Families of 5+ and hotels

[pageta]

We have a family of 5 with kids ages 8, 5 and 2. Hotels, in my experience, don't let you book more than 4 people to a room. We would probably be staying in budget hotels, not five-star hotels at a resort or something.

 

So explain the logistics of this to me:

 

 

• You get a second room - do you put the children in a room by themselves?
  
• What if your kids need you during the night?
  
• What if there is a fire? Usually they have those credit-card like things for keys and it takes me at least 4 tries to get them to work. If there was a fire, they would deactivate the system and I would be locked out. An 8-year-old isn't necessarily mature enough to get the other two out.
  
• Say you go with your husband to a work-related event and there is an evening event you could attend. If the children are all sleeping, do you go to the evening event with him? You aren't any more aware of what's going on with them than you would be if you were in the room next door, and if you're in the same room with them, the lights are out so you're sitting alone in the dark (fun!).
  
• How old do children need to be in order to be left alone in a hotel room?
  

 

My husband travels at times for work, and his company, of course, pays for his room, so it would be nice if we could go along because we would only have to pay for one room and we could see sights in different parts of the state. It's just the logistics of the hotel room with 5 people that I'm not able to figure out.

 

 

 

Thanks!

[Dmmetler]

Just call and book directly-that's what my SIL and BIL do, with their 3 girls. Usually you can't book online, but hotel managers have no desire to have kids in a room by themselves either!

[bettyandbob]

We did this once and one parent stayed in each room.

 

We've stayed at suite hotels. They often allow up to 6. Additionally, having a minimal kitchen brings food costs own.

 

Some hotel chains have larger rooms and permit 5 in a room with 2 queens and a roll away.

[milovany]

Well, I'd ask every time about whether or not they'd let you be in one room. I've had experiences where they've let us in one with even more than 3 kids. Especially a 2yo. I'd book room as "4 plus baby who needs a crib" if doing it by phone.

 

Other thoughts:

 

 

• Ask if they have connecting rooms, then it's like all one room.
  
• If not, we'd stay with one adult in one room and one adult in the other.
  
• Check out Embassy Suites. I'm pretty sure you can have more than 4 in their suites plus you get a full cooked breakfast bar ticket for each of you.
  
• I can't recommend one way or the other about whether or not to leave the kids while you go to an event (in the hotel, I'm presuming) with your husband, but a child disappeared in that situation a few years back (and from what I recall never found). I don't know that that would influence my decision or not, just food for thought.
  
• You wouldn't have to sit with your kids in the dark, would you? Can they sleep with the light on? I know it's not ideal, but is an option.
  
• Try Super 8, too. I think they have larger family suites (no breakfast though, but lots cheaper).
  

 

There are some of my thoughts! :001_smile:

[MamaT]

We try to stay at suite hotels whenever possible. When we had babies, we would put the three littles in with us and the "big boys" in the next room. We booked rooms with an adjoining door.

[higginszoo]

We use sixsuitcasetravel.com to narrow down hotels in an area that might have a room with 2 beds and a fold-out couch. It's usually cheaper that way than getting two rooms, though our dc are getting old enough now that a room with an inside connecting door to ours is an option.

[Cinder]

I'd book room as "4 plus baby who needs a crib" if doing it by phone.

 

 

 

This is what we've done. We try to get a suite when possible because with 3 kids you just need the extra space. Once we did get 2 rooms that were not adjoining, but they were next door to each other. Our 2 ds's stayed in one room (they were older than your older 2, though) and dd stayed in the room with us.

[JenneinCA]

We get suites.

[dhudson]

Holiday Inn Express has room for 5 as well as Embassy suites, and some La Quintas and Comfort Inns. We like Embassy Suites and Residence Inns as well.

 

You can also ask for adjoining rooms and keep the connecting door open.

[PIE!]

We're a family of six and have never had trouble booking just one room. One time we got two rooms since the people paying offered - dh stayed in one room with the boys while I stayed in the other with the girls. We'd all hang out in one room together until bedtime.

[cindergretta]

We didn't have issues with booking when we had 3 dc. And with your youngest being 2, speak with the people at the actual hotel. I would find it highly unusual if they didn't bring in a crib.

