Weekend survey: Have you ever lied to get a hotel discount?

Ever told a little white lie to get a few bucks off a hotel room?

Earlier this week, I brought you a stunning confession from a hotel reservationist, admitting that she lied to customers about the best rate. But do hotel guests do the same thing?

If you’ve ever bent a fact or two about your circumstances, claiming you were a government employee or a AAA member or were on your honeymoon, you can anonymously confess your sins in this week’s survey.

Here’s a link to the survey.

Here are the results.

And a quick follow-up question. Why did you feel you could fudge the facts? (After all, if hotels do it, why can’t we?) Did you ever come clean with the hotel?

Please send me your comments.

This survey is being conducted in cooperation with Consumer Traveler and the Consumer Travel Alliance.

  • Michael

    The only discount I’m entitled to these days is from the AAA, and they always ask for my AAA card when I check in, which I always carry with me anyway.

  • Meghan

    I’ve only lied in the choosing “AAA” or “Government Rate” discount. Ususally they don’t ask for your ID or AAA card so you can get away with it. If they ask for the ID, I’ll claim I forgot it in my other bag/purse/car and sometimes they let it side, sometimes they charge me the rack-room rate.

    Ususally only do this when I’m traveling for work and work will only reimburse me a certain amount. And not at high class resorts.. I’m talking Holiday Inns, those brands.

  • BillC

    No, I don’t lie.

  • Joe Farrell

    Nope – there are so many discounts all you need to do is find one that applies -

  • LeeAnne

    I answered no, because frankly I can’t think of a way I could have lied to get a discount! I’m not saying I would, and I’m not saying I wouldn’t – it would depend on the situation. If I felt that an injustice was being done by their policy, or it was patently unfair to a particular group of people, I may very well bend the truth to even things out. But as far as discounts available to me – I have AAA, I’m not old enough to qualify for senior discounts, my company has negotiated corporate rates at most major hotel brands, and most other discounts I would either already qualify for, or clearly NOT qualify for.

    To be honest, I’m a little surprised that anyone would be surprised that hotels lie to their customers. MOST businesses bend the truth to make a sale, especially when the price for something can vary. Salespeople are not particularly known for having scruples.

    It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there!

  • Bunnee

    I don’t lie. If hotels are dishonest, that doesn’t exonerate anyone from following that path. When I worked and had a specific cost for a hotel, I sometimes ate the difference if I wanted to stay someplace more expensive or got an exception for a higher rate. And really, what difference does it make which hotel you are talking about? A lie is a lie.

  • Erik

    No, but I have slid the underpaid front desk clerk $20 in exchange for serious room upgrades. It’s the cheapest way to go from Priceline Janitor Closet to Penthouse Suite, and as I’m sure any hotel chain will appreciate, it cuts out the middleman.

    BTW… anybody tried this to upgrade airline cabins?

  • Stoyko

    I think I once said I was traveling alone to avoid a $10 extra-person charge per night.

  • riroon

    I have, and for the lamest of discounts — I used the ‘business code’ discount for an entire $10 off one night’s stay at a Hampton Inn.

    Here was the situation– I am a huge fan (and rewards member) of Hampton hotels, and am a casual traveler that may spend 12-20 nights/ year at their hotels.

    I went to visit my old college town in rural Louisiana and was shocked when I checked into their rates. The rates were $40 higher than other similar hotels in the area AND other Hampton properties elsewhere in the state. The per night cost was even $10 MORE than a stay at their parent-company’s Hilton Riverside in Downtown New Orleans.

    Not saying that it makes things right…

  • BucksterSF

    That would be difficult as they always ask for a membership, corporate, or government id number.

    Most of the time the “discounted” rates are the rack rates anyway, or insignificantly different. I sometime look up the AAA rate and without, and many times (most?) they are the same as the “charge upfront non-refundable” rate. I think its a scam to make you feel like you’re getting something.

  • Mel

    I can’t imagine why I would lie for a hotel room; there are so many discounts out there and discount sites like hotels.com or whatever that there’s really no reason to ever pay full price for a room. When I travel on Govt. business, I stay where the rates are within per diem, or where my company has negotiated a rate, and they’re almost always relatively nice(crowne plaza, marriott) places, and if I’m staying for pleasure, I find a place within my own fiscal comfort zone by doing a little research and planning. Because really, how humiliating would it be to be caught in a lie by some kid manning the front desk!

  • John

    And you wonder why hotels won’t believe what you say at face value…

  • Christy

    I lied about my age once to get a hotel room (I was 17 and said I was 18), but never lied to get a discount.

    I’m not sure how it would even work. Don’t most places require proof of the discount? I know when I’ve traveled with people that have AAA, hotels have always asked to see their membership card to confirm the discount.

  • razzle

    Only when I had 4 little ones and I couldn’t get an adjoining room. So, we put 6 in the room.
    The maid knew though.

  • Mark K

    I would never lie to get a discount. Most hotel chains offer enough discounts these days anyway. And who knows what rate you might get charged if they don’t honor the discounted rate you don’t qualify for.

