No, we have never been asked to stay with family or friends when travelling on business (we offer technical services to trade shows and such). In some cities our staff have chosen to do so and to accomodate that we have been allowed a car rental.

When in town for meetings at one of our offices we are expected to stay in the guest room (nicely appointed and private) of one of the owners. In thinking about it ... sort of intrusive but used to it I guess ... and we just wander in and out.


The CRAZY ONE IS ... one of the owners was negotiating a contract with a relatively new trade show. He had actually accepted the client proposal to have the staffer stay in the client home! Now, I knew these people and they are very nice and all...however that was just crazy. After hearing that I was going in to deal with this deployment I started looking for a room at the nearest motel to the convention center. A couple weeks later I wasn't sure who reconsidered but I got an email saying that I had a room reservation at a hotel. Thank heavens was my first reply. We did get paid by the client (that show and others) but it was never a very lucrative contract for us and eventually we parted ways.