Tips for booking hotel rooms for large families
Most hotel rooms are designed to sleep two to four people. If you are traveling with extended family, older kids or entirely too many kids, a standard hotel room simply isn't going to cut it. In addition to extra space and more beds, you may also be looking for ways to make traveling with your family more affordable.
If you've ever tried to squeeze three kids into one queen-size bed or had to force one of your kids to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor, you know exactly what we are talking about here.
In this guide, we will address all of the above, including which hotel brands are best for large families, which room types you should book and how to score amenities like free breakfast to help you maximize your cost savings and focus on having fun with your family.
Related: Fitness center or free breakfast? Here are the guaranteed offerings at midpriced Marriott brands
The best hotel brands for large families
Most hotel brands have at least a handful of rooms that can accommodate large families, but certain brands are more family-friendly than others. These are our favorite brands for spacious rooms, convenient sleeping options and complimentary amenities like made-to-order breakfast that can help you save money:
Embassy Suites
When you stay at Embassy Suites, you are guaranteed a room with separate living and sleeping areas. They also have in-room amenities like a kitchenette and a desk that can be used for working or dining and other perks like free made-to-order breakfast. Suite configurations vary by property, but sizes range from studio suites to multibedroom suites that are perfect for large families. Look for suites with two queen beds and a sofa bed if you are traveling with more than four guests.
Related: How Embassy Suites is making condo-style accommodations convenient for Disney vacations
Hyatt House
Hyatt House offers "apartment style" guest rooms in an extended-stay setting. Most rooms have one or two beds, a sofa bed, a full kitchen or kitchenette, and a desk or breakfast bar for working and dining.
SpringHill Suites
As the name suggests, every guest room at SpringHill Suites is a spacious suite. King suites sleep up to four guests, and suites with two queen beds sleep up to six. All rooms also have a sofa bed, kitchenette, dedicated workspace and ample storage space. A complimentary breakfast is also included with your stay.
Residence Inn
Residence Inn offers studio, one- and two-bedroom suites. The two-bedroom suites sleep up to six guests, with a king bed in one bedroom, a queen in the other and a sofa bed in the living room. They also have two bathrooms, a workspace, a full kitchen and a dining table that seats four.
The best room types for large families
Regardless of which hotel brand you stay with, there are certain room types you can look for when booking that are better suited to accommodate large families. Here are some room types and features to look for to make sure your family will be comfortable:
Bunk bed rooms
Rooms with one king bed or two queen beds, plus bunk beds, are becoming more and more common. A few of our favorite properties with these rooms are the Orlando World Center Marriott, the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance near Disneyland and the Westin Reserva Conchal, an All-Inclusive Golf Resort & Spa in Costa Rica.
Condo-style rooms
Rather than searching for a traditional hotel room, look at hotels that offer condo-style rooms or apartments. These usually have one or two bedrooms and a sofa bed in the living room. They also have larger living and dining areas and kitchenettes or full kitchens. We've stayed at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Sunset Walk near Disney World and the Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy at Villatel Orlando Resort and loved how spacious they were.
Sonder, which owns and operates apartment-style units and hotel rooms in 10 countries across Europe, North America and the Middle East, recently joined Marriott Bonvoy, bringing thousands of new guest rooms into the points and miles ecosystem.
Suites
While the cost is higher, booking a suite offers more space and additional beds compared to a traditional room.
Depending on your hotel elite status level, you may be able to upgrade your room to a suite for no additional cost, though this perk is always subject to availability. In most cases, you can use one of our favorite credit cards for hotel stays to fast-track your way to these suite upgrade benefits.
Hilton Honors Diamond members and Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite and Titanium Elite members are eligible for space-available suite upgrades when availability permits.
Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite and Titanium Elite members can also select Nightly Upgrade Awards as their Marriott Annual Choice Benefit. Alternatively, those who have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card can earn this perk as an Earned Choice Award when they spend at least $60,000 in a calendar year.
Marriott Nightly Upgrade Awards let you confirm an upgrade to a standard suite or premium room at most Marriott Bonvoy hotels and resorts before your stay. You can request to apply Nightly Upgrade Awards until 2 p.m. the day before check-in.
Related: How to redeem Hyatt points for upgraded rooms and suites
Similarly, World of Hyatt members can earn suite upgrade certificates through the Hyatt Milestone Rewards program when you stay at least 40 qualifying nights or earn 65,000 base points. You can use your suite upgrade certificate to confirm a suite at the time of booking for stays of up to seven nights.
Last but not least, IHG One Rewards members can earn suite night upgrades as a Milestone Reward when they hit certain night thresholds. These certificates are good for an upgrade to an entry-level suite on stays up to five nights and can be applied within 14 days of arrival.
Connecting rooms
While not actually a room type, booking connecting rooms guarantees you'll have double the beds (and double the bathrooms), so there is enough space for your whole family.
Related: Best Hilton credit cards
Unfortunately, Hilton is the only hotel brand that confirms connecting rooms at the time of booking. Most hotel brands will not guarantee adjoining rooms, even when you book two rooms together for your family. You can call and request the rooms to be adjoining, but only Hilton guarantees your rooms will be connected.
Marriott does not guarantee connecting rooms, but it often runs a promotion offering 50% off when booking a second room for children 16 and under. Just search "Marriott family offer," and you should see search results with the currently available discounts.
Bottom line
It does take a bit of extra work when you are searching for and booking your hotel room, but it's becoming increasingly common for hotels to offer rooms designed for larger families. The tips in this guide will help you find the right room for your family and potentially save some money while doing it.
Related reading:
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.