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Two adults, two kids in European Marriott?

Two adults, two kids in European Marriott?

 
Old Nov 13, 2017, 9:51 am
  #16  
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Originally Posted by whimsey21
a good point. Fortunately many, if not all, SPG properties have a policy that two children under 12 are free in the room with existing bedding if allowed by the occupancy rules, so it often works out. But when you contact the property, theyll let you know their specific policy regarding children.
This.
Make a reservation for 2 and follow up with an email to property. Let them know if extra beds are needed - we use airbed for kids and it almost always worked out well.
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 10:35 am
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by azepine00
This.
Make a reservation for 2 and follow up with an email to property. Let them know if extra beds are needed - we use airbed for kids and it almost always worked out well.
Again, while that might work in the US, it will not work in places like France and Italy where the laws prohibit extra people in the room, which often includes children over the age of two. An airbed will not be allowed in those locations, nor will there be space to set it up. Nor should you want to put your children in a room where the laws are often established because there is a safety reason for not having additional people in a room. Not only do you have the safety concern, but do you really want to send a message to your children that they shouldn't follow safety standards or laws?
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 11:18 am
  #18  
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Originally Posted by CJKatl
Again, while that might work in the US, it will not work in places like France and Italy where the laws prohibit extra people in the room, which often includes children over the age of two. An airbed will not be allowed in those locations, nor will there be space to set it up. Nor should you want to put your children in a room where the laws are often established because there is a safety reason for not having additional people in a room. Not only do you have the safety concern, but do you really want to send a message to your children that they shouldn't follow safety standards or laws?
Thats why a hotel can provide that advice via email. Unfortunately i see way too many comments here citing "local fire code" and similar stuff as general statements.
In most cases in our experience the problem is reservations system IT that is not particularly flexible for example to differentiate 4 yr kid from 16 yo. Lets leave this up to hotel to decide.
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 1:04 pm
  #19  
 
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I really wish I had bookmarked the story I read years ago. I can't recall if it was on here or maybe TripAdvisor.

Anyway the entire rant was some person who assumed what posters on here keep saying "They will look the other way" and showed up at the Courtyard in Paris with kids only to be told "NO" Lots of screaming apparently, calls to Marriott with "DYKWIA" announcements etc.... and they wound up paying an inordinate amount to upgrade> Marriott pointed out "you booked a room for two and showed up with 4, we did nothing wrong"

And one of the points the storyteller kept screaming about is that they were LITTLE kids so they could sleep in his bed. Hotel said NO!

Don't risk it!
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 1:58 pm
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by azepine00
...to differentiate 4 yr kid from 16 yo. Lets leave this up to hotel to decide.
While calling ahead of time is always a good idea, as the website could be wrong, your statement illustrates the issue. In many locations, there is no difference between a four year old, a sixteen year old or an eighty year old. A third set of lungs is a third party in the room. Many Americans think kids don't count in the total, but in many countries kids do count as an extra guest. In some places you can have a child under two without it counting as an additional guest.

Doing a search on the Marriott site for four guests when you have two adults and two kids will yield an appropriate room. Doing a search for two and emailing/calling the hotel may work, as long as you get a response from the hotel. Doing a search for two and just showing up thinking the hotel will look the other way at kids or make an adjustment on the spot is setting yourself up for disaster. The hotel will not, cannot and doesn't have to make an adjustment to accommodate the two extra guests, even if those guests are kids.
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 2:29 pm
  #21  
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Originally Posted by JBauer
Weve done this many times, you just book the room for two adults, and show up with two small children. The key is that the children are small. And its not a problem. Or you dont have all the kids with you when you check in at the front desk and you and your wife check in separately. Its an absurd notion that youd have to get two rooms with two small children, so there are many ways around this.
I've stayed in a lot of European hotel rooms that were max 2 and there would have literally been nowhere for the two kids to sleep. 2 twins, a little room to walk between them, a few square feet to place your bags, and that's it. Even if you had sleeping bags, you'd be placing the bags right where you'd walk to get to the toilet.

I'd do some research before assuming you can get extra people into a room.
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 3:54 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by JBauer
Weve done this many times, you just book the room for two adults, and show up with two small children. The key is that the children are small. And its not a problem. Or you dont have all the kids with you when you check in at the front desk and you and your wife check in separately. Its an absurd notion that youd have to get two rooms with two small children, so there are many ways around this.
You're unlikely to get away with this in European hotels. Don't try it unless you want to be forced to find a different hotel and move at midnight or pay full rack rate for a bigger room that will accommodate your (entire) family.
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 3:59 pm
  #23  
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Originally Posted by pinniped
I've stayed in a lot of European hotel rooms that were max 2 and there would have literally been nowhere for the two kids to sleep. 2 twins, a little room to walk between them, a few square feet to place your bags, and that's it. Even if you had sleeping bags, you'd be placing the bags right where you'd walk to get to the toilet.