 

Most places we have stayed had 2 full size beds, which would easily accommodate you, dh, and the older two. Then you request the crib and that should be it.

 

Good luck! :grouphug:

[prairiewindmomma]

Hampton Inn Suites...two queens, and a couch that pulls out into a bed. You can easily fit two more roll-away beds in. :)

 

If you are talking about a family of 8+, then you're better off looking at two rooms or finding a condo to rent for a more-than-one-night stay. :)

[Tutor]

Dh usually (and when I say usually, we average one hotel stay every 2.5 years :001_smile:) books us a suite through Priceline and hasn't had any trouble.

[Canadianmumof5]

We get suites.

 

:iagree:

 

Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, Embassy Suites. Pretty much any hotel that has the little kitchenette plus a bedroom or 2 works fine for us.

[ChandlerMom]

We have 3: 8, 6, 3. We only get one room and I wouldn't have it any other way. I wouldn't leave a child in a hotel room without an adult.

 

I avoid the chains that charge extra for "extra persons", and usually go with the "kids free" type, but otherwise it's just not a big deal. Online I select for "4" and view it as a limit of the engine. I only need beds for 4, anyways. We usually set up the toddler on the floor in a makeshift bed of the bedcovers and a kid's sleeping bag (we bring). Works great. I do get rooms with 2 Queen beds. Sometimes we get suites or rooms with a fold out couch -- some have a separate bedroom and it's nice to put the kiddos there and we sleep in the outer room and can have the tv on, etc.

 

You might see if there are other families from work and do some sort of trade for childcare, or see if there is any reliable babysitting service thru the hotel. I haven't done either of those, but they are options. Hotel room doors are NOT childproof, so it is just too easy for a toddler to wander.

[Holly IN]

We call and haggle them. We would tell them whatever hotel we called and allowed family of 5 to stay in room is allowing this at this price. Then we aske them if they will allow us to stay in their hotel with 3 kids and 2 adults? We do a lot of haggling that way. It really works because we would tell them a lot that we will stay at the other hotel then. ;) (esp if they want us to do a combo room with connecting door for much more money)

 

I know the Hyatt place allows 5-6 family to stay in one room. Most of the time we stay in condos if staying at a place for more than 4 days. If less than 4 then we stay at a hotel that allows all of us to sleep in one room.

 

Holly

[jennsmile]

Holiday inn express, Drury Inn, and believe it or not this summer we stayed in a motel six with 2 adults and 3 kids.

[Mommyof4ks]

We always stay at Hampton Inn, and they let all 5 of us stay in one room.

[Ottakee]

Shouldn't be a problem. We have 5 and my kids are now 23 (mentally ;impaired so still like a kid), 16 and 15 and we don't have an issue. We get a roll away, a couch or ds just sleeps on the floor.

 

You could certainly book as 4 with a crib.

 

As to leaving them alone in a room, not at the ages your kids are. What if the toddler wakes up and wanders out or there is any sort of emergency? I would view it about the same as the age for staying home alone. When the kids were a bit younger I did stay in 1 hotel with just the girls and some other moms and daughters were there and the moms did go sit in the lobby/breakfast room to visit for a bit after the girls were asleep but we could see the doors of the rooms, hear any noises, etc

[Alicia64]

Check out SixSuitcaseTravel.com.

 

It's a site to help large families find accommodations in many cities.

 

A.

[PeacefulChaos]

We have done a couple of different things - either gotten a room or suite that slept more than the usual 4 (some have a maximum occupancy of 5 or 6 due to a pull out couch, etc), gotten one with a rollaway available, and the last place we stayed we put DD on the floor in a sleeping bag. It was for 3 nights and they came in and cleaned - clearly they knew she was there. But they didn't say anything or complain at all. I don't know if that would be the best idea in general, we did what we had to bc it was a family event and everyone was staying at the same hotel. :)

Usually when I book our rooms though, I go for one that has a rollaway/pull out option or a suite.

[2squared]

We didn't have problems with hotels until we became a family of 7. :tongue_smilie:

 

I usually travel by myself with the dc, so 2 rooms aren't an option. There is no way I am putting little kids in a hotel room all night without a parent present. I just get one room and that's that.

 

We do stay at a particular hotel for about one week every year. That hotel I call and book directly. They know us and always give us their largest room.

