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I've worked the front desk at a few hotels and I seem to get a lot of the same questions over and over so I thought that if I put some of the information on here that it may help someone somewhere. I'm going to hit on a few of the repeat offender questions on here and if you are also a hotel front desk person please feel free to add any tips or thoughts.
Also C/C = Credit Card and CXL = Cancel.
THX = Thanks
When you call in to reserve at room at a hotel you will get asked for a credit card number. Nothing will be charged on your card at this time. We only need to have a credit card number to hold your reservation in case you decide to no show for your reservation. Again there will not be anything processed on your card at this time.
When you come to check into the hotel we need a credit card and a photo ID. The names on the credit card and the photo ID need to match. This is done to fight credit fraud. Often people will say, "We'll I gave them the credit card over the phone or that their relative or friend put a Credit Card down on the room and thus why do we need a credit card?" Again it is all to combat credit card fraud. When we take a c/c over the phone for a reservation it is only to hold the room but now at the check in time. We need the card there physically in order to check you into the room.
Checking in
The hotel is going to put a HOLD not a charge on your card. The hold will most often be for the total cost of the room plus tax plus the hotels incidentals per night. In the hotels I have worked in the incidental hold is $50 per night. So if you are going to stay three nights the system is going to put a hold on your c/c for an additional $150 plus the room and tax. The incidentals cover a lot of different things. In the hotels I've worked in you can use your incidentals to charge back to the room, however they are also a deposit for the hotel in case someone does something like throwing a chair through the window. The incidentals are HOLDS not CHARGES. So let's say that you have a room reserved at $99 per night for three nights and the tax rate for the place you are staying is 12%. The system will go for an authorization of $482.64. That's three nights at $99 plus tax of $35.64 plus $150 for incidentals. I will get back to the incidentals on the check out.
Credit Vs Debit Card:
A credit and a debit card are NOT the same thing. A debit card is a card that is attached to your actual $$$$$$$ in the bank. Unless you are as rich as Donald Trump you are better to use an actual c/c upon check in instead of a debit card. As I mentioned before the hotels system is going to put a big HOLD on the card that you use to check in. Many people often get mad b/c this freezes a large amount of their actual $$$$$ in their actual bank acct. You can pay with your debit card when you leave the hotel. Use a Credit Card for the initial hold so that your actual $$$$$ in the bank doesn't have a hold on it and is not accesible to you.
Third party Credit Cards: (A credit card from a relative, friend, or Company)
If you are going to be using a credit card from a friend or company etc... you will need to have the hotel's credit card authorization form faxed in directly to the hotel. Most often this form requires you to scan the drivers license of the person to whom the card belongs to as well as the front and back of the credit card that will be used. The instructions will be on the credit card form. I can't speak for all hotels but as far as the one's I've worked at we can't simply TRUST YOU that the card that is on file is legit. The card and the person's name who is on the card need to physically be there or you will need a c/c authorization form to be faxed in with all the needed information. Again this is to combat C/C fraud so don't throw a tantrum to the front desk staff for making sure your c/c isn't a stolen one.
Checking out:
When you go to check out of the room you can pay w/ either a credit / debit card or cash. It can be a different card than the one you origionally used to check in. Once you pay the room and tax the hotels system will release the HOLDS that it put on your C/C that you used when checking in. These holds are also the incidentals that were held. Often the incidentals/holds will say PENDING on your C/C or bank acct. This timing for the holds to be released all depends on your individual bank. Some are faster at releasing them than others and this is especially true when there are holidays involved as banks are FOREVER closed on holidays. The holds will be released but again the timing all depends on your individual bank.
Online Travel Agents (Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak, etc........)
Even though you paid one of these travel agents for the room in the hotel the hotels front desk staff still needs a Credit card and photo ID upon checking you into the room. This will only be for the incidentals hold. This is done just in case you decide to get wasted and throw your room safe through the window. It's also so you can charge things like drinks, food, etc back to your room. If you do charge things they will be deducted from the incidentals charge upon check out time. However if you don't charge anything then the HOLDS put on your C/C for incidentals will simply be released upon your check out.
Please add in anything I missed. Have a good one my fellow City Data Peoples!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!
How about when I booked a room for my friend @ ex. Expedia and paid it with my c/c do I need to be there physically to show my c/c and ID or haved it fax? Or is just the money is on hold too to hold the reservation and can pay with her own card?
How about when I booked a room for my friend @ ex. Expedia and paid it with my c/c do I need to be there physically to show my c/c and ID or haved it fax? Or is just the money is on hold too to hold the reservation and can pay with her own card?
Unless it is a prepaid reservation, the friend will need to present a credit card and ID upon arrival at the hotel. MOST hotels will not accept your card over the phone as payment or a fax ... unless of course, teh friend is a "no show".
When you come to check into the hotel we need a credit card and a photo ID. The names on the credit card and the photo ID need to match. This is done to fight credit fraud. Often people will say, "We'll I gave them the credit card over the phone or that their relative or friend put a Credit Card down on the room and thus why do we need a credit card?" Again it is all to combat credit card fraud. When we take a c/c over the phone for a reservation it is only to hold the room but now at the check in time. We need the card there physically in order to check you into the room.
This will vary by state/local ordinance and hotel policy. I quite often check in to Hilton and Marriott properties and show nothing. I'm asked "should I use the credit card on the reservation?" That's it. Perhaps because I'm Gold with Hilton and Platinum with Marriott, I don't know. Some states require photo ID to check in, not all do. Even in a few that require it I've checked in without being asked.
I would add in that additional charges may be added to your charge account for the hotel stay even after you check out if, for instance, you charged a breakfast or mini-bar to the room and it was too early for them to catch it at check out.
Just something to watch out for. You aren't fooling the hotel by lying about that can of beer you took from the mini bar on the way out. They will catch it and charge you after the fact. If it's legitimate then no problem. If it isnt' then, well, I can call amex to charge back the hotel so fast their head will spin.
I've got a question. I want to book a hotel room but I'm only 20. I have a credit card though. I plan on staying in a hotel room with my friend who is 23. If I were to make reservations online, would I be able to check in? Or can my friend check in for us using my credit card when we get there?
I've got a question. I want to book a hotel room but I'm only 20. I have a credit card though. I plan on staying in a hotel room with my friend who is 23. If I were to make reservations online, would I be able to check in? Or can my friend check in for us using my credit card when we get there?
Put both of your names on the reservation and he should be able to check in using his own credit card--you can switch it to yours after you arrive.
A friend of mine got drunk and destroyed a hotel room--must have been almost 30 years ago. He wasn't famous, but he was working for someone who was. He gave up a couple of weeks pay to cover the damages, and the only reason he didn't go to jail was the intervention of the tour manager and the status of his employer.
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