Yellowstone Question: Room Size & Occupancy
 

We are going to stay at Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone in mid-August. We are a family of 5 (2 adults, three daughters ages 11, 6 & 6) and were told by Yellowstone reservations that we had to rent two rooms because a room can only accommodate 4 people if you bring your own bedding. Here are my questions:

1. We have rooms with single queen beds and shared baths. Is Old Faithful strict about exceeding occupancy rates in a room?

2. Would it be realistic to try and sleep 5 people in these particular rooms?

We are just trying to save some money if possible, but we also don't want to live like sardines for three nights. Thanks for any tips and advice!

I'm sure that the room limits are based on occupancy and fire laws and would never consider trying to smuggle a 5th person into a room for 4. If 5 of you try to check into a room for 4 they simply won;t let you.

It's not like you are talking about an infant.

A national park is not a place to try to break the rules.

Those rooms are really, really small. Trust me. You don't want to stay in one room with that many people.

Thanks, StantonHyde. This info. is really appreciated.

Some rooms are larger, and some rooms are not. A number of years ago, we were permitted to have five in one room, although the fifth person was a baby in a crib. When we arrived, the room was so small, there was no way to set up a crib and be able to move about the room. We complained and were moved to a different room. If you are smuggling an additional person in, you will not have the option of complaining.

Hello NYtraveler:

My question has nothing to do with "breaking rules." We are staying at a KOA camp cabin in Red Lodge along the way to Yellowstone that said it was for four people on the website. Because I know other KOA's allow 6 people in those cabins I called and asked that KOA directly if the listed 4 person occupancy is a rigid line and the campground manager said it would be fine to have 5 stay in the cabin. It is not so easy to get directly through to the actual Old Faithful Inn staff to ask this question because of the reservation line that serves the entire park and does not know the specifics of each facility. I was simply trying to get a sense of what is possible from people who might know, not figure out how to "smuggle" people into a national park.

But thanks for your sanctimonious response. It provided some mirth.

Lol, Digbydog, we're not trying to "smuggle" people in. Just looking for exactly the info you provided. It sounds like its really not realistic because of the facilities. I was simply having a difficult time talking to staff at Old Faithful Inn itself who could give me a direct yes or no.

Sorry if I misconstured. Your post says that "reservations" told you could only have 4 people. I assumed that meant you had spoken to the staff and wanted to put 5 in a room for 4 even though they told you it was not allowed. didn't realize you had only looked at a website.

The problem is that they will not guarantee that you will get a certain room. So if a room would fit 5 people, they can't assure you that you will get that room.

NY Traveler:

No worries. I truly did laugh when I read your well-intentioned response. I could just tell you thought I might be one of those folks who is going to enter Yellowstone with windows down and music blasting looking for something like disneyland and complaining when I found out how wrong I was.

These parks are absolutely national treasures and should always be treated with the deepest respect!