Family holiday/hotels with teens - Am I being dumb?

[InfoRetrieval]

I'm looking at family holidays abroad. We've had mostly UK holidays in previous years, though we've also had nice ones in self catering accomodation in Portugal (Algarve) and Netherlands.

This year the consensus is that we'd prefer a hotel (half board perhaps). My sons will be 14 and 17 years old and it would be nice if there was more company their age at the hotel.

Question is that I'm trying to look at online booking and the system seems to expect for two rooms that each room has an adult + under 18. I can't believe that familes with older teens don't have them in a separate room, so how does this work in reality? Book two rooms anyway and swap when you arrive? How can you get rooms that aren't at opposite ends of the hotel?

I guess that I come across as naive at this but would like to hear how others do it?

[hmg]

You’ve basically answered your own question. Or perhaps try for interconnecting rooms ?

[Jader1973]

Try 4 people one room - some places will have a family suite or similar.

I’ve just booked a trip for us for next year - hotels in Europe seem happy that a 16 year old is still a child and will offer up one room for 3 or 4 as a result. Hotels in the UK on the other hand seem to class a 16 year old as an adult and therefore want 2 rooms booked.

I’m now looking at Air BnB for the UK bit of the trip.

[Bluesgirl]

Book two rooms and leave it to the hotel. They’ll see the ages on the booking and put you together. They don’t want your kids any distance away any more than you do.

[Rob 131 Sport]

A little bit different from the question you asked, but when mine were teenagers we’d stay in a luxury mobile home on one of the large parks in Italy or Spain. Whilst not a cheap option (circa Euro 4k for a fortnight’s rent of the mobile home) they absolutely loved it and met many other teenagers.
From what I recall the particular favourites were a site on the Adriatic with its own Aqua park and one just outside Salou.

[havoc]

Jader1973 said:

Try 4 people one room - some places will have a family suite or similar.

This - 1 bedroom suites aren't uncommon.

Bluesgirl said:

Book two rooms and leave it to the hotel. They’ll see the ages on the booking and put you together. They don’t want your kids any distance away any more than you do.

I like your optimism.

[PomBstard]

When looking for places where we can let the kids roam with other kids we’ve aimed for places that have apartments/townhouses as accommodation, rather than hotel rooms. That way you get a proper place to stay and can do own cooking or go out for food, and also separate bedrooms.

If we can’t get that, then it’s Air BnB or similar - having to stay in the same room as my kids would not make it a holiday for any of us!