23 replies to this topic

[Bolton Beast]

I am staying at Siam Bayview again due to my 1st 2 choices being full,I have booked a double room for 2155 bht inc Breakfast,I clarified before checking in that if I bring back a guest there will be no joiners fee and their Breakfast is also included,in the past they have charged up to 1000bht for a guest,I have spoken to the General Manager and he assures me that this is only charged if a single room has been paid and LBs will not be treated any differently to a GG.
If any of you guys want to stay there and the arseholes who carry the bags bring any shit go to the office where he will deal with it.
Also big bonus WiFi is free in the lobby/bar area now but still 495bht a day for room use.

[jcs]

Robo,

2155 bht a day + 495 for wifi!!! seems a bit steep?

IMO i think there are hotels just as good for a lot less money! 10GBP for wifi per day, they are having a laugh.

[luv u long time]

Thanks for the info Robbo. Any pics to help us out? I've never stayed there and I am always wary of website pics that will always make a room/facilities look amazing.

THanks for the update anyways.

Cheers

LULT

[Bolton Beast]

jcs, on 27 April 2010 - 03:17 PM, said:

Robo,

2155 bht a day + 495 for wifi!!! seems a bit steep?

IMO i think there are hotels just as good for a lot less money! 10GBP for wifi per day, they are having a laugh.

its only 495 if you want use it in your room,it is free in the bar and very fast

[Bolton Beast]

luvyoulongtime, on 27 April 2010 - 03:18 PM, said:

Thanks for the info Robbo. Any pics to help us out? I've never stayed there and I am always wary of website pics that will always make a room/facilities look amazing.

THanks for the update anyways.

Cheers

LULT

Website pics are spot on and this place beats the arse of a lot of the 5000 a night hotels,this is the 5th time I have stayed here and the staff are excellent.

[Bolton Beast]

Dango6969, on 27 April 2010 - 11:48 PM, said:

Hey Robbo I thought it would be quiet in Pattaya now. What were your 1st and 2nd choice hotels?
I'm out there next week and was due to spend a couple of days in Bangkok but I'm thinking about skipping Bangkok with all the red shirt stuff and going straight down to Pattaya.

My 1st choice was PBR due to the vfm of 999 a night and pay 6 get 7th for free
my 2nd and 3rd were LK Suites or LK Metro who are doing a like wise deal but full this week available next at around 1400 -1800. IMO here is better if you are willing to shell out another £10 or so. WiFi free in bar/lobby,best breakfast in Pattaya for an extra 170 if you book in advance for it otherwise its 600bht a shot per person.

[mucevoli]

I just got back from staying here, booked exactly the same room as I did last time I stayed here and paid the same price.

But I was fucking charged 1000 Baht the bring a girl back!

I complained and said I wasn't charged last time I stayed and was told it was because it was a LB, the guy was pointing at the MR on her ID card.

I paid and told him I was never staying here again.

Luckily I was only staying there a few of nights as I was supposed to be going Koh Samui. In the end I couldn't go there because of the floods.

I decided to stay in Pattaya but I hauled my ass down to August Suites and stayed there (where I was of course not charged for guests). Bayviews loss, if they hadn't charged me I would have just stayed there.

Fuck this hotel!

Edited by mucevoli, 15 April 2011 - 08:28 AM.

[bkkldby]

Bolton Beast, on 28 April 2010 - 09:15 AM, said:

My 1st choice was PBR due to the vfm of 999 a night and pay 6 get 7th for free
my 2nd and 3rd were LK Suites or LK Metro who are doing a like wise deal but full this week available next at around 1400 -1800. IMO here is better if you are willing to shell out another £10 or so. WiFi free in bar/lobby,best breakfast in Pattaya for an extra 170 if you book in advance for it otherwise its 600bht a shot per person.

