Sharing hotel rooms with coworkers?

[Christine]

How did you arrive at 10 nights? Heck of a gap between 10 and 75. What about 30? A medium deal?

For some - 1 night is a "big deal", so. I'm not sure why people seem to be offended or completely discount those who are opposed to room sharing.

Some are wired for it, and some are wired against it. Is one right or wrong?

It's called empathy. I can put myself in both positions. While I definitely do not like sharing a room with a coworker, I can certainly understand why one would be fine with it. Not sure why that cannot happen in the other direction, but I see that a lot with people.

If it makes the room-sharers feel better/superior, yes, us room loners are uptight.

 

[tvguy]

ARe you companies generally sending enough people that they can pair by requests and personality?

In our case the most I have ever traveled with was 7 people. That was rare. Most of the time its 1-3 people on a trip. Most of the time I would end up with my own room just on the idea that I was the only girl, on the few that there was another, there was only 1 other girl. Only 2 of those 7 were female.

So there would be no pairing people by personality and compatibility.

The group I most frequently traveled with totaled 12. 2 women, 10 men. Other than the guy who had a preference for not sharing with pot smokers, I am not aware of any other pairing preferences (other than the 2 women rooming together). These days it is usually just 2 people.
Really wasn't an issue because that companies policy was, anyone who had issues with any travel policies, didn't have to travel. Another employee who didn't have an issue would be substituted.

 

[tvguy]

BTW, the current trend in dorm rooms is a 4-bedroom suite with each student having their own private bedroom & bathroom, and a shared living room & kitchenette.

Many NEWLY constructed dorms do offer that option. My son's college dorm was built in 1923 and my daughter's in 1940 (with a few built in 1917) an no such option.
Worst was the year my daughter went to college in England. The dorms are all privately owned, and you sign a lease for the entire school year. There is no provision for roommate swaps.

 

[tvguy]

I see a huge difference between 18-22 yo college kids and full time employed adults over college age. I think it's kind of shortsighted to treat working adults like they are college kids.

LOL. I was 22 for most of the business trips I took, yup, right out of college. I switched jobs about 4 months after I turned 23, to a job that did not require travel.

 

[tvguy]

I should point out that in my industry 2 things are common that make sharing a hotel room less common.

First, I was reminded this morning...... when a co-worker arrived back from out of town at 3:15 am.......that the practice now is to not keep employees overnight in hotels, but to have them drive home and just pay them the overtime. No hotel bill, no food bills that way. And that way the crew is back in town for their next shift.

Second, it is not unheard of to sleep in your company car. Often, however, it is due to circumstances other than cost. When we are out covering a forest fire, the area hotels are going to be full with evacuees, and with firefighters getting a break from the fire lines and fire camp. And to me honest, THOSE people having a hotel room is more important than a news crew.

 

[Kimberlyann11]

Many of my friends and acquaintances are in the phase of life I am, with kids in the thick of college and others making the decision on selecting where to go. No matter if the schools are large state schools, smaller niche schools or nationally known top ranked private schools from one end of the country to the other, I have yet to find one yet that has attended or toured any kind of school that has these mythical personal suite dorm styles. I'm sure they exist, but I think their prevalence may be overstated.

U/M both Dearborn and Flint campuses. Wayne State. Grand Valley - but only the honors dorms. DDs room next year has a private bedroom for her and her roommate and a shared kitchen and living room. Oddly enough Grand Valley is building brand new dorms with a shared bathroom down the hall. At Dearborn, you sign an individual lease so if a roommate moves out, you aren't responsible for any additional costs. They also have nicer kitchens than what's in my home - granite countertops and all.

They aren't the norm - but it's much more common and a big incentive for kids to want to go there. A private bedroom is essential if you have an obnoxious roommate. Or if you are the obnoxious roommate. DD needs to sleep with a fan and won't have to worry about it bothering her roommate. My roommate many years ago had to sleep with the radio on. Sometimes I had to resort to sleeping on my suitemate's floor so I didn't have the racket keeping me awake.