    I always look at all the rates I can qualify for when booking hotel rooms. It can save me money to check and I never assume that AAA or any other special rate will be better than other offers in effect at the time I plan on staying. On my last vacation, the hotel had a special rate for members of its frequent stay program that was $100 less than the AAA rate which looked good at first glance. When I book a special rate, I always make sure I have the required information to show I qualify.

    I find the AAA rate helpful because, even if it is the same or a couple dollars more than the “charge upfront” rate, it always allows for last minute cancelation with no charge. And even though I always plan on making the stay at the hotel when I book the room, it is nice to have the ability to cancel the stay at the last minute when it is necessary.

  • Madeleine

    I’ve never lied to get a discount, but I’ve lied to get room upgrades by telling the front desk it’s our anniversary, my friend’s 30th birthday celebration, etc. It doesn’t always work as it depends on how full the hotel is, the front desk clerk’s mood, the time of day, etc, but it works a surprising amount of the time (especially in tourist hotels vs. business hotels).

  • Karen P

    Not I but a friend has told many hotels that her and her husband are on their honeymoon when in reality they are just on little weekend trips. I think they just used that lie for the fourth or fifth time and got upgraded to a suite overlooking Central Park. They haven’t even taken their offical honeymoon yet!

  • Chris in NC

    @ Erik,
    I don’t consider a “front desk tip” to be lying. I first read about it on a blog somewhere on the Internet. I was skeptical that it would work, but tried it at a Vegas hotel 2 years ago. My wife was very surprised when she walked into the suite.

    @ Christy
    Most places DON’T check AAA cards. Out of 10 hotel stays in the last 6 months, 9 were booked on a AAA rate, only once did we get asked to see the card. I’ve been tempted to cancel AAA, but there are other reasons to have AAA besides hotel discounts.

    I agree with several posters here, there is no reason to “lie” to get a better rate. Its really simple. Ask what the lowest rate for the night is. If it’s too high, present a counter offer. You may be surprised how many times it is accepted.

  • Sharon-Margret

    Once when I asked for their best rate, I was asked if I was a government worker and I said yes. In actual fact, I was but I wasn’t in that town on government business. I did have an I.D. card though had I been asked to produce it.

  • Allison

    I always look at all the available discount rates and go with the cheapest, regardless if I “qualify” or not. Sometimes its the govt rate, sometimes AAA, sometimes AARP (I still occasionally get carded for alcohol so I’m not near there yet…). Rarely have I been asked to produce proof of qualification. On those occasions, I almost always been able to negotiate a similar rate and have almost never gotten a hostile vibe from the front desk.

    Honestly, I don’t feel at all guilty. In a prior life I worked in the hotel business and was very familiar with reservations pricing schemes. Hotels may call them different things, but I know for a fact they expect the vast majority of guests to pay a discounted rate and the operating budget numbers reflected that. The only rate that was enforced then was the government rate, since it was significantly lower than any other reduced rate (this was an urban hotel in a high room rate city).

    Nowadays, the government rate is often not the cheapest.

  • Sally

    I’ve been tempted to lie about my 19 y/o daughter and her friend’s age when trying to book a hotel that wanted to charge way more (and out of my budget) for 4 adults than it did for 2 adults and 2 kids under the age of 18. But I was able to find a different hotel that was within my budget and without lying.

  • Julie

    No, but I have wondered if it’s ethical to use my company’s negotiated discounts for personal travel– awesome rates on rental cars and hotels… of course paying for it myself on my own credit card. Thoughts?

  • Tracy

    The only time I’ve ever lied is for how people will be in the room. I usually don’t count my 2 youngest since they are both still under 2 years of age. I figure if they’re under 2 they shouldn’t count. One time the front desk clerk “lied” for me – when I went to check in they asked if I was eliglble for any discounts like AAA or govt rates, I told them my AAA had recently expired and she said that it was too bad I’d left my card at home but that she would give me the rate without the card. Usually it doesn’t make a huge difference in the rate but it saved me about $20 off the rate my reservation had listed. I really appreciated her doing that especially considering I had 2 kids and a big dog traveling with me (most places give you the “cold shoulder” when you come in with a 100+ pound dog even if they take pets of that size and you called ahead to verify).

  • Anonymous

    The biggest discount I ever lied for was one weekend when I needed a room in Chicago and everything was either booked or coming up at $300+/night. Some googling turned up the convention responsible for blocking all the rooms in the city, and from there I was able to track down the convention’s room booking site. They didn’t bother to confirm that I was actually registered, so I was able to grab a room for $150/night at the Hotel 71, still a bit high for a weekend in Chicago, but better than no room. I did feel a bit guilty on that weekend though when I saw this: http://consumerist.com/2010/10/fairmont-hotel-cancels-reservations-after-receiving-13000-deposit.html

  • Phil

    Lie and get a discount is no more than theft. I find it disgusting, also those that try to bribe/tip for an upgradeable room, these are people that probably lie and buy their way through life.

  • Arizona Road Warrior

    @ Christy – “I know when I’ve traveled with people that have AAA, hotels have always asked to see their membership card to confirm the discount.”
    - – - – - – -
    When you check the AAA rates for a Hilton brand hotel at the Hilton website, it requires you to enter your AAA membership number before giving you the rates. It is my guess that Hilton check the AAA membership against the AAA database.

