Europe - with children - hotels - priceline
 

Hello All...
This forum is one of the best. I am really getting a lot of advise and help here. Thank you all in advance for all your help.

I have another thread about travelling to Europe in Winter. Since everyone of you convince me that it is the time to go, I am getting ready to make hotel reservations.

The problem I am having is that it is tough to find a less expensive hotel that accomadate two adults and two children in a room. If I bid for hotels using priceline.com (they don't ask for # of people staying) and we show up at the hotel, will it be a problem..?

How the other frugal travellers with kids handling this..?

Thanks again.

If you bid for a hotel room on Priceline, they will provide a room for two people and in Europe that could mean one double bed or two twins. If you would mention the cities you are visiting perhaps folks would have some budget recommendations.

Yes, it quite possibly could be a problem. Read the fine print on priceline - you are a guaranteed a room that can handle two people.

I don't know that the hotel would care one way or the other if you had 4 in a room on a priceline reservation, but you may very likely get a hotel room with only one bed. If this is not an acceptable scenario (and I can't imagine it is with 4 people - you want well-rested kids!), then don't bid for one room on priceline.

I think you have three realistic options:

* Bid for two rooms on priceline. But, you may not be able to get two adjoining rooms. If your children are not old enough to have their own separate room then be prepared for each of the adults to share with one of the children.

* Post here for suggestions on hotel recommendations. Be sure to give your dates (or approximate if they're not firm yet) and a budget per night and any other requirements. (and locations, of course)

* Look into renting an apartment while you're there.

It will be a big problem. I haven't read your other posts, so I don't know exactly where you are heading, but in general, European hotel rooms are teeny in comparison to American rooms. Not only are you unlikely to see the two-double-bed average American hotel arrangement, there usually isn't room to set up cots, extra beds.

There are hotels in London and Paris that are more like American hotels for rather reasonable prices. The Meridian Montparnasse, for example, in Paris would be more akin to your experience. But you have to know ahead of time which hotels are like that.

I don't use Priceline for Europe at all. If we need a family room--which is exactly what most European countries call it--I carefully check hotel websites and usually call the front desk.

Yes it could be a problem for the reasons already mentioned, plus it could be a source of embarrassment because hotel owners will not look favorably on you trying to cram more people into the room than the hotel wants in there. Without knowing your reservation history they could think you are just trying to cheat them. Not a good way to start a trip.
Tell us where you're going and I'm sure we can suggest some affordable accommodations.

Sorry for not mentioning the ages of the kids. They are 8 and 10 years.

Tentative plan is: Dec 25-28 Paris
29-31 - Venice
1-3 - Rome
4-6 - Florence

Thanks again

We have two kids, too, and in Paris we have always stayed at the 3*** Duquesne-Eiffel or the 2** Hôtel de France (www.hoteldefrance.com) in the 7th. Both hotels have quad rooms.

In Paris, we stayed at Hotel du Danube in the sixth which has a two bedroom, one bath set up for families. I think in the spring of 2003, it cost 211 euros. In Rome, we are staying at canali ai coronari in a quad room the week before Easter. The rate is 259 euros including breakfast. In the other cities, we are staying in 2 separate rooms since our children are older than yours (17 and 14). Good luck.

We stayed at the Hotel Alimandi in Rome (right by the Vatican Museum) which has quad rooms and a great breakfast. We found their prices relatively reasonable. I know others on this forum prefer other locations but, we were happy with our choice.

I think a hotel is going to care a lot and usually absolutely won't allow it. A double room is for two people, not four. They aren't going to allow you to put four people in a double room, especially if you are only paying for a double. The exception might be some hotels with very large rooms that can fit in two small cots and then somehow charge you a supplement, as I think they usually would. Some hotels won't for one child if they have that policy. Your children are not tiny anymore, either.

This is a general question about all of Europe, but there are some modernized hotels that cater to a certain clientele that are having more large rooms with two double beds. I don't think there's a way to get those on Priceline, though.

As others mentioned, it will be a problem. Rooms with 2 beds are upgraded bedding. From what I have read on biddingfortravel.com, just about every family that had bid hoping for 2 beds has contacted the hotel and had to pay an additional fee. (one 30 pounds per night in london specifically). You may want to look through previous posts to read up on it. I've used PL about 8 times for london and have never been given a room with 2 beds. Hope this helps. I did read somewhere that a person did get 2 beds in Prague.

Priceline is not very useful for Italy for anyone, most of the time. The zones are too big and you risk getting an inconvenient hotel.

Priceline can be a fair deal in Paris - some of the time, and for exactly two people. One possible exception - Novotel hotels come up in Paris on Priceline now and then. The ones I've read about do allow two children under 12. But you have no way of guaranteeing you will get a Novotel. I'm also not sure if this policy is true for Novotels across the board. But it's one option to consider if you are looking for hotels generally - http://www.novotel.com

But in general, it's quite unlikely you would get a quad room when you're only paying for a heavily discounted double/twin room.

travelinwifey, I've used Priceline in London five times and been given a room with twin beds every time!

No, Priceline isn't really an option for you as the others say.

And looking this late for a hotel in Venice over New Years may be a problem. There will be rooms available - but many do special programs over NY and raise their rates.

If it were me - I'd start a new thread - the current one has a pretty generic title and is focused on Priceline. Start one w/ a title something like "Budget hotels w/ family rooms Paris/Venice/Rome/Florence?"

Modify the title so it works for you, but you get the idea what I mean. And be sure to mention in your post the dates/holiday.

Some people with two kids just bid for two rooms on Priceline. Then they either hope to get two adjoining rooms, or they put one parent in each room, or they just trust the kids can manage on their own.

In fact, every time I've used Priceline in Europe I've gotten a room with twin beds (although I had to ask for that specially in Berlin). Usually this was the default room booked, but I always asked when traveling with my son, and it's never been a problem. But two twin beds obviously won't work for four.

Wow, they must like you Will travel:) Two double beds? My experience was at the LeMeridien Piccadilly and Sofitel St James. I'm also going by what I read at BFT, where no one I saw has reported they were able to get 2 beds w/o paying more. Good for you:)

travelinwifey - he said two TWIN beds (a room for 2 people), not two double beds.

Oh, I see, two twin beds vs two double beds. Again, two double beds are upgraded bedding. I still stand by what I say, glad Willtravel was able to bid and get twins with success. Technically, that was still accomodations for 2 people. I think((?))

I'm a woman (my screenname causes enough confusion that I should consider changing it, I suppose).

I had the impression that the two-twin-beds was more the default in Europe than a single double, based on my experience. Travelinwifey, you were at 5* hotels, so maybe that's why they didn't offer you twins as the default. My bids have been in the 2*-4* range.