WHY MANY HOTELS CHARGE WHAT THEY DO.

i worked at this hotel for 3+ years and i will agree with you. nice hotel, GREAT staff, good location, and clean.

all i am about to write pertains to 3 star and up hotels, not guesthouses and run of the mill, oh-so Pattaya kinds of hotels that are geared to punters with joiners. these hotels are geared for independent traveling tourists, tour groups, and families. IMHO, that needs to be considered.

joiner's fees used to be waived at check-in if you simply asked for it then, not after (i do not know if they still do that. ID card still must be shown to be copied for safety purposes). that is just the policy.

they have a very extensive breakfast buffet and one reason you pay the fee is to cover for that. they have no way of knowing if you are going to ST or LT so they are covering all basis with the policy.

i also know that both the BS and the BV have very sophisticated ecological water recovering and filtration systems to meet the highest world standards for both hygiene and eco, they have consistently won awards for their green programs and they are all ISO certified hotels as well. another reason why rates are a bit higher and a joiner fee. joiners use a lot of water and towels. this means more water being used in the room and laundry and thus the system to recycle and filter it. (recycled water is used for the gardening and pools.)

joiners also cause most of the problems in any hotel. i would venture to say that at least 2 or 3 times a week during my 3+ years working for the small group of hotels i had to go to a guests room to settle a dispute or fight with a joiner. broken windows, broken furniture, fucked up sheets and mattresses, STOLEN PROPERTY OF THE GUEST''S AND THE HOTELS), hansum assholes who "thought" sex was free, physically abused P4P providers, NOISE. you name it, if there is a non-mechanical problem and a manager is called, 80% of the time its joiner related. someone has to pay for that. would seem appropriate that it was the guy taking the girl to the room.

further, the BV hotel was built over 25 years ago, and for the last 14+ years i know that they have put a lot of money into keeping the infrastructure and decor up to current standards and international codes (same as the Bayshore down the street at Bali Hi). one thing that was always discussed at every morning's department heads meeting was costs. at the time the hotel was losing revenue from phones because of the advent of mobiles, and laundry, because guests would take the clothes to the laundries outside the hotel. the free fruits in the room on arrival were also a big concern because everyday they give out about 100 fruit baskets to those arriving. the seasonal fluctuations in the costs make it difficult to control the variety and the cost. these same seasonal problems affect the cost of fresh squeezed orange juice in the hotel. every morning at the breakfast buffet they serve gallon upon gallon of fresh juice that comes from bushels and bushels of good oranges THAT THEY SQUEEZE BY HAND because machine squeezing make the juice bitter. in order to get the correct orange (30+ varieties exist in TH) so that the juice is not bitter and consistent all year costs them more money than you can imagine. most hotels now use a concentrate or powdered mix and some, un-carbonated orange drink. they also have a complete variety of bacon and sausages, smoked meats and fish, Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Thai and a myriad of other farang breakfast specialties by nation so no one misses there national breakfast. the philosophy is that hopefully guests will be so happy with breakfast, they will order other meals or room service later in the day. they provide cheese and fresh baked onsite bakery pastry, breads, and croissants. ALL YOU CAN EAT! fresh brewed coffee and a wide variety of teas. not a lot of hotels do this anywhere, let alone in PTY. many of the guests fill their beach bags with this stuff and and some try to take thermos bottles of juice or coffee too. its a breakfast buffet people, not a free lunch. all of this drives the costs up. a joiners fee is to compensate for that. i reckon that many hotels that do not charge a joiner fee either have no buffet or its a sh*t one compared to these other hotels that go the extra mile to provide everyone, including the joiner, with nothing but the best. (this breakfast effort is a strict policy at these 2 hotels and they are always looking for ways to improve it.)

these are only a few issues that hoteliers must address everyday to provide the type of service that you get in a place like the BV. in a town like PTY, where there are many "cheap charlies". much of the revenues they used to collect, that helped offset other costs, have vanished as a result of these guests only using the room and none of the "pay as you go" services that hotels rely on. i know this company fights with the issues and does all they can to provide the level of service and care they know they need to, and to balance that with the costs of delivering them.

i recall an incident where a guest was in the very beautiful air conditioned bar and lounge, drinking a cold draft beer in a frosted mug, eating free snacks from a hot buffet of bar foods, playing pool on a well kept regulation table, and using the wi-fi. he was being waited on by a stunningly gorgeous woman, wearing a fantastic uniform, and who spoke perfect English. he came up to me and wanted to know why a beer purchased in a bar beer outside the hotel grounds was less than half the price. what can you say to a guy like that? he really has no clue. he wants it all for nothing.

