Has your employer ever forced you to share a hotel room?
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,714
Strongly disagree. You may never have realized the actual downside in terms of employee mindset. I think the "company that sleeps together, works better together" mentality is somewhere between creepy and actionable.
#77
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Tbingen, Germany
Posts: 2,732
Once - having a year end meeting with the Country Managers of my nordic organization in Kiruna - northern Sweden - I forced us all to share one room at the ICE HOTEL .
After a nice meal and some retreat at the Ice Bar - we had the family room with one large bed for the five of us.
Not to much bonding at -5 C and each one roled up in his sleeping bag on his reindeer skins.
Was a fun evening - but not part of the regular travel policy
Cheers
Thomas
After a nice meal and some retreat at the Ice Bar - we had the family room with one large bed for the five of us.
Not to much bonding at -5 C and each one roled up in his sleeping bag on his reindeer skins.
Was a fun evening - but not part of the regular travel policy
Cheers
Thomas
#78
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: HKG/LHR/JFK
Programs: AA EXP, BAEC Bronze, DL Plat UA, HHonors Platinum, SPG Gold, Hyatt
Posts: 3,253
As a fa, I've never forced to share a hotel room, but I've got a good story...
When I was a new-hire, I had a layover in PDX, and when we arrived at our hotel they asked us if any of us wanted to share a room, as they were oversold. They were offering $50 to each of us. Luckily, I was flying w/ someone I had just gone through training with and knew well. I told the desk clerk to make it $100 each and he had a deal.
So, after 7 weeks of unpaid training, I took $100 cash to share a room w/ a friend. Win/Win
When I was a new-hire, I had a layover in PDX, and when we arrived at our hotel they asked us if any of us wanted to share a room, as they were oversold. They were offering $50 to each of us. Luckily, I was flying w/ someone I had just gone through training with and knew well. I told the desk clerk to make it $100 each and he had a deal.
So, after 7 weeks of unpaid training, I took $100 cash to share a room w/ a friend. Win/Win
#79
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Orange AU
Posts: 274
#80
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA Plat,Marriott Silver,Starwood Gold
Posts: 47
I do not see the big problem here. I have been traveling for over 5 years now and I have always shared a room with my managers or even counterparts when they travel with me. This has in no way bothered me in the least bit. I really do not understand what the big deal is here.
#81
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: California
Programs: AS,WN,UA,B6,hotels
Posts: 4,239
A colleague and I offered to share a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom suite a few months back and were given some seriously shocked looks - it would've been beneficial for the company (save $140/night), and for me (stop me having to walk 20 mins to the office).
I also recently travelled to a conference where there was accommodation available in University dorm rooms (conf. was at a University during summer break), and was given some very surprised feedback that I stayed in the $50/night dorm rather than the $150/night hotel.
I also recently travelled to a conference where there was accommodation available in University dorm rooms (conf. was at a University during summer break), and was given some very surprised feedback that I stayed in the $50/night dorm rather than the $150/night hotel.
#82
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG LT Plat, Hilton G,Priorty Club G, AC E
Posts: 2,979
Used to stay at one of the Sheratons in St Louis and Edward Jones had their...
...corporate training facility nearby...so it was always filled with brokers training or up-dating their skills. So one night at the bar I'm sitting with 3-4 guys in their 30's and 40's and they told me not only did they have to share rooms they had a $30/day per diem!!!
I was appalled that any corporation would treat there employees this way...needless to say one of the new hires told me if he could have changed his flight home he would have quit on the spot...but logic said he might as well finish the training.
I was appalled that any corporation would treat there employees this way...needless to say one of the new hires told me if he could have changed his flight home he would have quit on the spot...but logic said he might as well finish the training.
#83
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Hsinchu (Taiwan), Saigon, London
Programs: EVA (diamond), A3, BMI, VN
Posts: 2,960
An EU company that implements a policy based on sharing according to gender (being the same or otherwise) risks a discrimination action...
Well.. risks an action, not sure if they would be successful. To take your example, what if your religion accepted same-sex marriage and prevented you from staying in the same room as a member of the same-sex? Then the policy would discriminate against your religion. (Not the purpose, but its the effect that matters.) The Catholic Church was recently in conflict with the UK government as it says its religious beliefs prevent it from offering adoption services to same-sex couples. The government is holding to the position that it would be discriminatory to allow a service provider to provide services only to heterosexual couples.
Probably some employers will just be defensive and go for a "non-sharing" policy unless staff particularly request/volunteer otherwise.
I'm sure all the consequences haven't been thought through - the law is relatively new and no doubt there will be attempts to push the limits.
Probably some employers will just be defensive and go for a "non-sharing" policy unless staff particularly request/volunteer otherwise.
I'm sure all the consequences haven't been thought through - the law is relatively new and no doubt there will be attempts to push the limits.
