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do I really need to pay the extra person fees?

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by springlakecake, Jan 24, 2015.

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  1. springlakecake

    springlakecake Tourist

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    My husband and I will be in Vegas for a couple of nights with our 3 boys (9,12,14). Since it's too darn expensive for us to constantly book 2 rooms, we usually travel with an airbed if we can't find a decent price on a larger room. I notice though, the larger casino hotels charge an extra person fee of $35 per person over 2 guests no matter what their age. Even if you book a 2 queen room. Do I really need to pay this fee, or can I just book a 2 queen room for 2 adults. I don't need extra keys or anything. I just don't want to get busted at the pool or whatever. Because at that price, I would almost just book the 2 rooms. thanks!
     
  2. RiddickBull

    RiddickBull VIP Whale

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    Just say the room is for two adults and ask for extra keys. Don't tell them your kids are with you. Check in with one person
     
  3. BCMike

    BCMike VIP Whale

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    Do you need to? No.. Should you? Depends on if you follow the rules they set out. I personally don't see the difference between 2 and 4 or 5 people in a room but guess there's some reason they charge more to clean (maybe more use of toiletries etc.) $35 per person is insane though for overage. I usually see it being $15 with CZR's properties but I haven't looked at it lately.
     
  4. mikeinctown

    mikeinctown High-Roller

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    I wouldn't worry. Just put the clothing away and make it look like you don't have 20 people living in the room. Don't have all 5 people stand in line at the check in counter either.
     
  5. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    Almost all Las Vegas hotels only charge the extra fee on extra guests aged 12 and older.

    If you let them of the three boys you would have to pay the fee on the 12 and 14 year old. You can avoid that by not telling them (have the three of them wait somewhere while you are checking in) but that is technically the same as stealing so depends how you feel about that.

    If they check anything at the pool its just to see if the key is current/valid, they don't check how many guests are linked to that room or anything like that. Assuming either you or the husband is with them all the other times there shouldn't be any issues (IE: at some hotels you need to swipe your room key to get the elevator to take you to your floor, so if one of them was running down to the food court to buy a burger and then planned to take the elevator back up and knock on the door to be let back in they might need a key, depending on the hotel, to get up to the room).

    You can get additional keys though: just ask for extra keys at check in or later go to the front desk and say you left you key up in the room and with your name on the reservation and photo ID you will be able to get an extra key.
     
  6. Aces and Eights

    Aces and Eights VIP Whale

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    I think of it as the hotel stealing from you if they charge you extra for more than two people in the room. A room is a room. It's not like they're making the room any bigger if you have more people. As for using more water, towels, shampoo, soap, etc., there's nothing limiting two people from using more of these items than any other two or more people. In fact, people think I'm weird because I take any extra shampoo, conditioner, soap, and even toilet paper with me everyday. I travel enough that I haven't had to buy toilet paper for the last 8 months. I think the toilet paper is what's weird to everybody. BTW, I have enough mending kits to re-sew buttons on my shirts for the rest of my life.
     
  7. Tahoejoe2

    Tahoejoe2 VIP Whale

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    I wouldn't pay the extra fee. Tip the maid daily for extra towels and soap/shampoo. Unfortunately, I might deflate the air mattress so it doesn't inconvenience the maid.
    Go to a different front desk clerk and ask for extra keys later in the day.
    Sounds like I've done this before? :)
     
  8. roycpa

    roycpa High-Roller

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    Is it ok for you to ask for an exception to their charges? Yes. Is it OK to tell the clerk there are only 2 people in your party? Only your own ethical standards come into play here - no one else can answer for you. I consider it the same as stealing from the hotel. It's not the same as keeping extra soap, shampoo, etc, since that stuff is not reused anyway. With 3 boys teen and pre teen, I can imagine that 5 of you in a room would create real headaches for housekeeping and other hotel staff. The $35 is way out of line for almost all hotels that I'm aware of. If that's the case you might consider downgrading and getting two rooms. One other somewhat controversial opinion is to leave the boys at home or with a relative and not subject them to the entire LV scene.
     
  9. VegasDave

    VegasDave Addicted

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    I don't think there is anymore to clean, or more work to do vs. 2 people at 1 in each bed. I can see why they wouldn't want 10 people trashing a room, but 4 is what the beds are made for and if you can hang with that many people, I don't think hotels should charge you extra, especially for kids! Just check in alone as already said and get whatever amount of room keys you want.
     
