$60 Visitor Charge
Feb 14, 2019, 11:46 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 8
$60 Visitor Charge
Is it standard practice for hotels, in this case Hilton, to charge hotel guests for visitors?
Asking because I had an incident at the Doubletree In San José, Costa Rica where the front desk clerk told me I was not allowed a visitor without paying $60. This after I had had visitors a few times before that with no mention of a fee, and an email I received later from the front desk manager seemed to infer that it is a company wide policy to charge $60 for visitors. When I pushed Hilton Guest Assistance for clarification on this, they went silent.
Additional info: This was the 14th night within a month that I had stayed here as a Diamond. The visitor was a Costa Rican woman, actually my best friend. It was 11am, and I was checking out at 1pm. We do remote construction design, and she was coming to work with me. And lastly, she had been there as a registered visitor 3 other times during those 14 days I had been there, but the obvious difference with those visits was that she was either with her boyfriend, or another friend of ours, also a male, that we work with. This time she arrived alone.
My feeling is that this guy presumed she was a prostitute, because why else would a Costa Rican woman being visiting a gringo at a hotel?
Am I crazy? I’d like to hear other opinions on this.
JS
Asking because I had an incident at the Doubletree In San José, Costa Rica where the front desk clerk told me I was not allowed a visitor without paying $60. This after I had had visitors a few times before that with no mention of a fee, and an email I received later from the front desk manager seemed to infer that it is a company wide policy to charge $60 for visitors. When I pushed Hilton Guest Assistance for clarification on this, they went silent.
Additional info: This was the 14th night within a month that I had stayed here as a Diamond. The visitor was a Costa Rican woman, actually my best friend. It was 11am, and I was checking out at 1pm. We do remote construction design, and she was coming to work with me. And lastly, she had been there as a registered visitor 3 other times during those 14 days I had been there, but the obvious difference with those visits was that she was either with her boyfriend, or another friend of ours, also a male, that we work with. This time she arrived alone.
My feeling is that this guy presumed she was a prostitute, because why else would a Costa Rican woman being visiting a gringo at a hotel?
Am I crazy? I’d like to hear other opinions on this.
JS
Feb 15, 2019, 12:10 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,539
Is it standard practice for hotels, in this case Hilton, to charge hotel guests for visitors?
Asking because I had an incident at the Doubletree In San José, Costa Rica where the front desk clerk told me I was not allowed a visitor without paying $60. This after I had had visitors a few times before that with no mention of a fee, and an email I received later from the front desk manager seemed to infer that it is a company wide policy to charge $60 for visitors. When I pushed Hilton Guest Assistance for clarification on this, they went silent.
Additional info: This was the 14th night within a month that I had stayed here as a Diamond. The visitor was a Costa Rican woman, actually my best friend. It was 11am, and I was checking out at 1pm. We do remote construction design, and she was coming to work with me. And lastly, she had been there as a registered visitor 3 other times during those 14 days I had been there, but the obvious difference with those visits was that she was either with her boyfriend, or another friend of ours, also a male, that we work with. This time she arrived alone.
My feeling is that this guy presumed she was a prostitute, because why else would a Costa Rican woman being visiting a gringo at a hotel?
Am I crazy? I’d like to hear other opinions on this.
JS
Asking because I had an incident at the Doubletree In San José, Costa Rica where the front desk clerk told me I was not allowed a visitor without paying $60. This after I had had visitors a few times before that with no mention of a fee, and an email I received later from the front desk manager seemed to infer that it is a company wide policy to charge $60 for visitors. When I pushed Hilton Guest Assistance for clarification on this, they went silent.
Additional info: This was the 14th night within a month that I had stayed here as a Diamond. The visitor was a Costa Rican woman, actually my best friend. It was 11am, and I was checking out at 1pm. We do remote construction design, and she was coming to work with me. And lastly, she had been there as a registered visitor 3 other times during those 14 days I had been there, but the obvious difference with those visits was that she was either with her boyfriend, or another friend of ours, also a male, that we work with. This time she arrived alone.
My feeling is that this guy presumed she was a prostitute, because why else would a Costa Rican woman being visiting a gringo at a hotel?
Am I crazy? I’d like to hear other opinions on this.
JS
In this day and age, do we really assume that every woman visiting a room is a prostitute?