[CalicoKat]

Some hotels have family room too. We discovered that by accident once. It had two queens, a pullout couch and we got a roll away too.

[gardenmom5]

call the hotel -even the more inexpensive ones often will have a "family" suite - which is often cheaper than two rooms, and far more spacious.

 

One motel 8 we stayed at had a bedroom, and two queen sleeper sofas in the living room, with a kitchen. it was less than two rooms.

 

nowadays, we often stay in a marriot residence in. you can put six people in a two bedroom suite (with sleeper sofa in the living room). two bathrooms, and full kitchen. and they have a breakfast buffet. often less than two rooms at a cheaper place where we'd also have to go out for breakfast and dinner.

[mryann]

we are a family of 6 and get a suite - 2 queens and a pull out couch. When I had 3 kids, we would get a king size bed and a rollaway bed. drury inn serves breakfast, popcorn and soda all afternoon/evening and a kickback that works for dinner for us. HTH

[Mrs Mungo]

Where are you traveling? Lots of hotels in the US have rooms that will hold 5 with 2 queen beds and a fold out sofa. Some of them have suites or adjoining rooms. Fewer hotels in Europe will allow more than 4 in a room, but they still often have suites or adjoining rooms.

[Scarymelon]

If it is just for a night or two, we lie (or at least withhold info) and have our kids sleep on the floor or squeeze in to two beds. So far, we have never been called out by hotel staff. If it is for a longer period, we get a suite/larger room. I am determined to never pay for a second room.

[Alice]

My kids are exactly the same ages as yours. We just book one room. I do it online and just say 2 kids (most sites I've found don't allow it as option to have more than 4 in a room). I'm sure that they could call us on it but since the youngest is so little we've never had an issue. It's obvious when we check in that we have 5 people and we've never had anyone have a problem with it.

 

As for sleeping, we try all sorts of different arrangements. What works best now is dh and the 8 yr old in one bed and me and the other two in the other bed.

[Pippen]

If it is just for a night or two, we lie (or at least withhold info) and have our kids sleep on the floor or squeeze in to two beds. So far, we have never been called out by hotel staff. If it is for a longer period, we get a suite/larger room. I am determined to never pay for a second room.

 

This is what we do. Now the kids are older we bring an air mattress and sleeping bag.

[StephanieZ]

Lie.

 

I never make reservations for 5. I make them for 4.

 

I've done this at least 30-50 nights over the years we've had 3 kids, and I have never once had an issue -- that's at hotels from $80 - $250/night.

[HeidiKC]

No way would I leave the kids in the room alone, sleeping or not. I leave my 12yo ds alone with the kids at home, but I don't even think I'd leave him alone with them in a hotel room while I attended an event for the evening. Now running down for a drink while he was still awake (with the others sleeping), maybe. I don't know if that really makes sense, but I just feel like a lot more could happen in a hotel. Someone mentioned fire. Of course fire could happen in our house, but the hotel scenario sounds a lot scarier! Also, there are hundreds of strangers in a hotel, even employees that have keys to the room. And I'd be afraid if they woke up - what if they were all asleep and one of the youngers awoke and left the room without ds12 waking up? Or even what if one woke up not knowing where he was and upset? I don't know, it just isn't something I'd be comfortable with.

 

I'd say I'd be comfortable at about age 14 to leave kids sleeping in the hotel room. Now if it was earlier and the kids were awake watching TV, I'd be a lot more comfortable with that and might do that with ds12 if I had a cell phone. No WAY with an 8yo.

 

I also wouldn't let the kids sleep in a room alone if the rooms were not connected with door at least cracked.

[JFSinIL]

When the four kids were small we'd either get a room with three queen beds (rare) or adjoining rooms, and hubby and the boys would take one room, I'd be in the other with the girls.

[pageta]

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one not comfortable with three children under the age of 8 in a hotel room. That just scares me, and I think it's unreasonable not to let a family of 5 stay in one room, especially when one child is in a crib or pack-n-play.

 

We would be traveling to rural Nebraska where there is one hotel within 100 miles, so not fancy hotels or anything (though not necessarily cheap either since they have no competition). DH says he's stayed in some pretty hole-in-the-wall places, even though they were big chains. I just would like to see different parts of the state.

