$60 Visitor Charge
 

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.

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."

I wonder where that is stated in the Hilton T&Cs. This seems a made up rule and I have never seen a fee that applies for guests. That said some properties charge more in the booking for additional occupants. When you book for 1 or 2 persons the rate can be different.

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

File a chargeback on your credit card.

I think that you already know that this is not a chainwide rule.

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.

@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.

You say it's a bit sexist, then admit that you don't know if men and women are treated differently? I live in Colombia, where having a charge to have somebody visit the room is standard practice. I'm a man, and I've gone to visit male colleagues at their hotel and been stopped from going to their room. And, given my age and looks, I doubt they thought I was a prostitute.

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.

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.

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?

As mentioned above many hotels in certain tourists areas in Thailand will charge a "joiners fee" if you take a local girl or guy to your room.