When our third child was born almost ten years ago, I was so excited. Another healthy baby boy to round out my future golf foursomes! We were now only one short of our own basketball team and could play two on two in soccer whenever we wanted. There was only one problem (besides the need for a minivan). I thought we would be stuck booking two hotel rooms whenever we went on vacation. That would seriously strain the travel budget.
My Party of Five
But necessity is the mother of invention. I have spent the last nine years perfecting the art of travelling with a family of five. Arguably the most important skill I’ve learned is how to find hotel rooms that will comfortably fit our whole crew. By booking one hotel room we save tons of money. Plus, we get the memorable experiences that only come from sharing a room.
Every major hotel chain has a brand that will sleep five people. I will focus on the three brands I know and love the most: Hyatt Place (Hyatt), Embassy Suites (Hilton), and Springhill Suites (Marriott). The rooms at these brands usually have two beds and a pull-out couch and include free breakfast. Starting the day with five free meals and not having to do any dishes is a great way to begin any day away from home!
Hyatt Place
My first choice when travelling with five people is always Hyatt Place. Most Hyatt Places have two queen beds and a pull-out, but some only have two double beds and a pull out. Either way, if four grown men and I can spend a night in the Las Vegas Hyatt Place (only 8,000 Hyatt points per night with no resort fee and free parking) with its two double beds, then I can certainly make it work with my wife next to me, the two smallest kids in the other double bed, and the biggest boy on the pull-out.
Hyatt Places offer a solid breakfast with eggs every day and a rotating mix of other hot items (sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy, waffles). There is always cereal, pastries, juices, and coffee.
The Best Score for a Party of Five: A Hyatt Place on Points
The best thing about Hyatt Place is the low cost, particularly if you are using points. Many Hyatt Place properties are only 5,000 points per night! With the Hyatt credit card offering a 60,000-point sign-up bonus, you can probably take two vacations with just the bonus miles. An even better way to get Hyatt points is by signing up for the Ink Preferred business card with it’s amazing 80,000 point bonus. Those Chase points can be transferred to Hyatt to cover up to 16 nights in a category one hotel or 10 nights in a category two hotel.
Hyatt does not have as many locations as the two other big chains I will discuss. Nevertheless, there is a Hyatt Place that will accommodate five people in every one of the cities I searched—the 20 largest cities in the U.S. and some vacation cities not otherwise in the top 20:
| City | Point / night | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 8,000 | Near Buckhead |
| Austin | 15,000 | Good downtown location; suburban option for 8,000 points |
| Boston | 8,000 | Suburban location |
| Chicago | 12,000 | Great downtown location I have stayed at numerous times; many suburban options for fewer points |
| Dallas | 5,000 | A few different suburban locations |
| Denver | 12,000 | Good downtown location; many suburban options for fewer points |
| Honolulu | 12,000 | 5-minute walk to beach |
| Houston | 8,000 | Galleria area |
| Las Vegas | 8,000 | Solid location near Hard Rock, no resort fees |
| Los Angeles | 12,000 | Near LAX |
| Miami | 8,000 | Near airport |
| Minneapolis | 8,000 | Good downtown location |
| Nashville | 15,000 | Good downtown location; suburban option for 8,000 points |
| New Orleans | 12,000 | Near convention center (seems to only allow four people, but nearby Hyatt House allows five) |
| New York | 12,000 | Just outside Manhattan |
| Orlando | 8,000 | Near Universal |
| Philadelphia | 5,000 | Suburban location |
| Phoenix | 5,000 | Near airport |
| Portland | 12,000 | Near airport |
| San Antonio | 5,000 | Stayed here for the Final Four, halfway between airport and downtown |
| San Diego | 8,000 | Actually in Carlsbad |
| San Francisco | 12,000 | Somewhat suburban location |
| Seattle | 12,000 | Good downtown location |
| Washington, D.C. | 12,000 | Great downtown location; many suburban options for fewer points |
Embassy Suites
I love the Embassy Suites. The breakfast is amazing, with cooked-to-order omelets every day and some other really good hot items like bacon and potatoes. The chain also offers free drinks and snacks every night.
Embassy Suites is usually a bit nicer than the average Hyatt Place. There are also more Embassy Suites than Hyatt Places, so there will usually be multiple options in any city you are visiting.
The one big problem with Embassy Suites is the cost, particularly in regard to points. Hilton no longer has an award chart. The point cost of hotels often varies as the cash price goes up and down. Thus, there are rarely any outsized deals for a points stay at the Embassy Suites. For example, in a quick search of the Embassy Suites in downtown Washington, D.C., I saw prices that varied between 33,000 and 68,000 points per night.
Embassy Suites is a great option, however, if you are paying cash. Or if you have Hilton points to burn. Or if you want to sign up for one of the Hilton credit cards (100k Aspire, 100k Ascend, 100k Business, or 65k no annual fee Honors). You also get the fifth night free on award stays, so if you’re planning a longer trip that can be a good deal.
SpringHill Suites
Finally, for those who are loyal to Marriott/Starwood, SpringHill Suites is a great choice for a family of five. I recently stayed at the location in Huntington Beach and was impressed by both the quality of the rooms and the breakfast.
This brand is not quite as common as Embassy Suites, but you can find one in all the cities listed above and the point cost is often very reasonable. Finally, like Hilton, Marriott gives you the fifth night free on award stays. You can rack up points with these Marriott/Starwood cards: 75k SPG, 100k SPG Luxury, 100k SPG Business, 75k Marriott Premier Plus, 75k Marriott Business.
Caveat – International Travel
For international travel I have not found an economical way to get five people into a hotel room.
Instead, we have used Airbnb in Panama, Scotland, Canada, Ireland, Denmark and Greece and have found it to be the best way to stay with a larger group when outside the U.S. I have never had a bad experience with Airbnb, though I only book highly-rated properties with many reviews. If you’ve never used Airbnb, my referral link will get you a $40 credit and me a $20 credit.
Conclusion
Travel is a great way to bring a family together, but without some tricks, the costs can add up quickly. But even for a family of five, it is possible to stay for free using relatively few points in a Hyatt Place, Embassy Suites, or SpringHill Suites.
Question: For large groups, how do you like to save money on hotels? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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