 

[klacey1]

My company hosts about 8 conferences a year, one of which is rather large and requires about half the company to staff/attend. The others are smaller and require about 10 employees to staff/attend (of a 50 person company). Additionally, our sales team and some other personnel alternate attending industry trade shows (another 10 per year). Never does anyone share a hotel room with one VERY minor exception.
At our large company conference, they've occasionally asked two young (twentysomething) girls to share a very large, very fancy 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom suite. The only shared space is a kitchenette and living room. The girls (and I know because I was one of them) are perfectly allowed to say no and have their own small, regular hotel room. My co-worker and I said yes to the suite arrangement because it was FAR nicer than the rooms we'd have on our own and we were actually close friends who enjoyed hanging out outside of work and destressing the day together at night. I definitely would not have said yes if we didn't have our own bathrooms, however. Two girls getting ready for a long, fancy day in one bathroom just wouldn't have worked!

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

It may not be co-ed.

But just wait until the op is sharing a room with a pre-surgery transgender person.

I see this one didn't work...

What if one of them were homosexual? Or transgender?

Would you be willing to share a room with someone that felt like your gender, but had the parts of another?

but, attempt number two seems to have achieved what you were hoping for.

The consistency is certainly noteworthy...

Is there a reason this particular subject is so important to you in regards to co-workers sharing a hotel room?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

U/M both Dearborn and Flint campuses. Wayne State. Grand Valley - but only the honors dorms. DDs room next year has a private bedroom for her and her roommate and a shared kitchen and living room. Oddly enough Grand Valley is building brand new dorms with a shared bathroom down the hall. At Dearborn, you sign an individual lease so if a roommate moves out, you aren't responsible for any additional costs. They also have nicer kitchens than what's in my home - granite countertops and all.

They aren't the norm - but it's much more common and a big incentive for kids to want to go there. A private bedroom is essential if you have an obnoxious roommate. Or if you are the obnoxious roommate. DD needs to sleep with a fan and won't have to worry about it bothering her roommate. My roommate many years ago had to sleep with the radio on. Sometimes I had to resort to sleeping on my suitemate's floor so I didn't have the racket keeping me awake.

Oh yeah, they're quite nice. We supply $300 ceiling fans for our student housing projects.

 

[Magpie]

I see this one didn't work...

but, attempt number two seems to have achieved what you were hoping for.

The consistency is certainly noteworthy...

Is there a reason this particular subject is so important to you in regards to co-workers sharing a hotel room?

I'd love to know the answer to this question, too!

 

[mnrose]

Since I had my twins, I snore something fierce. I seriously WOULD NOT want to subject a co-worker to that. Similarly, I am bothered by other's snoring (light sleeper). And, I would not get a good night's sleep under those circumstances.

That's my biggest reason for wanting my own room. Now, I am chaperoning a high school choir trip in a few weeks. I was asked to "share" to save costs. I declined, and said I would pay for my own room rather than share with someone else. Happy to chaperone, but I want my OWN space to retreat to at the end of the day.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Since I had my twins, I snore something fierce. I seriously WOULD NOT want to subject a co-worker to that. Similarly, I am bothered by other's snoring (light sleeper). And, I would not get a good night's sleep under those circumstances.

That's my biggest reason for wanting my own room. Now, I am chaperoning a high school choir trip in a few weeks. I was asked to "share" to save costs. I declined, and said I would pay for my own room rather than share with someone else. Happy to chaperone, but I want my OWN space to retreat to at the end of the day.

I was once asked if I would chaperone a school trip. I was interested, then I found out I would have to share a room.... with some kids. I was like not just no, but oh heck NO.

 

[sam_gordon]

How did you arrive at 10 nights? Heck of a gap between 10 and 75. What about 30? A medium deal?

For some - 1 night is a "big deal", so. I'm not sure why people seem to be offended or completely discount those who are opposed to room sharing.

Some are wired for it, and some are wired against it. Is one right or wrong?

Pick whatever number you'd like. As I said, sharing a room is not my choice, but I'm not willing to:
1) Give up an assignment (and possibly cause job performance issues).
2) Quit (I have good benefits, salary, and hours)
3) Pay for my own room (I'm too cheap).