#85
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: EWR
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Gold (Current Platinum), United Mileage Plus, Avis Preferred
Posts: 850
No problem for me, as long as they light a match! As a matter of fact, for this very reason, I always try to have a book of matches in my hotel bathroom, since not every hotel has adequate exhaust fans.
#86
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: EWR
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Gold (Current Platinum), United Mileage Plus, Avis Preferred
Posts: 850
I have travelled and shared a room and don't have a problem with it. I have shared barracks and tents too in the military and the scouts. I have not had the opportunity to share a room with an unknown female, but if she was attractive or at least not ugly, I could get used to it. I also don't think it unreasonable to set a per deim or require sharing of rooms. If you don't want to share, get your own room and pay the difference would be reasonable. I would think anyway. YMMV
#87
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: EWR
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Gold (Current Platinum), United Mileage Plus, Avis Preferred
Posts: 850
Once
This happened to me once.
I work in the financial services industry, and there were times when inclement weather would result in my employer making last minute decisions to put up several staff members in hotels in order to insure that we would be able to report to the office the next day.
Once, four of us (all males) bunked together in one room with two double beds. This was in the company's conference center, which is attached to the office. We were all in our early to mid 20's, so none of us had a problem with it, but thinking back on it now, it was a bit cramped.
I work in the financial services industry, and there were times when inclement weather would result in my employer making last minute decisions to put up several staff members in hotels in order to insure that we would be able to report to the office the next day.
Once, four of us (all males) bunked together in one room with two double beds. This was in the company's conference center, which is attached to the office. We were all in our early to mid 20's, so none of us had a problem with it, but thinking back on it now, it was a bit cramped.
#89
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Iowa (SUX/OMA)
Programs: DL 1MM, UA 1K, PC Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, Marrott Silver
Posts: 532
I worked for a small startup where we shared rooms. That was OK because we all knew we were running on a shoestring and the money spent on another hotel room was money we could use to pay salaries! I have also shared rooms a few times over the years for a variety of reasons but it was never company policy. I don't mind it if there is good reason but not as a general policy.
#90
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: PBI
Programs: DL 2.8 MM/PM, AA MM/GLD, Marriott LT Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,746
I had to a few times, mostly earlier in my career (and it was interesting that only the women were asked to share a room...) and will never do so again. I don't even share a room anymore with friends when on a "girlfriends" weekend trip -- unless it's a 2/2 suite
On two of the occasions when i had to share a room, I was stunned by the lack of consideration of my "roommate." The first time, the gal I had to share with got roaring drunk every night and would stumble in around 3 am. To make matters worse, on the last night, apparently she was buying drinks for everyone in the bar and charging them to the room -- which was in my name -- and I was asked to explain the bar charges on my expense report!
The second time was actually worse -- and more recent, only around 5-6 years ago. I had just joined a new company and when i arrived at my room for a company retreat, was stunned to walk in and find the company President (also a female) in the room. They had not even done me the courtesy to let me know the two of us would have to share. Moreover, she was a heavy smoker and I am violently allergic. But the worst of it was that she was on the phone till around 2 am, and sending files through dial-up modem till around 3. I got zero sleep and found the entire situation very uncomfortable.
And you know something -- looking back,there was a correlation between the overall business practices and employee treatment at those two companies.
I agree 100% with the earlier poster who indicated it is an unreasonable invasion of privacy and totally crosses the boundaries of what should be considered appropriate to ask of employees as a cost-cutting measure. There is a huge difference between setting limits on hotel class/rate vs. expecting you to dress/undress and sleep in a room with a co-worker.
On two of the occasions when i had to share a room, I was stunned by the lack of consideration of my "roommate." The first time, the gal I had to share with got roaring drunk every night and would stumble in around 3 am. To make matters worse, on the last night, apparently she was buying drinks for everyone in the bar and charging them to the room -- which was in my name -- and I was asked to explain the bar charges on my expense report!
The second time was actually worse -- and more recent, only around 5-6 years ago. I had just joined a new company and when i arrived at my room for a company retreat, was stunned to walk in and find the company President (also a female) in the room. They had not even done me the courtesy to let me know the two of us would have to share. Moreover, she was a heavy smoker and I am violently allergic. But the worst of it was that she was on the phone till around 2 am, and sending files through dial-up modem till around 3. I got zero sleep and found the entire situation very uncomfortable.
And you know something -- looking back,there was a correlation between the overall business practices and employee treatment at those two companies.
I agree 100% with the earlier poster who indicated it is an unreasonable invasion of privacy and totally crosses the boundaries of what should be considered appropriate to ask of employees as a cost-cutting measure. There is a huge difference between setting limits on hotel class/rate vs. expecting you to dress/undress and sleep in a room with a co-worker.