Booking a hotel is pretty straightforward nowadays, but when it comes to hotel charges it may seem like a puzzle, and if you have never done it before, you might be curious about how it works and are hotel prices per person or room?
Generally, most hotels charge by room and bed capacity, not by person, their prices are based on how many rooms you reserve, but they also have limits to the number of people a single room can take.
That said, if you bring another person and go beyond the hotel room capacity, there is a higher chance that you will need to pay additional charges.
There’s a lot more to learn before booking your hotel, though, so let’s figure out more about hotels charging policies.
Let’s kick things off.
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Do Hotels Ask How Many People Will Be Staying?
What do Hotels Say?
Knowing if hotel prices per person or room is best answered by your hotel.
A lot of hotels will ask you how many people are going to stay; that’s a pretty standard question you should expect when you book the room, whether you do it online or on the phone.
Most hotels will state in advance how many people can stay in each room, like single rooms, double rooms, triple rooms, quadruple rooms (for 4 people).
Some have suites suitable for larger parties, often up to six, and most will have other options available for families with children.
This means that if you already book a room with a double you are already paying for two guests.
And if you book a single room with one bed, it’s only intended for one person, and you might get charged additional fee for an extra person, even if he sleep on the sofa.
That helps cover cleaning costs for them, so it’s not totally unreasonable to do it. After all, if additional amenities or towels are used, they have to pay to deal with the laundering and changing.
Remember that this may only occur in some budget friendly hotels, because you’ll often be required to sign a form when you check into a hotel, filling in how many people will be staying.
Depending on the hotel, you may need to show your ID or passport, so make sure you always have them ready.
If you come back with somebody who isn’t registered, the concierge might not let them stay, or may charge an additional fee for them.
How Many People Are Allowed In a Single Hotel Room?
Planning to bunk up with your travel buddies to cut down on costs? You might be disappointed; most hotels that advertise a single room really mean it.
You’ll just get one single bed, and you’ll probably run into trouble if you try to bring more people into the room.
Some hotels might pretend that they don’t see anything, but most of them will not ignore you.
But for a double bed, you are already paying the price of an extra guest.
As an example I made this reservation at the Hyatt Place Long Island City in New York.
- 1 room and one guest: $372 for Members and $379 for the standard rate.
I reserved the same date but this time I added an extra guest room, they applied for me at the same rate.
- 1 room and two guests: $372 for Members and $379 for the standard rate.
This means that the bed capacity is also a key factor when it comes to the price and the number of guests you can bring in a hotel room.
Can Two Guests Stay In a Hotel Room Booked For One?
In general, the answer to this is “no,” but it does depend on the room and the hotel staff you are dealing with.
If you book a standard room, that’s often intended for two people anyway, and the hotel might offer to accommodate a second guest if you ask nicely.
If you try to sneak another person into your hotel room, there’s a chance you’ll end up getting a fee added to your bill, which you’ll have to pay when you leave.
In some hotels you might also get asked to leave, so it’s not a good idea to risk this.
Do Hotels Allow Three Young People In One Room?
This really depends on the hotel. Some hotels permit three adults to stay in a double room, but many don’t allow this.
If there are three of you and you want to rent only one room, you’ll need to contact the hotel in advance and discuss their options. You might be allowed to do this, but there’s no guarantee!
It doesn’t matter if you’re young adults or not; hotels will charge the same rate as they would for older adults. However, a child may be allowed to stay in a room with their parents at no additional cost.
How Do Hotels Know If You Have More People Than You’re Allowed?
A lot of hotels will use a sign-in sheet to keep track of guests, and they might not let you take anybody else up to your room – though some hotels might not mind if you do this, so it does depend on where you go.
Some will ask for an extra fee if you take a guest up to your room, especially if they end up staying the night with you.
Hotels may also use other techniques to detect if guests have invited somebody else to stay with them, such as having the concierge take note of who’s coming and going, or using camera footage to monitor the doors during busy times.
In most cases, if you’ve got an additional person, you won’t face any major consequences beyond possibly a surcharge.
If you have a lot of guests or you damage the room, though, you could get in trouble, so be careful and don’t take advantage.
If you’re going to have someone else stay with you, be prepared for the fact that you could pay additional charges.
Final Thoughts
It’s sometimes tempting to try cramming extra people into hotel rooms to save costs, and even though most hotel prices are per room, this tactic often won’t work.
As hotels will have limits and may charge fees for you to bring somebody else in, even if you’re a single person staying in a double room.
The best way to find out is to call the hotel and ask what your options are. You don’t want to engage in any disputes with the hotel staff after a long flight.
I hope this helps.
Enjoy your stay.
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