Tricks for Hotels for family of 6?

[dabighen]

Good evening,

Anybody have any tricks for staying in hotels for a 6 person family? Most places now make us buy two rooms, any workarounds?

Thanks,

Matt

[Freedomin5]

Six adults, or are some of these people young children?

Is it possible to get an AirBnB? Or a suite with a pull-out couch in the living room? If some of these family members are young, you can ask for a cot or a crib.

[Sandi_k]

It's due to Fire Marshall occupancy limits, IME. Nope, no way around it unless you get an Air BnB or suite.

[iluvzbeach]

Aside from what’s mentioned above, what about something like a two bedroom suite at a Residence Inn or Townplace Suites? Honestly, I can’t imagine wanting to shove six people (no matter how small some of them may be) into one regular hotel room, but I like having some space.

[MayDay]

Hilton Home2 suites: 2 queen beds us a pullout sofa

Best western family suite (or something... I can't remember the exact name): a bedroom with king bed and main room with 2 queens.

Hilton Homewood suites - they have a variety of configurations and are sometimes expensive but sometimes reasonable. We just stayed in one with two Queens in the bedroom and a pull put sofa in the living room.

[chemistk]

Your best bet is definitely to look into AirBnB or VRBO's at your destination. We sometimes have trouble even as a family of 5, some hotels won't even let you book one room with 5 people even if one of them would be in a crib or on a cot. Most of the time we book for 4 adults and then either call the hotel directly or verify with the front desk before we get the key cards to the room. I suppose you could try booking over the phone and asking about having 6 people in a room - if they are fine with it make sure you ask for an email or other document indicating that the booking was done above board.

Overcrowding a room intentionally (and hiding it from the hotel), especially if none of the occupants are little kids, is a really easy way to get kicked out after one night if you're caught.

[zolotiyeruki]

Is this for a one-night stay as you drive across the country, or for multiple nights at your destination?

We're a family of 8.  When traveling cross country, we drive through the night rather than take the time and expense of staying in a hotel.  At our destination, we're either staying with family, or we'll get an AirBnB.

[charis]

Is this for a one-night stay as you drive across the country, or for multiple nights at your destination?

We're a family of 8.  When traveling cross country, we drive through the night rather than take the time and expense of staying in a hotel.  At our destination, we're either staying with family, or we'll get an AirBnB.

I can't drive through the night anymore. I can't sleep in the car so when it's my turn to drive, I'm exhausted and it doesn't feel safe with kids in the car.

Can 6 go in a suite? We are only 4 but prefer a suite with separate bedroom with two beds and a pull out couch.

[cool7hand]

Are you looking for a place that allows 6 people? Or are you looking for strategies to bend the rules and get six people to work in a room meant for fewer?

[GuitarStv]

Just book for 4 and bring a couple air mattresses.  If you don't make a lot of noise I doubt the hotel/motel would care.

[zolotiyeruki]

Just book for 4 and bring a couple air mattresses.  If you don't make a lot of noise I doubt the hotel/motel would care.

I know large families who have done such things without issue--make a makeshift mattress out of the couch cushions, set up the port-a-crib, stick three kids in the 2nd queen bed, etc.

[mm1970]

We go for suites (even though we are only 4, 3 of us are adult sized).  When we've traveled with my MIL, same. 

Extended stay places often have 2BR suites, or 1 BR suites with 2 beds and a pull out couch.  I mean, I usually search on the internet on sites that bring up multiple hotels.  If you put in "6", they will show you places that take 6...

[pipfan33]

We aren't a family of 6, but often we will travel with a couple of extra people - friends or grandparents, etc.  For shorter trips, there are a few chains that typically have larger family rooms - not really suites, just single rooms that sleep 6.  Couple that with free breakfast at all these listed below so I don't have to figure that out for anyone and it's generally a hit. 

I'll second Hilton Home 2 Suites, we've stayed in their 2 Queen plus fold-out couch configuration.  Embassy Suites also has rooms like that.  Marriott Residence Inn and Hilton Homewood Suites also have 6-person rooms for not much more than the standard hotel room.  They sometimes have a small kitchenette too for leftovers or making cheap meals in the room.   Most of these rooms can be 2 adults and 4 kids, or 4 adults and 2 kids.  I'm not sure about 6 adults though, depending on the ages of your crew. On longer trips, we look Airbnb or VRBO for larger groups.

[GuitarStv]

Just book for 4 and bring a couple air mattresses.  If you don't make a lot of noise I doubt the hotel/motel would care.

I know large families who have done such things without issue--make a makeshift mattress out of the couch cushions, set up the port-a-crib, stick three kids in the 2nd queen bed, etc.

When I was a kid our family was only 4 people . . . but we always had quiet, well behaved dogs too.  Many hotels have 'no dogs' policies.  My dad had a variety of creative methods to sneak the dog into the room, and we never had any problems doing it.

I figure sneaking an extra person or two would have to be way easier.

[la Condessa]

You just have to call instead of booking online.  Most motels will allow you to put that many in a room if it is children with parents, not teens+.  You just have to tell them over the phone.  You can put a couple of kids in one bed, use a couch, make up a blanket bed on the floor, use a port-a-crib for the youngest, have them bring in a cot.  I would way rather do this than book two rooms, both for the cost and because I would way rather spend the time with my husband and all of us together than with half the kids and not my husband in a separate room.