Feb 15, 2019, 12:32 am
#3
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Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,345
In certain countries and cities, in such circumstances, actually yes. You know I have a friend in a certain large South American city whose family owns a large and well known hotel. I noticed that after midnight or so, security would often question, ask for keys, or whatever many "Gringos" near the elevators going upstairs with what looked like local women. I asked her if this was not "out of order" and embarassing. She told me, "yes it is" but............before they did this, they would have half a dozen cases a year of "gringos" being drugged and robbed, and all sorts of other issues that ultimately involved law enforcement, including a death. After implementing the policy, this went down to ZERO. The tradeoff, two cases of wives or real girlfriends being treated as prostitutes..............
It is a tough one for hotels. I have also witnessed in Thailand, at even "top" hotels, local friends entering with their "gringo" boyfriends and just immediately going to the front desk and handing over their ID's.
Certain places just have these issues, and I would posit that in Costa Rica this guys story is by far the minority and the hotel instituted this to try and discourage guests from bringing new and temporary friends back to the hotel, because in theis "day and age" that is what often and regularly goes on in certain places.
It is a tough one for hotels. I have also witnessed in Thailand, at even "top" hotels, local friends entering with their "gringo" boyfriends and just immediately going to the front desk and handing over their ID's.
Certain places just have these issues, and I would posit that in Costa Rica this guys story is by far the minority and the hotel instituted this to try and discourage guests from bringing new and temporary friends back to the hotel, because in theis "day and age" that is what often and regularly goes on in certain places.
Feb 15, 2019, 9:01 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 8
Thank you for the responses, and what @hfly said, I believe is exactly the case here, which circles back to my original question.
Is there a $60 visitor charge company wide? The below exerpt from the Doubletree Cariari front desk manager's email to me seems to imply that, and Hilton hasn't denied it.
Actually Hilton has gone silent on this whole thing, and won't respond to my emails.
"I am very sorry for the inconveniences that you experienced regarding the charge for the visit of your friend. According to Hilton's policy all guests must be registered at the Reception for security purposes. When the name of the additional guest is not provided before or at the moment of the check-in an additional $60 fee applies."
Is there a $60 visitor charge company wide? The below exerpt from the Doubletree Cariari front desk manager's email to me seems to imply that, and Hilton hasn't denied it.
Actually Hilton has gone silent on this whole thing, and won't respond to my emails.
"I am very sorry for the inconveniences that you experienced regarding the charge for the visit of your friend. According to Hilton's policy all guests must be registered at the Reception for security purposes. When the name of the additional guest is not provided before or at the moment of the check-in an additional $60 fee applies."
Feb 15, 2019, 9:25 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2009
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Posts: 1,689
Thank you for the responses, and what @hfly said, I believe is exactly the case here, which circles back to my original question.
Is there a $60 visitor charge company wide? The below exerpt from the Doubletree Cariari front desk manager's email to me seems to imply that, and Hilton hasn't denied it.
Actually Hilton has gone silent on this whole thing, and won't respond to my emails.
"I am very sorry for the inconveniences that you experienced regarding the charge for the visit of your friend. According to Hilton's policy all guests must be registered at the Reception for security purposes. When the name of the additional guest is not provided before or at the moment of the check-in an additional $60 fee applies."
Is there a $60 visitor charge company wide? The below exerpt from the Doubletree Cariari front desk manager's email to me seems to imply that, and Hilton hasn't denied it.
Actually Hilton has gone silent on this whole thing, and won't respond to my emails.
"I am very sorry for the inconveniences that you experienced regarding the charge for the visit of your friend. According to Hilton's policy all guests must be registered at the Reception for security purposes. When the name of the additional guest is not provided before or at the moment of the check-in an additional $60 fee applies."
1. The rule is partly true, if a 2nd person stays in the room overnight, they need to be registered for security purposes. In this case the person was coming in the morning on the day of checkout so there was no case of staying. There is no additional fee around registering additional guests after check-in. This is just something the local property made up in addition to the normal rule.
2. For a diamond member the 2nd person is always free and there is no limitation on that person is present at check in. You would book for 1 person and get the cheapest rate. People can arrive on separate days. and technically there could be a different 2nd person every day.
This is one for the diamond desk to address.
Globalist
Feb 15, 2019, 9:32 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,539
Thank you for the responses, and what @hfly said, I believe is exactly the case here, which circles back to my original question.
Is there a $60 visitor charge company wide? The below exerpt from the Doubletree Cariari front desk manager's email to me seems to imply that, and Hilton hasn't denied it.
Actually Hilton has gone silent on this whole thing, and won't respond to my emails.