I get that people think sharing is a big deal. Some of the options listed in this thread aren't necessarily "good" options.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Crap happens? While it has happened, it's rare someone will go "#2" and stink up the entire room. Turn the bathroom fan on. I also don't think I've been in a hotel room where the toilet is 3' away from the bed/couch whatever (maybe on a cruise ship).


Don't get me wrong, I prefer being by myself, but if my choice is some cheap flea bag motel for $50/night or a Hampton Inn/Holiday Inn Express/Marriott/etc for $100 and I have to share the room, "Hi, roomie!"

I used to work with one guy and he's still a close friend. Oh, man, his #2s would often not only stink up the entire room, but practically the entire hotel. And if he let one rip, you could probably hear it (and smell it) out in the parking lot. He was quite proud of his nasty olfactory skills.

And yes, if it's a choice between a private room in a sleazy motel or a shared room at The Ritz, gimme a roommate.

You don't need to stink up the entire room in order to have an uncomfortable scenario. Even if there's a lingering odor in the bathroom, chances are the other person will get a whif when you come out. Even though it's a natural thing, I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone that would be comfortable pooping with co-workers in close proximity who know exactly what you're doing. And perhaps 3 feet away was an exaggeration, but you're still in a 200 square foot hotel room. Noises and smells are inevitable.

.

Eh, I'm not poop-shy. Most people I know and work with would be comfortable knowing what's going on 10 feet away from them behind a closed door.

I shared rooms in college to avoid costs to ME. Sharing rooms as a professional doesn't benefit ME. In college, I was paying them for the privilege of being there. As a professional, I travel becaus it's required, NOT because of any desire to do it. Totally different scenario.

BTW, the current trend in dorm rooms is a 4-bedroom suite with each student having their own private bedroom & bathroom, and a shared living room & kitchenette.

What's this nonsense about each student having a private room and bath?!!!! Why, back when I went to college, almost all the freshman guys were in the same dorm. About 60 guys to the floor, all in double rooms with a few triples, and one large shared bathroom. Privacy??? There was one open gang shower room with about 8 showerheads. And that was considered the norm. There may have been a wussie or two who had a problem with it.

I was fortunate enough to win the housing lottery for a suite in my junior and senior years. Three double bedrooms, with air conditioning, 1 1/2 baths, and a small common area.

There were several dozen single rooms scattered throughout the dorms, but none had a private bath. Maybe a dozen double rooms had a private bath, but there was some kind of criteria needed to even apply for them. I didn't qualify.

I think this is what it comes down to. Someone who is on the road 75+ nights a year I can see "requiring" their own room. Someone who spends <10 nights, it's not as big a deal.

Even 10 nights is too high for me now. If a night or two, yeah, I'll be OK with sharing. Anything more than that, even only one overnight every other month, I want my own room.

 

[tvguy]

I would point out most professional sports players in baseball, basketball and football share hotel rooms on the road.

 

[Missy1961]

I would point out most professional sports players in baseball, basketball and football share hotel rooms on the road.

Maybe the rookies do, but most of the stars do not.

 

[Cantw8]

Aint going to happen. I would pay out of pocket and get my own room. Not sharing with a co-worker

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I see this one didn't work...



but, attempt number two seems to have achieved what you were hoping for.

The consistency is certainly noteworthy...

Is there a reason this particular subject is so important to you in regards to co-workers sharing a hotel room?

I don't know about you, but I am reading, right and left, articles about school children having to share bathroom and shower facilities with transgender students. And people seem up in arms about it.

In addition, everyone seemed to say here, "well, with the same sex it wouldn't be a problem."

 

[tvguy]

Maybe the rookies do, but most of the stars do not.

Most do. A few don't. And in the NHL players can't get a single room until they have completed 600 games.
I know the Oakland A's broadcasters mention which player rooms with which player on the road.

 

[gotomu212]

I would point out most professional sports players in baseball, basketball and football share hotel rooms on the road.

They also take communal showers in the locker room...I guess once I shower with someone I'd be okay sharing a bedroom. Most of us don't shower with colleagues though.