from my experiences in the TH hotel industry many hoteliers have to grapple with the issue of wi-fi because many guests will set their computers to DLL, stuff the electrical breaker's key slot with something to keep it active, and then leave the hotel. in old buildings where the service is having to be added they use mostly wi-fi. in order for the wi-fi to work well and be as fast as folks like it, they need to install many boosters throughout the hotel. in a small hotel its not such a problem, or if they do not care about the speed, no problem. but when it is a system that has been added after construction (and the costs not absorbed by construction costs), they will try to get back the money spent. it is a business, and it must run as one. i think from what i know of the Bayview owner, and her way of working, her philosophy is that rather than jack up all the room rates for good unlimited wi-fi, they simply charge individuals for its use. it most likely is their experience that some guest use a sh*t load of BW and to keep everyone on line and happy they need a lot of equipment to cover the 250+ rooms, and that costs.

a small 34 room boutique hotel i consulted at in Phuket had wi-fi installed, 1 router for every 2 rooms. this guy was serious about providing good internet. it got to point where he had to monitor guests usage because so many were DLL during the day while they were out. he would then have to tell those guest there would be an extra charge. he really did not want to do that, but he was forced to. he also installed mobile phone signal boosters to bring that up to speed so that guests in remote areas of the hotel (gym in particular) never had a problem with dropped calls.

another thing a lot of folks do is run the aircon all day when they are out. this is a major expense and one reason why rates in hotels are climbing. the costs for energy in TH have sky-rocketed as they have all over the world and so must hotel rates, they can no longer simply absorb this cost as before. people who subvert the electrical breakers and leave things running all day f*ck it up for everyone. guys with joiners also stay in the room all day and party with the aircon running, this also costs more than a guest who will go touring or sit by the pool. most guest leave the room during the day, punters do not. they run water and electric full time.

as you can see, a lot goes into keeping guests happy. and it always comes at a cost.

i also know that the management will never tolerate any kind of discrimination at these hotels, and many of the staff are gay or LB. most of the LBs are in the kitchens and administration/accounting/reservations (all the good looking ones are in the P4P). the area GM (as well as the corporate farang GM) is a TH gay man and he makes sure this policy of acceptance is enforced. i have seen him tell the outsourced security company to remove staff for hassling guests with joiners and taking "kick back" fees to allow them up to the room. i think the incident mentioned on this thread regarding the LB and fee is a rare occurrence, and if the area GM knew the staff would be reprimanded. i have a feeling that this front desk person put that 1,000 in their pocket. did you get a receipt, or did it appear on your bill? you should have. all policies apply to all people regardless of gender or orientation at these hotels. every member of staff is of course vetted, but there will always be a few who need to be sorted out. possibly that one does.

one of my duties when i worked there was to escort the VIP guests to Alcazar and Tiffany. it was a freebie that they gave to long staying guests. i think if they had a problem with LBs they would send them to a different attraction.

in closing, the Siam Bayview is in the top 17% of all Pattaya hotels reviewed by guests on Tripadvisor.com with a 4 out of 5 rating by 90% of its guests who bothered to comment online. they must be catering to someone and making them happy.

there isn't a hotel on the planet that can be all things to all people, but these folks really do try. some things are destined to slip through the cracks.

Edited by bkkldby, 14 April 2011 - 11:58 AM.

[Lost In Loei]

+1

Great post, it is nice to think about the other side. I used to work for a 4 star hotel too and agree with many of your points. If you want rock bottom prices go find a 0 service hotel. If you want full service, be willing to pay for it. It takes a large staff and a lot of work to keep up a first class hotel.

It also takes higher prices for the beer to pay for the nice couches and AC. There are plenty of dirt cheap beer bars that will offer you a great wooden stool and a cool towel to wipe the sweat off.

I do agree with some of the other posters on the charges for the WiFi though. A reasonable fee I can understand but I have been in plenty of places charging 20 euros a day. You can buy a lot of Cat 5 and routers for that kind of money. It is just price gouging.

[mucevoli]

bkkldby, on 14 April 2011 - 10:02 AM, said:

i have a feeling that this front desk person put that 1,000 in their pocket. did you get a receipt, or did it appear on your bill? you should have. all policies apply to all people regardless of gender or orientation at these hotels. every member of staff is of course vetted, but there will always be a few who need to be sorted out. possibly that one does.

I was there 4 nights and took 2 LB's and 1 GG back on seperate nights and was charged each time. The first guy did this right in front of two other staff while i made a scene. Other times it was different staff with other staff around. It was not someone putting it in there pocket unless they were all in on it, in which case even more reason not to stay there.

