones I've been in are so busy, they don't care or check.