So check this out...Hotel rant

[Thundergod]

I was going to add a night to our stay(and probably still will); so I call hotels.com where I booked it through and was in the process of changing the reservations when they said the was an added charge of 20.00 for the night for having extra guests.

when I made the reservation two months ago they knew how many people I had in my party and there was no extra guest price and now they wanna throw that in there... What the heck..

I mean the money is no big deal but is this something new because it didn't stop there.

After california we are going to vegas. We did the same thing last year and I booked a room for two nights about three hours before arriving in vegas and got a room for two nights for really cheap. They also knew the number of people in my group. This year I decided to book ahead and vegas hotels are throwing on 120.00 for a two night stay for extra guests.

 

[cougarfan84]

I was going to add a night to our stay(and probably still will); so I call hotels.com where I booked it through and was in the process of changing the reservations when they said the was an added charge of 20.00 for the night for having extra guests.

when I made the reservation two months ago they knew how many people I had in my party and there was no extra guest price and now they wanna throw that in there... What the heck..

I mean the money is no big deal but is this something new because it didn't stop there.

After california we are going to vegas. We did the same thing last year and I booked a room for two nights about three hours before arriving in vegas and got a room for two nights for really cheap. They also knew the number of people in my group. This year I decided to book ahead and vegas hotels are throwing on 120.00 for a two night stay for extra guests.

I don't know if it's taboo or not, but when I book rooms at hotels that try and change extra person fees, I generally only book the room stating the maximum number of people before the fees kick in.

We are staying in Vegas on the way down to Anaheim this summer. Being as there are 6 of us going (7 including the baby), I booked 2 rooms at the Flamingo at a rate of $34 dollars a night. For everybody past the first 2 guests in each room (regardless of age), they wanted to charge a $20/night fee. That would make the $68 dollar charge for the 1 night stay balloon into $128 dollars. It would be about the same cost as purchasing 4 hotel rooms (which is rediculous, IMO). Anyways, I just booked the room stating that there were going to be 2 adults in each room because I refuse to pay extra person fees in the hotel.

When talking to my brother who is a travel agent, he told me it was common for people to only book rooms for 1-2 people even when they may have more staying in the room. Usually the hotel doesn't really care at check-in (though if they do you may end up still having to pay the extra person fee).

 

[sonnyjane]

I was going to add a night to our stay(and probably still will); so I call hotels.com where I booked it through and was in the process of changing the reservations when they said the was an added charge of 20.00 for the night for having extra guests.

when I made the reservation two months ago they knew how many people I had in my party and there was no extra guest price and now they wanna throw that in there... What the heck..
.

It's entirely possible that two months ago, there was not an extra fee. If you called to add an extra night, that would be a "new reservation", and therefore that night would be subject to the new fees.

 

[sonnyjane]

I don't know if it's taboo or not, but when I book rooms at hotels that try and change extra person fees, I generally only book the room stating the maximum number of people before the fees kick in.

We are staying in Vegas on the way down to Anaheim this summer. Being as there are 6 of us going (7 including the baby), I booked 2 rooms at the Flamingo at a rate of $34 dollars a night. For everybody past the first 2 guests in each room (regardless of age), they wanted to charge a $20/night fee. That would make the $68 dollar charge for the 1 night stay balloon into $128 dollars. It would be about the same cost as purchasing 4 hotel rooms (which is rediculous, IMO). Anyways, I just booked the room stating that there were going to be 2 adults in each room because I refuse to pay extra person fees in the hotel.

When talking to my brother who is a travel agent, he told me it was common for people to only book rooms for 1-2 people even when they may have more staying in the room. Usually the hotel doesn't really care at check-in (though if they do you may end up still having to pay the extra person fee).

Definitely "taboo". It's important the hotel know how many people are ACTUALLY staying in the room because of fire codes. I don't encourage lying to get a cheaper rate...

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

The thing is, hotels don't usually ask. They just ask the number of room keys you'd like.

It's not an issue unless I'm staying at Disney and need the room keys for extra magic hours or at Universal for Express pass.

 

[jenpace]

Definitely "taboo". It's important the hotel know how many people are ACTUALLY staying in the room because of fire codes. I don't encourage lying to get a cheaper rate...

