Is there any problems with being a "vacant stayer"
 

I have in the past come across people mentioning booking a Marriott reservation checking in and then leaving. Is there any problems that have evolved from this?

Are you doing this to just get a hotel stay? AKA mattress run?
A number of years ago I was going to be short in Marriott's program, and I booked two nights in December at a marriott property by my home but never slept there.

I had no problems. (though I did go to the room, and unmade the bed to make it look like I slept there)

I've done this with all of the majors and have never had a problem. 90% of the time I do not even go to the room.

There is zero risk in doing this for a one night stay.

For a multinight stay, problems have arisen.

I did a two nighter at the IAD marriott. I checked in and went to the room just to kill time as I had a flight in a few hours. I did not do anything but sit in the chair and watch tv. I went on a flight and came back the next night to go to my room and actually use it. There was a do not disturb sign on my door and my key did not work. I kept trying till the guy opened the door and he said he had checked in that night.

I went to the front desk and they said that I had never checked in. I showed the my key package and the guy goes to the back room and says I don't know what happened.

I was billed for one nights stay. I argued this via the MR plat line and eventually got my two nights stay credit but it was a hassle.

All I can think of was that housekeeping said that no one was occupying my room. After one night, no biggie as you are supposed to check out anyway. For multi nights then the possibility exists that housekeeping can screw you over

Couldn't you just put the "Do Not Disturb" on your door the entire stay? I think that would solve the maid problem 99.99% time. I leave .01% b/c the maid 5 days ago knocked on my door at 10am even with the Privacy card in the keyslot! :mad:

I am one stay away from the summer point haul so I thought I would try it. A little wary though because I want to pay and get on my way. Do I specifically request that they charge my card or just assume they will and not say anything?

Do you mean one night? If so, just check in and leave. If you feel like it, go up to the room and mess the bed up a bit. The hotel will charge your card and you'll be fine. For a multinight stay, YMMV. Housekeeping will most likely note the room appears to be vacant.

--Jon

Or book a TownPlace stay. They only make up the rooms every third day or something like that.... So housekeeping most likely wont' come in for a few days!

If you are doing a multi-night stay you can always just tell the front desk that part of the time, you won't be there. I did that on a 12 night stay in Rome. For 4 nights I had to be in another city but didn't want to check out and check back in. The front desk said no problem and that it was good that I told them else they would have checked me out after the second or third day of being absent.

I've NOT even gone to the hotel. I wanted to get a the first night bonus requirement out of the way, so I called a local Courtyard. The manager was happy to charge me $50 (some type of employee rate) and he just faxed me a form. Faxed it back with my CC and got the stay and points credit.

The promo at the time was something like 50% points after your first stay. I was going on a long trip that I couldn't change hotels. The $50 was worth it.

Is that actually possible? I will give it a whirl. Now I just need a cheap one night rate to give it a go. My area starts at $99.

It can be difficult to find a GM who is willing to process your CC via phone or fax to give you a stay. ALSO - if they "forget" or do not get it done...you end up a stay short and the promo has expired.

You are better off actually going to the hotel, and checking in - even if you never set foot in the room. Sign up to receive your bills via email, & you will get a copy of your stay charge.

I personally would not bother to mess up the room or bed -why make more work for housekeeping?

I would suspect that the maids have orders to change the sheets when a guest leaves irrespective of whether the bed appears to have been slept in. That's the only way to assure that the next guest doesn't get a surprise (like unclean sheets). So messing up the bed a bit ("unmaking it", as TooMuchTravel73 says) shouldn't add work for housekeeping.

Particularly if you're leaving a tip anyway . . .

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