Club Carlson - Photo ID request at check-in - unique to CC?

I have never been asked for a photo ID at check-in at hotels I have stayed at within the US (Marriott, Hilton, Starwood, Intercontinental, etc.) They usually ask for a credit card and that is fine. Many hotels outside the US commonly ask for my passport, which is understandable.

Are Club Carlson hotels the only ones that ask for a photo ID and a credit card?

I can't remember the last time I wasn't asked for an ID at a major chain hotel. Pretty common.

Same here. Never NOT been asked for an ID, regardless of chain.

Now I'm confused by the idea that you've never been asked to show one. I can't even compute that :confused:.

I can't remember the last time I wasn't asked for an ID at a major chain hotel. Pretty common.


Yes, pretty common. I would not want to go to a hotel which does not ask for ID.

Most of my hotel stays do not involve a request for ID at check-in. Some of my hotel stays (when using points) don't even involve a request for a bank card or other deposit.

Unfortunately, the US hotels have increasingly been in the habit of asking customers for ID since September 2001. Prior to the fall of 2001, most of my US hotel stays never asked me for any ID (and I practically lived in hotels for long periods of times in the years prior). [And it seemed like the lower the quality the hotel/pricepoint, the more likely to be asked for ID.]

I definitely try to avoid letting hotel employees in the US touch my photo ID, as I've seen instances where they wanted to photo copy customer ID and didn't even ask the customers when doing so.

I prefer that hotels don't demand ID of customers.

Other than a few non-chain hotels where the staff know me, I am almost always asked for ID. At the larger chains, it's a pop-up screen which the FD clerk has to cleark (something like "ID CHECKED").

Any hotel which isn't doing this or doesn't otherwise know who it's customers are isn't a place to stay at in this day and age. While 9/11 may have been the driving force behind this, any local cop will tell you that it's one of the best ways to prevent both serious and petty crimes to make sure that you've done an ID check on people with access to the guest floors.

Rest assured that there's nothing on any standard photo ID such as a DL which can't be obtained through illicit means and that whether it's handled or not by the clerk means nothing (even I can memorize a date of birth in a 3-second glance!)

Yes, pretty common. I would not want to go to a hotel which does not ask for ID.

Why? Someone is going to rape you because FD didn't check their ID?

Interesting to read other people's experiences. I wonder if I don't get asked for photo ID as I usually only stay at hotels that I have elite status with and I book online after logging into my account. I definitely show my credit card on check-in, so I never thought a photo ID was necessary.

The name on my ID and the name on my status cards/CC's are different so asking for ID could complicate things for me rather than confirm my identity haha. I think I get asked around 70% of the time.

Other than a few non-chain hotels where the staff know me, I am almost always asked for ID. At the larger chains, it's a pop-up screen which the FD clerk has to cleark (something like "ID CHECKED").

The overwhelming majority of my hotel stays are at major chain hotels, and I am not asked for photo ID even half of the time. In some foreign countries, I'm not asked for photo ID even 5% of the time.

Any hotel which isn't doing this or doesn't otherwise know who it's customers are isn't a place to stay at in this day and age. While 9/11 may have been the driving force behind this, any local cop will tell you that it's one of the best ways to prevent both serious and petty crimes to make sure that you've done an ID check on people with access to the guest floors.

Not to be believed. Most hotel crimes where criminals make a hotel guest into a victim is not preventable by an ID check of hotel guests. And the more serious the crime and criminals, the less useful a hotel guest ID check. It's not generally useful for even prevention of petty offenses.

Rest assured that there's nothing on any standard photo ID such as a DL which can't be obtained through illicit means and that whether it's handled or not by the clerk means nothing (even I can memorize a date of birth in a 3-second glance!)

Resting assured upon the above myth? No.

Managing to get a guest ID's photocopy works out for those engaged in surreptitious activities in a way that being shown the ID briefly without handing it over does not, even if the other party or downstream parties manage to get DOB information.