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:
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.