Wow that was... SCness.

[Moirae]

Ok, so we've had a couple guests staying with us for a couple days. They renewed after their first nights stay and came up front do so again. The conversation went something like this...

SC: "I want to renew for another night"
Me: "I'm sorry sir, we are sold out tonight as are our other two hotels".
SC: "But we want to renew. Why can you give our room to someone else tonight?"
Me: "But you didn't book tonight. We sold the room yesterday. If you had booked for tonight as well, then you would have the room for tonight".
SC: "I can't believe this. I'm already here, and they aren't. I want the room for tonight".
Me: "I can't cancel their room, they already booked the room. We don't hold a room just because someone was staying in it the night before or chances are that we'd never sell the room".
SC: "I can't believe this. How unprofessional. That can't be legal. Why can't you give me the room?".
Me: "I can't because it's already booked and paid for".

At this point, the SC stomps off. His wife comes in later to demand the room as well and I run through the same thing with her. Then she demands the receipt for their stay and storms off.

Wow, just wow.

It was so funny that I closed the door and just started laughing loudly.

Wth?

[figgyx]

been there done that

At one hotel I worked at a guest asked me if he could stay over and I told him he could not because we were sold out. His response: what are you gonna do if I just stay in the room?

Sadly, not a whole lot. If a guest refuses to checkout we were not able to physically remove him from the room - and the asswipe knew that.

[Argabarga]

SC: "I can't believe this. How unprofessional. That can't be legal.

There's SC logic again, not getting what I want = illegal!

[lachesis]

Sadly, not a whole lot. If a guest refuses to checkout we were not able to physically remove him from the room - and the asswipe knew that.

Could you explain why this is? Couldn't the staff call the cops and get him charged for attempted theft of services?

[Jay 2K Winger]

Could you explain why this is? Couldn't the staff call the cops and get him charged for attempted theft of services?

I'm wondering this as well. IANAL, but surely the paperwork he signed etc. when he checked in says something to the effect of "You are permitted to use the room for [x] dates." And if he tries to squat in the room outside [x] dates, he's trespassing, yes?

[eltf177]

I'm wondering this as well. IANAL, but surely the paperwork he signed etc. when he checked in says something to the effect of "You are permitted to use the room for [x] dates." And if he tries to squat in the room outside [x] dates, he's trespassing, yes?

And especially if they're not paying!

[sms001]

We don't hold a room just because someone was staying in it the night before or chances are that we'd never sell the room".

It was so funny that I closed the door and just started laughing loudly.

Damn, it sure is. If you carry that SC thought to its logical extreme, hotels/motels would only book rooms once someone had checked out. The inability to book in advance would doom the industry.

Were these people walk-ins? Maybe pointing out that the room they were in has had several guests go through it since they booked could jerk them back to reality?

[Moirae]

Damn, it sure is. If you carry that SC thought to its logical extreme, hotels/motels would only book rooms once someone had checked out. The inability to book in advance would doom the industry.

Were these people walk-ins? Maybe pointing out that the room they were in has had several guests go through it since they booked could jerk them back to reality?

Actually, their original night was booked under Expedia. lol

Actually, you do have recourse to boot someone from a room if they decide to squat. At least in my city, squatting is illegal and the police will come and boot you out by force. It's not the first time we've had squatters happen to us or the first time the police have sided with us on the issue.

[emax4]

Don't all hotels have a slogan? "You don't pay? You don't stay!" (Thank you Night Court).

[Moirae]

Don't all hotels have a slogan? "You don't pay? You don't stay!" (Thank you Night Court).

You'd be surprised at how many people seem to think that does not apply to them. Its actually a pretty consistent problem. I think people assume that because we have under 30 rooms, they can do anything they want. Then they act all affronted when we demand they pay.

[KhirasHY]

I'm wondering this as well. IANAL, but surely the paperwork he signed etc. when he checked in says something to the effect of "You are permitted to use the room for [x] dates." And if he tries to squat in the room outside [x] dates, he's trespassing, yes?

The laws change from place to place, and there are some fine print issues, but that is usually the way hotels work. Furthermore, in most parts of the US, there's a nice little "out" for things like this with trespassing laws: simply by refusing to leave when asked, you are technically trespassing in a lot of states. At that point, you can be removed by police and ticketed for the offense, and attempting to return to the hotel can result in further fines. A lot of hotels can also charge exorbitant amounts for a room if you try to pull the squad maneuver. At one hotel that I worked in years ago, someone tried to stay in the room when he was told he couldn't stay over, and was informed that the rate would be $500 plus tax if he did so. He scampered off pretty damn quick once he remembered that we still had his credit card on file.

If he'd threatened to block the payment on the card, we just would've informed him he could be arrested for fraud, and his statement used as evidence. The manager who did that had brass balls...I kinda miss the guy

[Moirae]

Oh yes, in NOLA it's illegal to squat and we can have them removed by the police if we have to.

[Silent-Hunter]

Is it even technically squatting? I thought squatting meant the building had to be abandoned. The hotel isn't abandoned, so it would be trespassing, which is even more illegal.

[Geek King]

Is it even technically squatting? I thought squatting meant the building had to be abandoned. The hotel isn't abandoned, so it would be trespassing, which is even more illegal.

And in most states, squatting becomes trespassing when the rightful owner tells them to get out. My grandfather, or someone duly appointed by him, used to have to go down to Tennessee to check some inherited land he had down there. If someone was squatting--even accidentally--the Sheriff had to be summoned to witness the polite GTFO request, so everything would be nice and official.

He did that for 20-25 years until he sold the land to his brothers who still lived down there.

[Moirae]

Uhh, its not really squatting though hotels tend to call it that. It's trespassing. Either way, the police side with the hotels. Oddly, sometimes hotel owners are surprised by that fact. We had someone call the cops when we tried to kick them out. The police came by and when the situation was described to the policeman he said "I can't do anything here. This is a civil matter and they have the right to demand payment, and that you abide by the legal law by not doing drugs on their premises. You need to pay them or get out and stop smoking pot on site or I'll arrest you". The "guest" was livid.