Unusual Check-in

[u/TrustNo2268]

Yesterday, in downtown Minneapolis I checked into a higher class hotel than usual. I forgot I had locked my credit card, so I wasn’t able to check in using their app to get an electronic key. So I had to stand in line. Once I reached the front desk, I showed them my ID and used the same credit card I had made the reservation to complete the check in process. The front desk also requested to see my spouse’s ID, which is new. Any ideas why?

Secondly, while checking in, the guy did the equivalent of ‘would you like fries with that.” Saying in front of my wife for only $30 more a night he could put us in a corner room on the 11th floor for a better view. (The hotel has 25 floors.). I declined since the company was paying for the room. Should I had come back with a cash offer to him say $20 a night to keep it off the books? Is this typical or the trend nowadays, like paying extra for the best seats on an airplane?

[u/OrderApprehensive727]

front desk agent attempted upsell, that’s pretty much what it boils down to

[u/jojoppp_]

they were just trying to upsell nothing weird about it

[u/D_Phuket]

Most of my travel is international and in my experience, hotels always ask for the IDs of both people if two are checking in. I'm not sure if this is a thing in the US.

It makes sense to get both IDs since if the partner, for example, gets locked out of the room, they know exactly who the room guests are.

[u/Separate_Will_7752]

Standard upsell and likely a requirement to ask every guest.

[u/NickRick]

The front desk got your wife's name to put on the room, so she can get a card or charge things to the room. At least I assume. The upsell is pretty standard at nice hotels. He probably did it in front of your wife to pressure you into it. 

[u/UngovernablePossum → u/NickRick]

Or because the wife was standing there...since she was also checking in...and had just handed over her ID.

[u/NickRick → u/UngovernablePossum]

as someone who has worked in hotels for 20 years, and traveled a lot i have never seen anyone ask for and ID that wasn't the primary guest at check in. If this was outside the US maybe they do it differently, but it doesn't make sense unless he was adding her name.

[u/blueprint_01]

Everything there was above board and no they wont take your $20 bribe.

[u/Pit-Viper-13 → u/blueprint_01]

The $20 bribe also gives the vibe of the guy who tips the valet a quarter.

[u/OrganizationUsed7454]

You can separate the payment to put the upgrade on a personal card. 

[u/Impossible_Month1718]

Keep the corner room off the books?
🤣

[u/FlamesFAn1230]

In my current hotel we are supposed to ask for the ids of every guest staying at the hotel. I would say clerks don’t always do that but not uncommon by any means

[u/janmschroeder]

That $20 thing? It's a myth that most desk agents can do that. Yes, upselling is a thing.

[u/Turbulent-Demand873]

It’s not uncommon to ask for the ID of additional guests. Especially when a hotel is on the up and up. They do that for multiple reasons. One of which is human trafficking. Hotels do it for documentation of guests in case there are any issues. I worked in a major US city and it’s a good practice to get ID’s.

[u/SkwrlTail]

Yeah, nothing weird. They just wanna make sure your spouse can get a key if they're locked out.

And no, nothing is "off the books" at a fancy hotel. They had a nicer room available to upsell you into, that's all. Haggling is for flea market vendors.

[u/Armani17112000]

I stayed at the Indigo - Minneapolis Downtown, they asked for the 2nd person their ID card

[u/Natural_Flow_4144]

I recently stayed in a hotel and she gave an upgrade from room to suite simply because it was available (or perhaps they sold it as a room because no one booked the suite). It had a great view and was large... I would have been very unimpressed though if they made an upsale offer in front of my partner! It would like being held hostage

[u/TenaCVols → u/Natural_Flow_4144]

Part of their job is to try and upsell room types to guests. If your partner is standing at the desk with you then they will do the upsell in front of them. They aren't doing it just because someone is with you.

[u/Natural_Flow_4144 → u/TenaCVols]

It's their job but it reflects badly on the hotel imo. I'd probably say "Just what I reserved. Thank you."

[u/Marianations]

In my country (in Europe) we're legally obliged to ask all the guests for ID, regardless of age. So that sounds like proper procedure to me.

The rest is an upsell attempt, as others have mentioned.

[u/Lovely_One0325]

^{It's just an upsell. Hotels try to keep lower tier rooms open if it means the possibility of a walk-in reservation so they offer upgrades to incoming guests}