Can I book a hotel room for a family with children through your hotel booking API, and does the child's age get passed on?

Yes, family bookings with children are supported, and the ages you enter are passed through to the supplier as part of the search and the booking. When you search, you tell the system how many adults are travelling, how many children are with them, and the age of each child. The results that come back are then priced for that exact group rather than for adults only, so what you quote your customer should match what the hotel expects at check in.

The ages matter because every hotel treats children differently. Some include a child in the room at no extra charge if they share the existing bedding, some add a charge for an extra bed or a cot, and some count an older child as an adult for occupancy purposes. All of that comes from the supplier and the hotel, not from us, so the rules can change from one property to the next and even from one room type to the next in the same property. The system shows you what the supplier returns, which is why it is worth reading the room description and conditions before you confirm.

There are real limits to be aware of. Each room type has a maximum occupancy, so a large family may need more than one room even if you would prefer to keep everyone together. A few suppliers will not accept children above a certain age in the same room as adults, and a few will not quote for children at all on particular rates. Cots and connecting rooms are usually sent as a request rather than a guarantee, in the same way as other special requests.

Before you advertise family holidays, run a few test searches for the destinations you sell most and check how the child pricing and occupancy limits come back for the suppliers connected to your plan, then ask us if anything looks inconsistent.