"I am very sorry for the inconveniences that you experienced regarding the charge for the visit of your friend. According to Hilton's policy all guests must be registered at the Reception for security purposes. When the name of the additional guest is not provided before or at the moment of the check-in an additional $60 fee applies."
Is there a $60 visitor charge company wide? The below exerpt from the Doubletree Cariari front desk manager's email to me seems to imply that, and Hilton hasn't denied it.
Actually Hilton has gone silent on this whole thing, and won't respond to my emails.
"I am very sorry for the inconveniences that you experienced regarding the charge for the visit of your friend. According to Hilton's policy all guests must be registered at the Reception for security purposes. When the name of the additional guest is not provided before or at the moment of the check-in an additional $60 fee applies."
I have had many friends and relatives, who happen to be female, drop by for a visit. I have had my then girlfiend (now my wife) come to stay with me after I have checked in.
It’s also a bit sexist, are they also charging men who drop by a woman’s room?
I’d leave a scathing review on Tripadvisor.com. It’s just ridiculous to act like they are treating you.
Feb 15, 2019, 10:00 pm
#8
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And, if you decide to go back to this hotel, you could always include a female name on your reservation so that "she's" registered.
David
David
Feb 16, 2019, 12:15 pm
#10
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Of course it is not a corporate rule. An individual property may certainly prohibit guests and may also impose a fee if it wishes.
Not uncommon in some locations for properties to simply prohibit individuals not registered onto guest room floors and for some to check room keys/ID's at a podium at the elevator bank. Those places typically don't levy a fee, but do require the guest to register and if that changes the rate, that is what it does.
Not uncommon in some locations for properties to simply prohibit individuals not registered onto guest room floors and for some to check room keys/ID's at a podium at the elevator bank. Those places typically don't levy a fee, but do require the guest to register and if that changes the rate, that is what it does.
Feb 16, 2019, 12:45 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 8
@hfly - Yes, of course, I knew it was not a chainwide rule, but the fact that Hilton hasn't denied it was a little disturbing to me, so was just looking for some other opinions.
The property, in trying to save face, threw the whole chain under the bus, and Hilton is letting it happen. I'm not dwelling on this one incident. I just won't go back to this property,
which is a shame because I spend two weeks each month in Costa Rica, and I like the property in general, but I knew this board was the place to get some excellent feedback.
The property, in trying to save face, threw the whole chain under the bus, and Hilton is letting it happen. I'm not dwelling on this one incident. I just won't go back to this property,
which is a shame because I spend two weeks each month in Costa Rica, and I like the property in general, but I knew this board was the place to get some excellent feedback.
Feb 17, 2019, 4:12 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MDE
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Posts: 1,511
Of course there is no such thing chainwise, for Hilton or any other major chain.
I have had many friends and relatives, who happen to be female, drop by for a visit. I have had my then girlfiend (now my wife) come to stay with me after I have checked in.
It’s also a bit sexist, are they also charging men who drop by a woman’s room?
I’d leave a scathing review on Tripadvisor.com. It’s just ridiculous to act like they are treating you.
I can't speak for Costa Rica, but in Colombia you typically have to pay extra to have more than one person on the reservation unless it is a hotel that serves the tourist market where multiple guests in a room is the norm. Plus, If you are visiting from outside the country and you register somebody who is a citizen or a resident, you lose the VAT exemption too, and that's a big chunk of change. I'm guessing Costa Rica is similar, as I have found these policies in place in many Latin American countries to which I've traveled.
Feb 17, 2019, 5:29 am
#13
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You almost certainly agreed to this charge when you checked in. It is very common in latin america. They typically have you sign a specific acknowledgment agreeing to pay.
Yes, it's ridiculous. But it is very common and usually fully disclosed.
And it has nothing to do with Hilton. It is property specific.
Yes, it's ridiculous. But it is very common and usually fully disclosed.
And it has nothing to do with Hilton. It is property specific.
Feb 17, 2019, 5:47 am
#14
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Not familiar with this hotel, but have seen DTs in other parts of the world that had an Executive Lounge. Did the lady friend visit include time in such an area? Many hotels charge EL guests not registered as hotel guests at check-in (or later)
If not, and anticipating you met your visitor in the lobby, to escort her to your room, would it really have been a major obstacle to drop by the front desk to present her name, and register her to your room?
If not, and anticipating you met your visitor in the lobby, to escort her to your room, would it really have been a major obstacle to drop by the front desk to present her name, and register her to your room?
