TechGeek

The company I work for requires it for large company events, like an annual company meeting with several hundred people. Managers are exempt from the rule and get a single room.
I hate it, I feel if you give up your time for travel to a company event(these events more often then not also include a weekend) then they should at least give you a private room.

B747-437B

Our company policy requires single rooms UNLESS a shortage of available rooms at the property requires some folks to double up - then you get to pick your roommates. Some grumbling, but I can't see a more practical solution.

stut

No, this has never happened to me. And I would flat out refuse.

cblaisd

Exactly.

Ditto. The small non-profit I used to work for had a room-share policy for some national meetings. I always got a single and paid 1/2 on my own.

jimbo99

Standard policy here in Taiwan where being allowed to travel and stay in a hotel at all is seen as a perk. Happens too in Vietnam where I lived before - though travel is not seen as such a perk. Some staff told me they wouldn't have it any other way - they feel safer sharing a room than staying alone. Just a different culture where there isn't such a sense of private space.

Shared a room with my VN colleagues once. More like a dorm. Didn't mind - I knew most of them well by then and they were friends more than colleagues. Had my own bed (they didn't).

Otherwise only happened to me once - due to a general mess-up I ended up sharing a room with a female Taiwanese supplier in Paris. Only one bed - yes and we shared that too... Though we were forced into it, it worked out fine. Since then we've resolved to do it again whenever the chance arises in order to either stay in a better hotel or save some cash. Got banned by my SO though....

MAN Pax

Same here.

jimbo99

The Paris example above concerned my own company. The VN example concerned a trip to the beach arranged by the "social committee". Actually because of the policy, I was the only foreigner that went.

Generally I would also refuse.

If I was aware of such a policy of sharing on joining a company, then I'd consider joining anyway if there was an option to pay the difference.

SmilingBoy

And I always wondered why they have twin rooms. I thought business travellers have their own room, so would prefer one large bed compared to two small ones, and so would couples. So I thought only friends travelling would want a twin room. I got stuck in twin rooms so often though that the proportion of twin rooms in hotels seemed too high compared to what demand should be.

Now I know.

(And note: A twin room in Europe often means two beds that are one metre wide each, even at 4* hotels.)

SmilingBoy.

stut

A social trip, I wouldn't mind so much. If I'm off travelling with a friend, then I'll often opt to share a room in a nicer hotel (share a bed if it comes to it) rather than have a single in a dodgier one.

A business trip, though, no.

xamsx

The stupidity of companies that have a “room sharing” policy never ceases to amaze me. In today litigious society, they are asking for trouble. What is to prevent a co-worker from claiming assault, theft, etc. making the sharer’s life miserable and the company libel? You’d have to know your roomie pretty darned well to not be afraid of a theft.

Who wants to room with the new hire!?

vicarious_MR'er

I work at a publicly-funded non-profit. Status quo is at the biannual convention, rank-and-file employees share rooms. Upper management is exempt from sharing , although they often do anyway.
You can always try to work the angle to choose a roommate who happens to only be staying one night (vs. your three nights or whatever) and score a nearly private room that way, or the option always exists that if you want a private room, you can pay the second half of the price yourself. (Usually not too atrocious $-wise, considering the deep discount at the convention hotel...) That price is worth the option to get away at the end of the day and do my own thing!

Since we're publicly funded and the level of available funding is always up the air and subject to change, there really isn't any way to accomodate private rooms for all, unfortunately. (Besides, the convention attracts many people from around the country & worldwide, and the convention hotel *always* maxes out well ahead of time, so doubling up helps keep rooms available for the people who are travelling from far and wide to meet with us.)

pinniped

Obviously, that's a different case altogether.

And I kind of get the whole non-profit thing. Heck, if I did a one-off trip for a non-profit, I might even be tempted to use points or pay for the room myself. (I still would not share a standard hotel room with a stranger.) A frequent or recurring trip for a non-profit...if push came to shove I'd probably ask for my half of the travel budget allocation and find a cheaper hotel within those parameters.

matt_fantastic

I had to share a room at a company event in Orlando (JWMarriott) last year. Despite others from my division attending, I was assigned a random room buddy who actually turned out OK, although it was a little strange going to bed (after a transatlantic flight) before I met him and waking up with stranger in the next bed...

TMOliver

Depends on how long you want to keep the job. I learned many decades ago to "Never say never!".

These days, I routinely share a room on business travel. The woman with whom I share it owns 50% of the business. She's my wife. I suppose that if I let an employee travel, I could demand he/she share a room, but since we only have one full time employee, not allowed beyond the city limits except for pickups/dropoffs at DFW, DAL or AUS, the matter has not come to a test as yet...

Yes, back in my younger days, corporate travel for juniors was not quite so lavish as today's. Room sharing was common, and after three years on an aircraft carrier, living better than my sailors, but still two grown men in a cabin about 6'X10', I never noticed...

ladiflier

I guess I can understand certain organizations like non-profit, but personally I'd never do it for business. My SO has had to do it in the past for National Sales meetings and its insane. His company by the way is a large multi-billion $ company. The biggest joke is that the President stays at 5 * resorts, usually booked in a suite with her husband and son. Usually not even the same hotel as everyone else. It's appauling. Fortunately, they have now set a policy that officers don't have to share, and my SO quailifies.

Personally, I have shared a room but that was with friends and usually on a Girls Weekend, where partying was the key. I would never imagine sharing a room with a business associate, and would have to seriously consider if I could work for a company that is so cheap. I started with my company when they were 43 employees. I was asked to spend a week out west working on an acquisition. They not only let me pick the hotels, but also allowed me to fly BusinessClass on the red-eye. We have now grown to a National company and the same rules apply. A class operation when it comes to taking care of it's people when they travel.