To stay in a hotel without booking?

[ps1991]

My husband is away with work in Manchester from yesterday to Thursday, I had planned on travelling tomorrow to stay with him and then come home together on Thursday.

I’m really worried about staying in the hotel he’s at with our baby as the hotel is only booked for him. Will the hotel say anything? I have looked for other hotels locally and can’t find anything that we can afford, especially once we say we have a baby with us 🙄.

Am I right to be worried or will the hotel staff not care?

I've done this before several times both on my own and with a child in tow. The rooms were just booked as a double room rate so it wasn't a problem. He's even been and asked for extra towels for me, and I've picked up an extra key at the desk on arrival, never been a problem. He did tell the hotel I was joining him but they wouldn't bother to notify the company. Just go and enjoy yourself!

I’d be more worried about not being honest with his work. I wouldn’t care about the hotel so much.

Not being funny, have none of you ever had a one night stand? Gone back to a hotel with someone or brought them back to yours? I never registered those people at reception at 2am!

What hotel chain is it? Most don't charge extra if no breakfast included. Smaller independent ones sometimes do. I'd tell them so you don't feel like you have to sneak around and they can give you an extra key.

I highly doubt in the event of a fire the brigade would ‘only look for one body’ .. they would conduct a thorough search. But of course it’s far better if they’re armed with accurate information.

An actual fire is very unlikely though. More likely scenarios are a fire drill/ neighbouring rooms being disturbed by crying baby/ difficulty of smuggling in and out a baby, travel cot etc/ possible repercussions of bagging a free hotel stay meant for employees of the company

Honestly don’t be so tight fisted .... you may not even need to pay any extra but if you do it won’t be a lot, there’s not even breakfast included. Just do the decent thing and check with the hotel

I think it’s different taking a baby. If I’d booked a hotel & asked for a quiet room I’d not be happy to be next door to a baby. Hotels often have “quiet” areas.

I wouldn't be worried about the room itself - if the hotel charges per room it's not going to be a problem.

However are his company okay with you joining him? Ours are fine if partners stay so long as it doesn't cost them anything extra - so we'd have to fork our for meals etc. But as they pay per room they're happy for partners to spend the night and amuse themselves in the day.

I have done this many times and with a baby too. It doesn't matter ... hotel staff is least bothered about it. Don't worry at all and enjoy your time!

DC and I often stay away with DH if goes somewhere we fancy going. He just books a room with the right number of beds and we all check in. The cost is for the room in the hotels he uses.
We DC and I pay for our own breakfasts, making it clear they aren't to be charged to the room.
DH's work have no issue with this, if it is abroad we pay for own flights although PA often actually books them at the same time as DH's.

I think you will find that you can just add your name for no charge at all

Dreichuplands- that’s completely different.

The OP has said they don’t want it getting back to the company that she’s staying there

Everyone trots our “ what if there is a fire” on these threads! There is no list the fire brigade work through, they don’t check rooms based on number booked occupants.

Those talking about emergencies and fires and insurance are absolutely batshit.

Unless you sign in and out of your hotel like you're in school there's no way the hotel will know or care how many people are in the room.

Worked in hotels for many years. Alarm sounds, everyone gets out. Anyone left behind is behind a fireproof door and will raise an alarm themselves if they're trapped, or by their roommate. Fire fighters don't count in and out and don't go looking for additional people.

So for instance, if you are single and book a hotel as you are going out for the night, and you meet a fella on the night out and invite him back to your hotel, do you tell the hotel? This is not something I've ever done but I'm sure it happens and it's only the same!

Someone at my husband’s work was sacked for this (one of a few issues) as he used to do this regularly when he and his wife needed to catch a plane for holiday: meetings weirdly coincided with a hotel stay. Their company policy does not allow it. Also the company insurance may not cover you in case of an accident.
Honesty is the best policy I believe (but I’m a bit of a stickler for rules!)

I wouldn't just turn up if his employer has paid for the room. You'd be jeopardising his job. You need to not only ask the hotel but also ask whoever has paid for the room.

If it’s a double room rate then fine but I think you are a bit cheeky smuggling the baby in. I would just phone the hotel and check it’s fine.

Agree with posters, you should add yourselves to the booking and pay any extra cost if there is any. They may also give you a different room if you have a baby (e.g one that's further from other guests or doesn't get as hot, or has room for the cot).
There is a list of occupants that the staff and fire brigade work through (or should be!)

I have snuck into a hotel as an extra person before. Friends checked in and took my bags in. We went to a festival and then returned hours later. No one batted an eyelid.

Most hotels don't even take a second name. I don't know whether they bother recording how many people are in a room.

Just do it. I don't even think it is sneaking around. The room has been paid for.

In the event of a fire, they would have no idea who was in there rooms and who was out for dinner anyway. A fireman isn't going to refuse to save someone because there are more people in the room than he expected. He would too busy for ticking people of the register.

Totally agree any consequences could be more likely to come from his employers than the hotel. The fact that you "don’t want it to get back to his company" suggests they wouldn't be at all happy, and you'd only need to be spotted by one of DH's colleagues for what you've done to be obvious

For context I've organised countless such work events, and while I'm not suggesting you'd do this, it's more common than you'd think for "family" to arrive and run up a huge room service, restaurant or bar bill

Common, too, for the employee to lose their job over it

You will be fine, price is always per room. Enjoy

FGS read the OP. Quite aside from whether there’s a fire/ bomb scare/ earthquake etc the OP has said they don’t want to be upfront about it because they don’t want his company to know.

That in itself is a damn good reason for why it’s a Batshit crazy idea

The OP and her dh obviously don’t know whether it’s acceptable for a room paid by the company. So fgs - ask, and if necessary pay a supplement.

I've done this loads of times. Just did it last week in fact. No one notices or cares. Only on MN do people make a big deal out of it. Just go. Maybe take extra towels and bedding and tea/coffee stuff.

The hotel might not care but is it worth risking your husbands employer finding out?
It’s a bit cheeky really and could get him into trouble

Was in Manchester a while ago for work in a hotel room booked and paid for by work. Hotel gave me 2 keys.....
was just me but clearly they’ve booked it on their system as a room rather than per person so there would’ve been no issue if DP came along