[AdventureMoms]

We just book reservations for four. My kids are still itty bitty, so we definitely don't need space for more than 4! The twins can sleep with one adult and DD sleeps with the other. Or we can get a crib for one twin and the other sleeps with an adult. When they get too big for that we can get a cot, or a room with a couch or bring an air mattress for someone (probably me, lol). We don't hide the fact that we are five people, and I've never had a hotel question it. If we HAD to get two rooms for some reason each room would get an adult and we'd divide the kids however seemed to make sense at the time.

 

I would not leave an 8 yo as the oldest child alone in a hotel room, especially with two little siblings to be responsible for, and I'm usually pretty relaxed about that kind of thing... Maybe a mature and responsible 11 or 12yo. More likely a teen.

[AdventureMoms]

If it's a hole-in-the-wall kind of place they may not have cribs (or cribs you'd be willing to use, anyhow...) but you could bring a pack 'n play or a portacrib pretty easily. Nice thing about rural hotels is they tend to not make the rooms as tiny, IME.

 

Depending on the kids you might be able to put them all in one bed. Or let the 2yo sleep with you.

[chepyl]

With kids that young, I would get one room. If nothing else, the baby can sleep with you. Generally you can get a crib or roll away. In a few years you can start gettingadjoining rooms. Then you can put kids in one and you and dh in the other. Leave the doors open and you can always get to them.

[ThelmaLou]

When there were just six of us, we'd always go to Homewood Suites or some other suite hotel, usually with a living room in the middle and a bedroom off either side. Hubby and I would sleep in one room (usually a king bed), two boys in the other bedroom (usually a queen), and two boys on the roll away sofa. Even when our #5 baby was born, we didn't include him in the official hotel headcount (just said we needed a room to sleep 6) because we always had our own portable crib or put the baby/toddler in bed with us. Now we usually get adjoining rooms with enough bedds to sleep everyone. 4 in one room and three in the other.

[Laurie4b]

We have a family of 5 with kids ages 8, 5 and 2. Hotels, in my experience, don't let you book more than 4 people to a room. We would probably be staying in budget hotels, not five-star hotels at a resort or something.

 

So explain the logistics of this to me:

 

 

• You get a second room - do you put the children in a room by themselves?No. One parent in each room.

• What if your kids need you during the night? See above. Not a problem.

• What if there is a fire? Usually they have those credit-card like things for keys and it takes me at least 4 tries to get them to work. If there was a fire, they would deactivate the system and I would be locked out. An 8-year-old isn't necessarily mature enough to get the other two out.See above. Not a problem.

• Say you go with your husband to a work-related event and there is an evening event you could attend. If the children are all sleeping, do you go to the evening event with him? You aren't any more aware of what's going on with them than you would be if you were in the room next door, and if you're in the same room with them, the lights are out so you're sitting alone in the dark (fun!). Wouldn't leave sleeping children alone. Kids sleep HARD. They often don't wake up for fire alarms. I wouldn't do it at home, either.

• How old do children need to be in order to be left alone in a hotel room?

I wouldn't do it until they were teens unless I was next door. I consider hotels more dangerous than a home. For one thing, other people have keys. For another, it's an environment the child is not familiar with and they could be scammed into opening the door. If there is a fire, the kids will be unfamiliar with how to get out. Windows usually don't open. etc.

My husband travels at times for work, and his company, of course, pays for his room, so it would be nice if we could go along because we would only have to pay for one room and we could see sights in different parts of the state. It's just the logistics of the hotel room with 5 people that I'm not able to figure out.

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

When we booked hotels on our trip out West (the most I've ever booked), all the hotels that made an issue of it had a cut off of 5 per room, not 4. (We have 6). Other answers in your text above.

[zaichiki]

We have a family of 5 with kids ages 8, 5 and 2. Hotels, in my experience, don't let you book more than 4 people to a room.

 

With a 2 year old, IME, they will book you over the phone. You can get two double or two queen beds and ask for a rollaway cot or a crib for the little one. Easy peasy.

[Shannanlee]

We usually do Springhill Suites by Marriott. Sometime we will struggle with Courtyard as well but Residence Inn and Springhill are the ones we tend to go for.

[twoxcell]

We stay at Choice hotels and have found a few in our state that have at least one extra large room that can room 5-6. The reason we use Choice hotels is because we get a discount at them.