^^This!

 

[rentayenta]

When we stayed in Vegas last year, the front desk person kept names off of the reservation so we wouldn't be changed the extra $$ per night.

 

[reyasmommy]

It's ridiculous when they want to charge for Children.. That's when I get really upset. Planet Hollywood wants to charge me and extra $30.00 a kid per night. Having to pay $30.00 for a baby that isn't even sleeping in a bed and not going to enjoy any of the hotel ammenities is INSANE!! Makes my blood boil !

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Ya the kid thing bugs me too. Mostly because my kids can't sleep in the same bed. So one (or both) crash on the floor. The third is in a pack and play still but eventually she'll be doing floor time too LOL

But yeah. I don't lie for reservations because of the fire code deal..but I do get annoyed that they wanna charge me for a floor sleeper

 

[cougarfan84]

As far as the fire code deal goes, doesn't that just have to do with maximum occupancy of each room? If so, then why is it that big of a deal if you have 3 people in a room that has a maximum occupancy of 4?

I know we could have the debate about whether or not it's ethical to claim an occupancy less than what is actually using the room, but the issue I'm bringing up isn't so much with groups shoving 6 or 7 people into a standard room that has a maximum occupancy of 4. We will still be below the occupancy levels of the room. It's just that we'll have 3 people per room instead of 4.

It seems odd that it would be cheaper to reserve 3 hotel rooms for 6 people than it would be to reserve 2 hotel rooms for 6 people, and from my perspective it feels a lot like price gauging. I guess the honest thing to do would be to just pony up the cash and deal with it, but I just feel that the "extra room charge" of $20 per person per night is a little extreme (especially when it applies to young children).

 

[bumbershoot]

We generally only use the pre-paid hotels.com rates, and we don't mess around with the reservations afterwards, but even if I did use the rates you must have used, I still wouldn't have changed my current reservation. I just would have made a separate reservation for the extra time. That way it wouldn't mess up the first one.

It's entirely possible that two months ago, there was not an extra fee. If you called to add an extra night, that would be a "new reservation", and therefore that night would be subject to the new fees.

Definitely what I was thinking.

It's not an issue unless I'm staying at Disney and need the room keys for extra magic hours or at Universal for Express pass.

Or until there's a fire and they get only 4 people out of your room and figure there's no one else b/c that's the number allowed...

It seems odd that it would be cheaper to reserve 3 hotel rooms for 6 people than it would be to reserve 2 hotel rooms for 6 people,...

Seems that booking 3 rooms would be way more comfy, too!

I was visiting family in March and my dad demanded that DS and I stay in their room. Dad, stepmom, two half-brothers both of whom are 6'4"+...in a 2 queen bed room with no pullout. No thank you! My dad had told me that they had a suite and that he was paying for it...but I went down and got a desperation-rate room at the front desk instead. No interest in having 6 in a room, and frankly I don't understand my family who wants to sleep in such close quarters as they do.

 

[cougarfan84]

Or until there's a fire and they get only 4 people out of your room and figure there's no one else b/c that's the number allowed...

But what if you have 3-4 people in the room but only paid as if there were 2 people in the room? Does that still apply?

Seems that booking 3 rooms would be way more comfy, too!

I don't think it would be much more comfy. Given the situation of who is going, etc., it is in our best interest to have 2 rooms w/ 2 beds each. Due to certain reasons, I would actually think having 3 rooms would actually be MORE difficult than having 2 rooms, and if we did book 3 rooms, 1 of them would likely sit empty.

 

[blackjackdelta]

I don't know if it's taboo or not, but when I book rooms at hotels that try and change extra person fees, I generally only book the room stating the maximum number of people before the fees kick in.

We are staying in Vegas on the way down to Anaheim this summer. Being as there are 6 of us going (7 including the baby), I booked 2 rooms at the Flamingo at a rate of $34 dollars a night. For everybody past the first 2 guests in each room (regardless of age), they wanted to charge a $20/night fee. That would make the $68 dollar charge for the 1 night stay balloon into $128 dollars. It would be about the same cost as purchasing 4 hotel rooms (which is rediculous, IMO). Anyways, I just booked the room stating that there were going to be 2 adults in each room because I refuse to pay extra person fees in the hotel.