  10. saeldway

    saeldway Low-Roller

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    To tell you how little I worry about the extra person fee, I've rolled up to check-in with my wife and son (in stroller) and had a pack/play set up in the room the entire time. So, no need to be so secretive about it. In my younger days, I would just ask for more keys when I had 3 or 4 in a room. Only once did somebody ask, and I told them I stash extra ones just in case I got too drunk. They won't even ask. If you're still worried, just have one person check-in
     
  11. Piggylane

    Piggylane Well-Known Member

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    Could it depend on the property? If it is a CET hotel they are really hungry for cash and technically this is "defrauding an innkeeper". While I doubt you'd get a trip to Clark Country Detention Center they'd probably threaten to charge you not the $35 but rack rate for another room if you got ratted out by a maid. Towels would be the big issue I guess. The pool wouldnt be a problem as long as you enter as a family with at least one key.

    Consider a non-strip hotel that would have a larger room like a Residence Inn or Embassy Suites. There you'd have pull out couches, separate entrances and free breakfast.

    BTW I travel virtually every week and will be leaving for six weeks straight starting Monday. I haven't bought shampoo, soap or moisturizer since the mid-80's! I don't take the toilet paper though.
     
  12. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    Hmmmmm... alrighty then.
     
  13. hundth

    hundth Low-Roller

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    We've always stayed with 3 or 4 adults in a room during our guys trip. Never had a problem. Just have one person check in and get a couple of extra keys. I'm very "forgetful ".
     
  14. MTMONGO

    MTMONGO High-Roller

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    My wife and I can mess any room in LV, one bed or a suite. We never use daily maid service. Tip the maid if you need more towels, keep a don't disturb on the door till check out. Have one of you check in and don't worry. Damn weed!!!!!
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2015
  15. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    When I looked late last year prepping for our 4 person trip, it was both $30+tax each for the third/fourth people at both MGM and CET. I like to think myself as a person with above-average ethics, but we definitely checked in with only 2 people for sure. $30 is ridiculous. Not that much extra resource is being used... For Horseshoe Tunica it's only $10+tax extra each for the 3rd and 4th, which is more reasonable, but maybe still too high. It would be a lot more reasonable for Vegas though. And we also typically refuse housekeeping.
     
  16. springlakecake

    springlakecake Tourist

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    I loved all the responses, thank you! I certainly am not trying to be a thief, but $35 per person seemed awfully high, especially when they are kids. The properties were MGM that had the fee of $35. I was trying to look for family friendly locations and I was interested in NYNY and the MGM Grand. I guess I figure that a room with 2 queens is meant for 4 people. I think it's likely that my husband and kids would do WAY less damage to a room than a couple of single folks, lol! Plus, I think swimming at the pool counts as a shower for the kids. No shampoo needed.

    We would only be there a day and a half. We are actually taking the kids to the grand canyon and sedona for spring break. We are flying out of Vegas, and that is the reason we'll be taking the kids to vegas. With all all the hiking and education, we figured the kids might like to hang at the pool and maybe see a family friendly show.


    So from all the responses, sounds like it comes down to an ethical decision. Anyone with more than 2 kids will understand how difficult it is to find hotels. I'll keep thinking! thanks again!
     
  17. mikeinctown

    mikeinctown High-Roller

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    The entire reason behind charging the extra $35 or whatever per person is partly because of extra cleaning needed, mostly in the bathrooms, but also so that people would say, 'hey lets just get an extra room as it will be cheaper/about the same/ etc.'
     
  18. springlakecake

    springlakecake Tourist

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    yes, that is what I was thinking. If I am going to have to pay that much extra, why not just have 2 rooms.
     
  19. Aces and Eights

    Aces and Eights VIP Whale

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    I think of renting a hotel room like renting videos. When I watch a video with others, I don't pay extra. Netflix or the video rental store doesn't ask me if other people will be watching the video, so they don't charge me extra. As for cleaning up extra mess or using extra amenities, they give you a set amount of towels, shampoo, soap, etc. regardless of how many people you have, and two people can make just as much of a mess as four people. So I don't see how this is an ethics issue.
     
  20. BCMike

    BCMike VIP Whale

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    The ethics is because they're a business and they set their rules for their property. In theory, if a person doesn't agree with them, they shouldn't stay there. I'm not saying I agree with it but if you break their rules, where's it stop? There are plenty of rules, laws I don't agree with.
     
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