[Heather in OK]

We use places like Homewood Suites. It's worth any extra expense IMO.

 

- We can all be in one room.

 

- There is a mini-kitchen. We can save on restaurant costs by bringing or picking up easy to prepare meals.

 

- Free breakfast!

[Running the race]

We have a family of 5 and always manage to fit into one room. Call the hotel directly and ask for a room that will fit a rollaway bed. Make sure to KEEP records of all names and discussions because almost every time, without fail, there has been a problem when we try to check in. I always have names, dates, and documentation. When faced with the evidence, every hotel has made it work.

 

Sometimes we get family rooms or suites. That is preferable with a larger family if the cost isn't prohibitive.

[justasque]

We get one room. Often, we bring a sleeping bag for the littlest. Often, you can push two arm chairs together to make a nice little bed. We've asked for a roll-away cot now and again also.

 

How to deal with the dark? We all have book lights. As we all settle in, it's reading time. Things quiet down, lights get turned off, those still awake can read with their book lights. (When they were younger, a cassette player with a speaker was great for playing Jim Weiss stories at bedtime. Yes, that was back in the dark ages LOL!)

[luvnlattes]

We are a family of 5 and haven't had a problem staying in one room. Not all hotels can accomodate us, but many can so that's where we stay.

 

I would not go out and leave my children in the hotel room to attend an evening event with my spouse if my kids were the same ages as yours. I might do that now but my oldest is 14. There are too many scenarios where something could go wrong that an 8 yo could not handle, imo.

[angela in ohio]

Sometimes ds has slept in two chairs pushed together or a recliner if there is one, or sometimes we order a folding bed. If the hotel has one, we get a suite or a room with two beds and a folding-bed couch. The girls share a bed and dh and I the other.

 

I try to look for suite hotels that are intended for business travel, because they are often a bargain on the weekend.

 

We just for the first time left dc in the room and went to dinner when we were at a resort for dh's conference this summer. I don't like to leave them in a hotel, because they don't know the place as well as home.

Edited January 6, 2012 by angela in ohio

[joannqn]

We've stayed in one room with the six of us. We don't travel often or far...usually just to Portland. We stay at Oxford Suites in a room that has two queens and a fold out couch.

[Unicorn.]

We never get 2 rooms. We almost always stay at a Comfort Inn and Suites. We don't get "suites" either, just a room w/ 2 queens. Their rooms are usually a little bigger than other places though. Sometimes we make pallets on the floor, sometimes there is a fold out couch. You can book online, just click 2 kids. Fwiw, my dc are 15, 13, and 13.

[Dolphin]

We only have 2 kids, but my sister and I often load up the kids and go away for a night or 2. That gives 2 adults and 4 kids. I book a room for 3 people with 2 queens and a roll away and I bring sleeping bags or ask for extra blankets. I go check in while she is in the car with the kids and then we unload and go to our room. I have only twice had anyone say anything to me, I just looked and said "they are all under 12, is that a problem?" I got a no mam both times. Most hotels don't bat an eye. It is easier for them, they have followed the rules and regulations, it is the guest that broke them without their knowledge. Everyone is happy.:D

[Cortana]

We had no trouble on our trip last March getting one room for the 5 of us. Our kids were 10, 9 and 2 at the time. On the road we just called whichever hotel and explained the situation, nobody had a problem with it. The kids slept in one bed together and did fine. When we got to our destination we stayed in a Comfort Inn that allowed me to book a room for 5, 2 queens with a crib. DD was so excited to see the pack and play set up for her already, she was squealing "my bed, my bed for me?" lol!

 

I would call the hotel/motel directly, explain the situation and book through them. Before you do, check the rates online so you get the best price. On our trip, besides Comfort Inn we stayed at Howard Johnson and Ramada Inn, they were all very accomodating. The only reason I was hesitant to fib and say family of 4 was in case of a fire at the hotel the fire department wouldn't have a correct head count of the guests and somebody could get overlooked. But I worry like that. :P

 

As the kids get older, we'll go with a 2 queen/pullout couch or rollaway. I was suprised to find there are even some hotels that have 3 queen size beds in a room, not that many out there but I do know that Comfort Inn has some.