When talking to my brother who is a travel agent, he told me it was common for people to only book rooms for 1-2 people even when they may have more staying in the room. Usually the hotel doesn't really care at check-in (though if they do you may end up still having to pay the extra person fee).

Doesn't sound like a fire code issue which will get you booted. It is de-frauding an innkeeper.

Jack

 

[Disney Dreams]

I don't know if it's taboo or not, but when I book rooms at hotels that try and change extra person fees, I generally only book the room stating the maximum number of people before the fees kick in.

So, you are having more people sleep in the room than you contracted for with the hotel. That is essentially theft. You have booked a room for X people. They are charging you for X, but you are having X+Y stay there. Do you think that is right?

...Anyways, I just booked the room stating that there were going to be 2 adults in each room because I refuse to pay extra person fees in the hotel....

The hotel is saying, we will rent you this space for a certain number of people to use. It sounds as if your belief is that the hotel should just rent you the room, regardless of the number of people. Except, that is not how the hotel has set up its services. What you are doing is wrong because you are not using the service in the way the provider has established.

As far as the fire code deal goes, doesn't that just have to do with maximum occupancy of each room? If so, then why is it that big of a deal if you have 3 people in a room that has a maximum occupancy of 4?...

Well... as bumbershoot said...

...Or until there's a fire and they get only 4 people out of your room and figure there's no one else b/c that's the number allowed...

So, you can answer your own question. If they have accounted for 3 people in your room as the place is burning to the ground and you are still inside but no one knows it, does it matter that they have an incorrect guest count?

But what if you have 3-4 people in the room but only paid as if there were 2 people in the room? Does that still apply?

Yes.

- Dreams

 

[blackjackdelta]

I don't know if it's taboo or not, but when I book rooms at hotels that try and change extra person fees, I generally only book the room stating the maximum number of people before the fees kick in.

So, you are having more people sleep in the room than you contracted for with the hotel. That is essentially theft. You have booked a room for X people. They are charging you for X, but you are having X+Y stay there. Do you think that is right?


The hotel is saying, we will rent you this space for a certain number of people to use. It sounds as if your belief is that the hotel should just rent you the room, regardless of the number of people. Except, that is not how the hotel has set up its services. What you are doing is wrong because you are not using the service in the way the provider has established.


Well... as bumbershoot said...

So, you can answer your own question. If they have accounted for 3 people in your room as the place is burning to the ground and you are still inside but no one knows it, does it matter that they have an incorrect guest count?


Yes.

- Dreams

If the head count is not correct and there is a fire, your insurance and theirs will not pay. Anything else if the head count is not correct it is fraud.
I recommend if people do not like the rules/laws just find some place different.

Jack

 

[cougarfan84]

If the head count is not correct and there is a fire, your insurance and theirs will not pay. Anything else if the head count is not correct it is fraud.
I recommend if people do not like the rules/laws just find some place different.

Jack

I totally understand and respect this viewpoint.

Just to make things clear, I have never had the need to book anything more than double occupancy in the past so this has never been an issue that I've had to deal with before.

My main comments are coming from a future trip in which I am going on later this summer and I was trying to figure out the ethics of reporting less per room than is actually staying there. I have heard of plenty of people doing this in the past (including my parents), and my brother who is a travel agent actually gave me the advise saying that many people do it w/out any problems. However, part of me feels that there is some dishonesty involved in doing so.

I figure I'm not going to bother changing the future reservation now (since it's already made), but I'm not going to get all secretive in hiding the number of people who are staying in the room either. If they ask me at check-in and want to charge me more for the extra people, then so be it. The bottom line is the extra people are actually my wife's family (4 of them and 2 of us) so they would be paying the bulk of the extra cost anyways. I'll just have them throw an extra $30 onto their hotel budget (and put an extra $15 into mine) and that should cover the extra fee if they choose to charge.

 

[starshine514]

When we go to San Diego, we stay at a certain hotel with cameras in the hallways. If you sneak in more people, they'll kick you out. Personally, I'd rather NOT be trying to find a new hotel right then for violating their rules AND I would rather know about all the extra costs in advance.