Originally Posted by nako
No, because every time I've booked a room with someone who was not my wife, it was at a Hampton.
That said, the specific wording of Spouse Stays Free says the following:
Whether individual hotels wish to expand the policy to include any second person is at their discretion. The policy, however, does not specifically allow that second person to be anyone other than a spouse/domestic partner.
Mike
Thanks for the quote. They've apparently changed the wording since I last checked it.
But I would just be shocked if a hotel didn't allow non-married guests to take advantage of this benefit. Why chase people away? I once called a DT in advance of a stay to ask about Diamond benefits and was told by the front desk that they only gave breakfast coupons for a second person staying in your room if you were married. I immediately checked with the hotel manager and he assured me that this was not the case. I was welcome to bring whomever I pleased. This was a conservative town and I was told by one hotel employee that one of the front desk supervisors just made up this restriction due to her own beliefs. The hotel manager saw it differently and said he would have a talk with her. My conversation with him was friendly and ended with two of us completing a 3 night stay at his property.
Bottom line: If any hotel enforces the marriage rule I won't stay there. They apparently have a right to do it, and I have a right to politely tell the manager why I'll be taking my business elsewhere.