In preparation for my one month Europe trip, i got these sleeping mats. I would attempt to book twin or double hotel rooms without adding on extra bed for my kids, who are at age 4 and 5 respectively. As you can imagine, doing so saves me a lot of money and pays for the sleeping mats after just 2 hotel bookings.
I got two of these mats at 190 Yuan (S$39), which is pretty cheap. They self-inflate in a matter of minutes. The foam is thick enough for kids but not quite so for adults. To make the mats more comfortable, i would add on any blanket or bed sheet i can find in the hotel room.
The two mats joined together. Comfy enough for the kids
At 1.6 kg each, it is rather light, and two of them fits into a large suitcase, with leftover room for clothing and such. In fact, we are also able to stuff a child booster car seat into the suitcase and still have room to spare.
I suppose these mats work for kids below age 9. Just be sure to mention in your hotel booking that you are bringing kids and your intention of making do with the existing bedding.
