dcchi

We are a family of 5 (kids are essentially middle school aged). In recent years, we have done some traveling abroad (Paris/London, Shanghai/Japan) where we have, with careful planning, managed to stay at Marriott hotels together. This has been through lots of research regarding suitably-sized rooms, generally combined with pre-trip communications with the hotels to confirm that our smallish children will be okay with us in the room.

In planning for an upcoming northern Italy trip (stays focused in Florence and Venice), I have essentially given up trying to go the Marriott hotel room route, and instead think the service apartment/AirBNB route is the easier and cheaper one. With the kids getting older and larger, I was planning on having two rooms this trip, but as I tried various hotel options, the pricing and suboptimal hotel choices made me think hotels are no longer the right choice for when we travel as a family abroad (I can save our big points for US resorts or trips abroad for my wife and I!).

That being said, just wondering what other families (of 4 or 5 or more) do, if anyone cares to share. I am loyal to Marriott, but it doesn't seem to really work (esp. in Europe and some parts of Asia). Any magic tricks that others have? Any places where having a family of five was no problem? (And, I am open to hearing about travels anywhere, not just Italy....I can store that info for our next trip!)

Please note: I am not complaining about the issues with occupancy or the sizes of rooms. I understand how that works and why they are the way they are. Just trying to see how other families succeed in traveling with Marriott abroad.

Thanks in advance for any info you share!