I'd do some research before assuming you can get extra people into a room.
Or worse, in terms of fire safety, those sleeping bags would block access to the door (exit) and also prevent you from opening the door quickly in an emergency. They would also prevent emergency personnel from entering your room if it were necessary, for example if someone needed EMTs and an ambulance.
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 4:05 pm
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by Orange County Commuter
I really wish I had bookmarked the story I read years ago. I can't recall if it was on here or maybe TripAdvisor.

Anyway the entire rant was some person who assumed what posters on here keep saying "They will look the other way" and showed up at the Courtyard in Paris with kids only to be told "NO"


Lots of screaming apparently, calls to Marriott with "DYKWIA" announcements etc.... and they wound up paying an inordinate amount to upgrade> Marriott pointed out "you booked a room for two and showed up with 4, we did nothing wrong"

And one of the points the storyteller kept screaming about is that they were LITTLE kids so they could sleep in his bed. Hotel said NO!

Don't risk it!
I agree- bad things can happen if the hotel isnt aware of the number of guests in advance. I once stayed at an spg propery and received confirmation in advance that my kids would be free (along with an elite upgrade to a suite big enough for all of us), About a month after the stay I received an email from the property saying that they had learned we had more than 2 people in the room, and had unilaterally charged my credit card for an extra person. Needless to say I was very irritated and immediately emailed the GM with a copy of my correspondence with the hotel regarding the children . They did remove the charges a few days later, but without apology - Im quite sure that without the email trail I would have been out an unplanned (reasonably large) expense...
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 5:35 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by JBauer
Weve done this many times, you just book the room for two adults, and show up with two small children. The key is that the children are small. And its not a problem. Or you dont have all the kids with you when you check in at the front desk and you and your wife check in separately. Its an absurd notion that youd have to get two rooms with two small children, so there are many ways around this.
Because teaching your kids to ignore foreign laws when visiting another country is what should be done. After all, only American laws count
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 7:34 pm
  #26  
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It is very amusing to see strong opinions from folks who i suspect never traveled with kids but who firmly believe they know what others should do...
having stayed with kids at numerous hotels that could not be booked for 2+2 i respectfully disagree with those statements and urge anyone in similar situation to contact individual properties after initial booking...

Last edited by azepine00; Nov 13, 2017 at 7:40 pm
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 8:01 pm
  #27  
 
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I've traveled to Paris and elsewhere in Europe. With children. Often posted about it at the time. In two rooms where necessary. I've had people call me from the front desk when they were denied entry with their children. I've been in the small rooms with one bed and know there is no room for air mattresses on the floor. I respect the local hotel rules and laws and wouldn't sneak people into the room and cannot believe anyone would advocate doing that.
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 8:34 pm
  #28  
 
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A decade ago I chose Marriott over Hilton in no small part due to the increased availability of hotels which accepted two adults and two kids. I have had platinum status for most of this period. I research hotels with two double beds (true doubles, not twin beds). If the hotel website does not allow me to enter 4 guests in the reservation, I will call Marriott customer service and ask them to contact the hotel front desk to see if they will accept two kids and two adults in one standard room. Over the years we have stayed at Marriott brands (on points) in London, Swindon, Bexleyheath (don't do it), Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, and Vienna. I was not able to get hotels anywhere in Italy, France and the rest of Germany this way.

Outside of Europe we have booked 4 in a room on points with Marriott in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Beijing, Sydney, Brisbane, Costa Rica, Dubai and Hawaii.

I realize four in a room isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it allowed us to travel many places as a family we never otherwise would have gone to.
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Old Nov 13, 2017, 11:57 pm
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by Dzigavertov
I'm a SPG gold, and we have been trying to put together a family trip to Europe in May. Two adults, two kids (6 and 4). All the SPG hotels won't allow four persons to a room, does Marriott have the same rules? I have 250k+ spg points that I can transfer to Marriott.
All good advice above, other than the idea to just wing it and show up with the kids. I get that thought process in the US where rooms are (often much) larger and there aren't the same fire codes (and relative attention to the rules by the hotel staff).

There are some reasonable points and cash rates (e.g. standard award plus 60 EUR/night) in some cities around Europe for rooms that will fit four, although in most cases hotels only have suites that can fit four so the cash portion is very high.

Given that European locations are more likely to provide status upgrades than the US, the advice to email management for what they can arrange is good. Might be tough at peak times, but May is shoulder season in some areas so it is more likely.
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Old Nov 14, 2017, 12:19 pm
  #30  
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This is all very helpful. I have absolutely no plans to just show up, which is why I'm planning six months out and asking on forums what the recommendations are. We also have no desire to attempt to skirt policies, nor do we want to stay in the typical matchbox sized European room. As you know, with kids, there needs to be at least a little bit of room to roam.

We would love to go to Italy, but we may look at Airbnb and apartments instead of hotels, though that removes the opportunity to use a whole bunch of hotel points that we haven't had a chance at yet.

Since we haven't decided on a specific location, the successful experienced mentioned on specific properties are extremely helpful. No point in me calling up every Italian and German hotel if none of them are going to allow for an option at all--so I appreciate the notes on those countries.

It sounds as though SPG might be a better way to go than Marriott, at least with what we're trying to do.
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