Premier Inn question about guest

[Workinghardeveryday]

We need to visit a Premier Inn in July for a family event.

As a family of 5 (dp myself, dd16, dd11, ds11), we will need to book 2 rooms. The cost is nearly £300 for one night!

Can I just get a family room sleeping 4 and 2 of the kids share?

I just think it’s very expensive as it is a Premier Inn at the end of the day....

Not all PI have 4person family rooms, sometime only 3 - DBL/twin with a sofa bed.
If you call the actual hotel they will tell you what rooms they have in site and take it from there.

The family room is usually one double bed and one double sofa bed. With children of that age you would not be able to fit them all on the one extra double. The rooms are small too.

Depends on the size of the room your are allocated.

We had a a family room for 4 recently and would easily have got a camp bed on the floor for a 5th.

Oh, sorry. No they won't let you have the kids sharing a bed. They take names and capacity needs to match at check in.

Thanks all, I will give them a call and see what they can do

We have absolutely never, ever taken an extra child into a family room with a camping mat and a sleeping bag. Absolutely not. Nope. Not me.

I’d call them to check bed arrangements. Some have a tiny camp double bed for the 2DC, which wouldn’t be appropriate for older kids of different sexes anyway, and you’d not fit 2 on the floor.

we were in a very new one recently that had 2 separate camp/sofa beds for the DC, and could have squeezed a body on the floor.

it’s not as if they count you in and out. There’s usually self service check in anyway.

im surprised it’s so much though, I’d shop around a bit.

I don't think they'll let you over occupy a room like that, there would need to be a bed for everyone.
£300 does seem a lot for two rooms, must be a popular time or place. We usually end up paying about £50 a night when we've booked.

I just think it’s strange they have no rooms that sleep 5. My dd16 wouldn’t want to be in a room on her own, so that means dp and I would have to sleep separately for the night. Why should we?!

it’s not like people don’t have 3 kids is it!!

And to think breakfast is on top of that price.

It’s not in a popular place at all, it is in July though...

Ive looked around the area, only other choices are B&bs really and they don’t look great

That does sound like a lot, the most I ever paid for a Premier Inn was £110 and that was in Tonbridge area for a work trip.

Have you tried Airbnb? Could one of the older kids stay on after the family event, with local family for the night?

But why would they have rooms that sleep 5, they're not a youth hostel!

Your DD could take this opportunity to build independence, might she be off to uni in 2 years?

Or you share with her, it's one night!

If you do book two rooms you and your husband wouldn't have to sleep in different rooms, especially if the rooms are near each other. The three kids in one and you and your husband in another, we did that with ours and there were never any problems. Apart from trying to get them up for breakfast. We gave up and enjoyed breakfast in peace, when they surfaced they went to the Lidl across the road and got croissants and fruit. Saved us a fortune in breakfast at the hotel

My dd16 wouldn’t want to be in a room on her own

Why not? She could stay with you until bed time so literally just sleeping by herself. Genuinely curious because this would be my DS15s idea of heaven a room to himself not having to share with little siblings and Mum and Dad. It would honestly make your lives much easier for holidays moving forwards if she would be in a room by herself.

Having said that the Premier Inn we stayed at recently had plenty of room on the door for a camp bed etc if you did feel like bending the rules.

Blimey, I’m going to London in July and we’ve booked 2 rooms for 2 nights in a premier Inn. With breakfasts for 4 adults it’s costing us under £300.
are you staying near a sports ground where there’s a match on? That usually bumps the price up.

I am sat in a Premier Inn family room with 2 kids right now are there is no way we could have an extra in here, it is very cramped. One large double a reasonable single and a camp bed type thing all in a row pretty much touching. We actually said this morning we wouldn't book this set up again.

I’d love to stay in a room with a camp bed on the door 😂😂😂

As your eldest child is 16 they count as an adult at Premier Inn. So you're asking to put 3 adults and 2 children in the same room. If I recall rightly, they state the maximum capacity of a family room is 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.
It's rare to find a hotel room that will accommodate a family of 5 in my experience- unless the 5th is a baby in a travel cot. We occasionally found places who would allow that when our youngest was a baby. But other than that we've been getting 2 rooms everywhere for what seems like forever. We had a brief hiatus between number 1 child leaving for college and number 2 turning 16 but now we're back to needing 2 again.
That's not an unusual price for a Premier Inn in a popular location mid Summer I'm afraid. I've just booked for just DH and I to go to a wedding in July and was struggling to find anywhere much under £150. We eventually opted for somewhere about an hour from the venue for £110 as we have a long journey home so it makes sense to get some miles out of the way anyway. But all the city centre Premier Inns, Travelodges etc were between £130 and £170 per room per night.
You might find an AirBNB or something similar works out cheaper for a family of 5, but prices are up across the board I'm afraid.

Look at the Hilton hotel if there is one they have rooms for 5, and usually cheaper than premier inn and include breakfast.

And I’m sorry but you and your husband could sleep apart for one night! And your DD could have her own room!

We have three smaller kids and regularly sleep apart across two hotel rooms. It’s not the end of the world is it? Although I would stick a 16 year old in a room alone in a heartbeat- my 11 year old would jump at it now. I’ve been in a LOT of Premier Inn family rooms and occasionally squeezed five into one when it was particularly expensive, but floor space is often lacking once the kids beds are set up so you need three people in the kingsize bed to make it work - much easier to do with smaller kids than yours but might that work for you?

You just have to suck it up when you have 3 kids…as a norm hotel room cater for up to 4 people ….pick an Airbnb or a youth hostel ( private dorm for 5/6) ….and I say this as someone who has raised 3 children…..overseas is a bit easier to get a larger room….we never had any issues abroad

2 girls in one room
Adults plus DS in another room

Although at 16/17 many teenagers go to university open days by themselves, some involving hotel stays...

We are in a similar position. Would be interested to see what they say. Could you share please?

We booked separate rooms for daughters from the age of about 14, they hated sharing with us! A hotel room sleeping 5 is unusual but the price quoted seems ridiculous.

If you want a family room to suit your family I think you need to look for a hotel that offers it, rather than complaining that one specific chain can't accommodate you.