  • barbie45

    Phil perhaps I am older than you,however tipping a host or hostess in a restaurant for a better table or just a table was common practice. In most of the world bribery is just a fact of life. The world is an imperfect place. Grow up.

  • Carver

    @Julie

    It depends on your corporate policy. period

  • Mark K

    @Arizona

    No, Hilton does not have an actual connection to AAA to verify the number. There is a simple formula they use to check to see if the number is a correctly formatted AAA number. So any string of digits that fit the formula will work. Of course you do have to show the card when you check in (at least I always have at Hiltons), so bluffing it probably won’t work.

  • Mark K

    @Tracy

    I hope you are not saying that you “sneak” your 100 lb dog into hotels.

    While I like dogs, and have some myself, I sure don’t want to get any room after the previous guest who snuck in a dog, cat, goat or whatever leaves if it was not a room set aside for pets by the hotel. Anyone who cannot afford the pet fee charged by a hotel, if that is the reason for sneaking, should simply not take their pets with them.

  • Rachel

    I work at a hotel at the front desk. We know when you’re lying. If a person checking in under an AARP rate looks 30 years old, its no stretch to figure out they checked off that box to get a lower rate. Also, in my experience, if people actually are AAA members, they always ask to make sure they have the AAA rate at checkin. When a person doesn’t mention it, thats a huge tip off. And to be honest, most of the time we don’t say anything even if we know they don’t actually qualify for the discount. It is easier to give the person the discount than it is to argue with them about it. And we would rather have them stay at $10-$15 off than go to another hotel and lose the room revenue all together.

  • Hannah

    As a military dependent I used the military discount all the time. Someone once asked me (because of my age) what my business was and I was quick to let them know that the discount isn’t specifically for people traveling for government business. I’m a government employee now, though, and rarely use it – its often more expensive!

    We only lie about the amount of people in the room. While I do not understand the “they’re younger than X – they shouldn’t count” as young children and teenagers are often the most troublesome neighbors – I’m not sure people should pay EXTRA to have them there. They require minimal maid work (we hang the do not disturb sign anyway) and that fee doesn’t go to cover the neighbor’s extra hassles.

    So long story short – Yes, until a hotel clerk can explain why having 3 people instead of 2 should cost $10 more when you’re not providing breakfast – I’m sticking to it!

  • Carlo

    @Mark K – read Tracy’s post again. She specifically states she double-checks with the hotel to make sure her dog is allowed.

    I thought I lied one time to get the government rate – I was on a personal trip rather than a business-related one. The person behind the desk asked if it was personal or business and I didn’t lie so well, so she told me I couldn’t stay there at the government rate. Imagine how angry I was when I arrived back home, looked up the policy and discovered that government rate was good for personal travel too!

    Mostly, I just don’t have that much imagination and don’t want to to deal with the discomfort of being confronted.

  • Thomas

    @ Phil

    Get a life. Tipping to get a better table, a better room, a better rental car, etc., is a part of life.

  • Jesse

    never really thought about that…working with companies that have big travel departments helps in case you need a personal discount…

  • Tracy

    @ Mark K

    No, I don’t sneak my dog in. I always call the hotel I’ll be staying at to verify that they do take dogs and that they do take dogs of that size since hotels only list whether or not they are pet friendly on their site. Most pet friendly hotels are only pet friendly if your dog is under a certain weight or is not a specific breed such as a shepherd/”bully” breed/chow etc. My dog doesn’t fall into either of those categories so I always call first (he’s a 105 lb German Shepherd/Chow mix).

  • Pigsispigs

    As a hotel manager I can tell you one thing lying about the number of people in your room is one bad a– idea. If any kind of tragedy happens we are required to have proper people count and when you come to the responders and say I can’t find Susie or Johnny we get asked by the responders why we don’t have them in our records answer YOU THE GUEST DECIDED WE DIDN’T NEED TO KNOW YOU HAD ANY LITTLE ONES responders now must risk their lives to go back and look for your little one that YOU thought was to little to tell us about. Accurate guest count is important in case of emergency!
    As for using a discount you are not entitled to such as government rate you are not only cheating the hotel you are cheating me as I help pay your salary!

  • Pigsispigs

    As a hotel manager I can tell you one thing lying about the number of people in your room is one bad a– idea. If any kind of tragedy happens we are required to have proper people count and when you come to the responders and say I can’t find Susie or Johnny we get asked by the responders why we don’t have them in our records answer YOU THE GUEST DECIDED WE DIDN’T NEED TO KNOW YOU HAD ANY LITTLE ONES responders now must risk their lives to go back and look for your little one that YOU thought was to little to tell us about. Accurate guest count is important in case of emergency!
    As for using a discount you are not entitled to such as government rate you are not only cheating the hotel you are cheating me as I help pay your salary!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DQCS76BYPUCJOGCEXYFKFCVHVA Bolles Aaron

    No, I do not lie. 

    http://www.toolboxwarehouse.com