Do I need to inform hotel that partner isn't coming?

[pattihews]

My partner and I booked a fortnight's hotel-based holiday several months ago. We're going with friends next week. Two double rooms and flights all booked and paid for.

In recent days my partner's father has been admitted to hospital and his mother has required assistance. The situation with his father doesn't seem to be resolving and it looks increasingly unlikely that my partner will not be able to come on holiday as planned. Best-case scenario is that he flies out to join us later. He is staying with his mother and so there's no reason for me not to go on holiday with our friends. I really need a holiday, it'll be my first for three years.

The money isn't an issue for us, and I'd like to keep the option of him joining us open, so I didn't intend to tell the airline or hotel anything. We'll just turn up at the hotel and say that my partner will join us later. However my friend thinks I need to inform them. She says that the price of a double room will have been based on two of us eating at the hotel several times and two of us buying drinks from the bar and that the contract was for two people.

Anyone been in this situation? What should I do?

nah it will be fine

You don't need to tell the hotel but you do need to tell the airline. If he doesn't use his outgoing flight then the return flight may be cancelled automatically.

Hope you enjoy your holiday OP and all is ok

Potentially if he doesn’t fly out on the outward bound flight, he will be a ‘No Show’ so the return will be cancelled (if he was intending on buying a single)

But the hotel.. I can’t see what difference it will make.

As PP have said, if he doesn't turn up for the outbound flight his return will be cancelled. Found that out the hard way myself! So it's important to tell the airline.

As for the hotel, some charge per room and some per person. So it would depend on the policy.

Thanks for the heads-up on the flight, that wouldn't have occurred to me. I've had a quick look through the Ts&Cs and there's nothing immediately obvious. I'm also less than thrilled with the idea of being transferred to a single room, if they have one, or even perhaps told they can't accommodate me so I'm going to say nothing and just say my partner's been delayed. If they give me an extra bill at the end that's fine.

I'd tell the hotel, at least when you check in. If there was a fire or other emergency, they would be counting the wrong number of heads and looking for someone who isn't there!

Most rooms charge by room (hence the higher charge for singles) - the only difference could be if you need to pay a tourist tax that maybe per guest they would need to know.

I wouldn't tell the hotel or they'll shunt you into a tiny single and not reduce the price.

I'll make it clear he hasn't been able to fly out with me. Thanks for the advice.

My partner told the person checking him in I wasn't making the outbound flight but would need the inbound flight. They nodded. Anyway, my inbound flight was cancelled. I'd book a one way ticket for home for him if money wasn't an issue.

(Virgin wanted £800 to fly me home one way when the entire journey had cost only £400. Bastards) Lesson learned.

The flight depends on the airline. If it's Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2 etc, it's not a return ticket, it's two singles, so no worries about the 'return' portion being cancelled because those airlines don't work like that. Maybe if it's someone like BA.

I wouldn't tell the hotel either. It's not going to be more expensive for one person to stay there than two, even if your friend is right about the expectation to buy food and drink, chances are the price for one person will be about 60/80% of two people, as they don't have to provide breakfast for the second person, if it's single occupancy.

Oh for god's sake. Why does this always crop up? Hotels are not going to do head counts on who is in or out of the building!! People go out, people bring others back etc. There is absolutely no way of them knowing how many people are there at any given moment. Use some common sense.

Absolutely no need to tell the hotel, op.

The flight depends on the airline. If it's Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2 etc, it's not a return ticket, it's two singles, so no worries about the 'return' portion being cancelled because those airlines don't work like that. Maybe if it's someone like BA.

Mine was an easyJet flight. I turned up for the return and it wouldn't recognise my booking reference. The desk said it had been cancelled because I didn't take the outbound flight.

I've just contacted the airline to warn them that he may not be able to take the outbound flight but I'd like to keep the return flight. I've asked for a written response. I'm not holding my breath.

Nah - definitely would not tell them, as they might put you in a less good room. I had to book an extra adult at a hotel we stayed at in Lanzarote recently as they wouldn't accept less than 5 people in the room type we had and it wasn't DH's cup of tea. We didn't fit in the other room types - they had bunks and DS1 is 6'4 and DS2 6'.
I just said he'd been delayed and might be joining us later in the week.