Children in separate bedrooms on holiday - possible for larger families?

[purpleroses]

DP and I have 6 DC between us aged 10 to 16. We've had a lot of trouble lately trying to book a holiday and finding that a lot of places only allow children to share rooms with their parents. Clearly with so many of us this isn't possible - and I really don't want to spend my holidays sharing a bed with DD, whilst two teenage DSDs sleep on the floor and DP and the boys in a different room. We found a package deal we liked with Thompson but they outright refused to take us on any of their holidays unless we had the DCs in with us in two family rooms with one of us in each of them. Fortunately Thomas Cook were a bit less strict and said it was OK to have the DCs in hotel rooms not with us (though we had to book some in as adults on their computer system as it couldn't cope with child-only rooms)

Is it normal to have this much difficulty?

We're hoping to book a hotel for a couple of nights in the UK near Thorpe park in the summer - any suggestions how to go about it? Do we lie about the DCs ages (16 year old might pass for 18)? Or just plead our case to the managers?

[Yonihadtoask]

Two bedroom apartments?

I don't see why older DC can't be in an interconnecting room. I guess the big companies are just covering their backs.

Last summer our boys (14,15yo) shared a room in a hotel in France next door to ours. In fact the previous summer they did the same - a year younger. And that room was further away.

Can you book as if 1 adult is in each room with 3DC? Then re jig the sleeping arrangements once you are there.

[purpleroses]

We need 3 bedrooms and we only have 2 adults. Can't put 6 DCs in one bedroom, and none are really young enough to be on our floor (and even if we put two on our floor, that would still leave 4 others sharing the other room, including unrelated opposite sex teenagers, which isn't really ideal) Yes, we did fine one place that would offer 2 interconnecting rooms, but not 3.

[juule]

What did you do before you met your dp?
What type of accommodation did you use then?
Same for your dp. What arrangements did he make when going away with his children?
Could you continue with those arrangements?

[AuntieStella]

Book outside a package. Lots of hotels are fine with this (depending on their layout and size) - we have fewer children, but tend to put them together in one room and then DH and I have another (sometimes interconnecting, sometimes next door). First time was when youngest was 7 and eldest 12 and we were in a small hotel we'd stayed in before.

[juule]

"but they outright refused to take us on any of their holidays unless we had the DCs in with us in two family rooms with one of us in each of them."
" Fortunately Thomas Cook were a bit less strict and said it was OK to have the DCs in hotel rooms not with us "

Actually, I'm not really sure what the problem is. You have 2 options there.

[mummytime]

It does also depend on the Country though, this could be a huge problem in the USA.

However I would just book a villa instead, more room for the same money. You can usually eat out a lot, but also eat more healthily and more what the children want.

[ArbitraryUsername]

Book a villa.

[purpleroses]

Before we met, I would usually have my two DCs in with me, and DP would book a villa with his 4. That's what we've done together before too. But we wanted to try a package this year and going somewhere a bit different (Turkey) and were feeling less confident about doing it DIY style. Yes, we have solved the main summer holiday problem - I just wondered what others' experiences were, and whether there were any tricks I was missing.

The few days we wanted in the UK, I've tried to book a holiday home for, but can't find any that will do lets of less than a week in the summer holidays. So now looking at a hotel for a few days.

mummytime - no plans to go to USA at present - but are they particularly strict about children in rooms without adults there?

[mummytime]

As far as I know no under 16s may be left in a Hotel room alone (connecting doors are fine), as it is illegal. Someone got arrested a few years ago, for leaving their kids (7 ish or older I think not tiny), sleeping in a hotel room while they went to watch the fireworks.

[lljkk]

huge problem in the USA

That's ridiculous. I grew up in USA and I clearly remember me & foster sister age 12 in our own hotel room. That was 1980 though; daft modern ways.

[Startail]

Ibiza didn't tell us until we got to the desk that, "Of course we would be one adult and one DD per room"

DH nodded. The chambermaids must known that this is not what happens.

[wheredidiputit]

I found this called room for 5 which specialises in hotel who have rooms for 5+ people when I was looking earlier in the year.

[UniS]

happens all the time on ski holidays - lots of alpine hotels and chalets are set up with interconnecting rooms or suites of rooms off a central lobby.

[purpleroses]

Oh, thanks for that link wheredidiputit :)

[TeaMakesItAllPossible]

In the UK we youth hostel for shorter breaks for this reason, they have 'dorms' that are big enough for us (4DS and DN who comes too) we're also house swapping this year. When we go abroad we hire an apartment/villa.

[Blu]

You'll be fine in a villa in Turkey - honestly, nothing to feel unconfident with.

I think you can book Villa packages, too.

Food is cheaper in Turkey than Euro zone, and has fab cheap street food (Gozleme, for e.g which are tasty filled savoury pancakses and v cheap). Personally I think it would be a shame to go all inclusive.