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Do you have a family of five or larger and find it difficult to find a high-end hotel or resort that allows and sleeps five or more in a room? Unfortunately, most hotels and resorts are designed to sleep a max of four people, making it difficult to book just one room with points and miles or cash. We are a family of five and these are some tips we have tried in the past to avoid booking two rooms.

1) Email or Call the hotel with a request

After finding the perfect resort, you see that it only sleeps four people and that no rollaway is allowed. If you are a family with younger children, and you don’t mind splitting the two queen beds between the five of you or more, then simply send a request to the hotel.

Sometimes finding the correct email for a resort can be challenging. If you cannot find the email after searching, call the hotel chain and they can provide it to you. Rather than asking your question to the customer service representative, simply ask for the reservation’s contact email address. In your email, reference your confirmation number and explain your situation.

Be as kind and polite as possible and explain why you would like to be in one room together. For instance, my children are young and we need to be in one room. Keep in mind, that if you book two rooms, they will not always guarantee that the rooms will be connected or that you will be near each other. That alone is a problem for my family. You may also inquire about a rollaway bed or crib. Hotel listings sometimes indicate that no rollaway bed can be added, but a crib can be added. It doesn’t hurt to ask the question.

They may say no and that can be disappointing, but we have had great results with both Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG. The good news is that you can cancel your reservation for free and start your search for a new resort that possibly will allow this.

2) Hotel Status

Having hotel status can be a game-changer when it comes to booking travel with families of five or more. Having certain hotel statuses, such as Marriott Platinum or Hyatt Globalist will get you suite upgrades. For Marriott platinum status, you will receive five suite upgrades. These upgrades can be confirmed five days out from your reservation date.

Suite upgrades are great because suites can vary from just a bigger room to as much as a two-bedroom room! In our last stay at the Delta Hotels Virginia Beach Bayfront Suites, we were upgraded to a two-bedroom suite that actually slept eight people! This hotel also has bunk beds!

Not all suites will sleep more people, but most of the time there will be more room for your family to spread out and it can be a great option for large families.

3) Pay to Upgrade

Now, this may not be your first choice, but it is a valid option. While you are doing your hotel search, look for resorts with suites or villas that can sleep your family size. First, book the standard room with points. After receiving your confirmation number, contact the reservations department. Again, you may need to call the hotel chain, to find this email address.

Draft your email and include your confirmation number. Inquire as to whether you can upgrade your stay to a different room type. List the room types that you are interested in and ask how much the upgrade is for each room type. This will vary based on hotel and resort policy. Sometimes you will not be allowed to upgrade with cash, but sometimes you can. However, sometimes the email will lead to a free upgrade!

Often you can do this type of upgrading directly from the hotel website. This shows up as a points-plus cash option for room/suite upgrades. Hyatt hotels most always have options for points plus cash options for large suites! Check their app frequently for some great deals with this pricing!

I have personally had success with upgrading my room type with cash in the Maldives within the Marriott program.

Another upgrade success was in Park City at the Hotel Park City. We were hoping for an upgraded room with a hot tub. When I initially contacted the hotel, they offered us that room type for an extra $100 a night. At that time, I also let them know about my hotel status and whether I would be able to request that room as an upgrade. They assured me that the hotel had much availability and they could go ahead and reserve that room for me! That was very kind of them and I highly recommend Hotel Park City!

4) Family rate rooms

Did you know that Hyatt offers a discounted family nightly rate, for a room with just kids? If you have booked your first room with points or cash, you can contact the hotel and ask for a family rate. After the hotel confirms that you have a reservation with them, they will let you know the rate and availability for your stay. Sometimes there is not much of a discount, but at certain times rates can be up to 50% off! It’s worth making the call to find out.

We almost used this method at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale. At the time, there was a significant discount for our dates. However, I ended up using a travel agent discount instead.

5) Travel Agent Rate

Did you know that I am a travel agent? Ok well, I have just put my home-based travel agent membership on hold. But, in the past, this was a great option for my family. As a travel agent, you have access to discounted rooms that you can use to book your second room!

Just like the family rate, the travel agent rate will not always be available for every date, but it’s such a great option when it is. As a travel agent, you can make commission booking vacations for your family, friends, and even yourself!

Check out this post to find out how to become a home-based travel agent! Spoiler alert-it’s super easy!

6) Book hotels/resorts that sleep 5-6 people

Ok, I know I’m stating the obvious here, but maybe you are new to traveling or new to having a big family. There are great hotels that sleep five to six people. Some of these hotels are Hyatt Places, Hyatt Houses, Springhill Suites, Homewood Suites, Residence Inn, and Staybridge Suites.

Most of the hotels are very nice and convenient for families. They offer amenities like free parking, no resort fee, and free breakfast! These are great options for families. However, you may be disappointed if you are looking for more of a resort feel with lots of outdoor pools and activities.

The Phoenician, Scottsdale (Room that sleeps 6)

If you are looking for something a bit nicer and none of the options above work for you, there are some nicer hotels and resorts that will often allow five in a room with a rollaway. You can find those resorts by searching in the hotel apps with your family size.

A hotel that we enjoyed as a family where you can book directly with points is the Holiday Inn Express Panama City Beach Hotel. This hotel sleeps six. Earn Holiday Inn points with this card.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites- Panama City Beach

7) Use points to book Vacasa Home rentals

Did you know that you can use points to book a home rental through Vacasa.com? By transferring points from Capital One or Citi Thank You to Wyndham Rewards, you can book vacation rentals with points. One-bedroom home rentals that are also under $250/night are bookable with 15,000 Wyndham reward points. After finding your perfect property, call Wyndham to check availability. If it’s available to be booked with points, then you can make the points transfer and get the stay booked!

It’s a great option, for those families that want a kitchen, a bigger space, or a more unique layout.