This is there policy now as far as I'm concerned and will never ever stay there again.

Edited by mucevoli, 14 April 2011 - 11:42 PM.

[bkkldby]

mucevoli, on 14 April 2011 - 11:42 PM, said:

I was there 4 nights and took 2 LB's and 1 GG back on seperate nights and was charged each time. The first guy did this right in front of two other staff while i made a scene. Other times it was different staff with other staff around. It was not someone putting it in there pocket unless they were all in on it, in which case even more reason not to stay there.

This is there policy now as far as I'm concerned and will never ever stay there again.

sorry to hear that.

well its too bad to hear this has changed. i must think that it is because in the past there have been some major difficulties with someone bringing back an LB and the problems were intolerable. in my 3+ years i never saw this happening to LB joiners.

it really too bad that these things happen and create problems for people like yourself, but past history/experiences usually dictates current policy.

as i mentioned in my previous comment the greater portion of people related problems in the hotels i have worked in TH is P4P joiners, and at times as much as i hate to say it - its LBs. its hard for hotels that are trying to cater to everyone, and the greatest segment they get is not P4P, to operate well and keep everyone happy. so i guess they find it best to tax the minority in favor the majority.

try the Woodlands properties sometime, they're in Naklua. the suites is better but the hotel/resort is ok too. built with Tiffany money and LB friendly on all levels. i am booked to stay there in May. i sent an email last week and told them i would have 2 guests in my room with me and not the original 1, they know they are LBs. so i requested extra towels, a robe, amenities, an additional breakfast buffet coupon, and that i did not want an extra bed made up. all i got back was an email saying thanks and that the room would be prepared as requested before arrival. i will have that email and my reservation confirmation email with me at check in as a back-up.

IMO, if handled properly, and in advance, anyone can get most anything from a 3 star and above hotel. i was at Woodlands on one occasion, had called before arrival and asked for a large vase of flowers to be put in the room with a birthday card, it was there on arrival, no cost either. another time i asked to have the bed covered in red flower petals for Valentine's Day, it was done and they also scattered the little "turn-down" chocolates around too. i think part of the trick is to try to get them to show you how great of a hotel they can be. give them time to prepare, give them no way to back out or vacillate, and always be polite.

the bottom line - when staying in 3 star or above rated properties my experience in this industry here tells me to always mention joiners when booking and at check-in, its part and parcel to the hotel business here. i always ask what the policy is, and i always have an email to confirm the entire reservation, including the joiner. if i have a discussion over the phone i get the person's name and i send an email to confirm the conversation we had over the phone. it usually starts with: to confirm my understanding of our conversation today regarding ...........

after all of these years i do not take anything for granted.

again, sorry to hear they hassled you and screwed up your holiday.

[bkkldby]

CJ-LPF, on 14 April 2011 - 01:41 PM, said:

+1

Great post, it is nice to think about the other side. I used to work for a 4 star hotel too and agree with many of your points. If you want rock bottom prices go find a 0 service hotel. If you want full service, be willing to pay for it. It takes a large staff and a lot of work to keep up a first class hotel.

It also takes higher prices for the beer to pay for the nice couches and AC. There are plenty of dirt cheap beer bars that will offer you a great wooden stool and a cool towel to wipe the sweat off.

I do agree with some of the other posters on the charges for the WiFi though. A reasonable fee I can understand but I have been in plenty of places charging 20 euros a day. You can buy a lot of Cat 5 and routers for that kind of money. It is just price gouging.

thanks. what location did you
work hotels? business or tourist class? TH?

personally i understand the reasoning behind extreme the Wi-fi pricing in regard to the loss of other revenues they used to get such as the phones, but i surely do not like to pay it. i have carried a wi-fi booster adapter for a little over a year now. it has a 2db antenna and it can pick-up wi-fi signals that are over 1 Km away. i think on only one occasion in a city or resort environment that i have not been able to get a free, unlimited wi-fi connection, and if i am in a place that offers it already, it simply boosts my signal. i also carry a flat panel 12db outdoor antenna with a 5 meter extension cable that i can hang out the window which gives me between 1 and 2 Km of range.







plus a long CAT 5 too, just in case they have a hard line in the room.



and of course, a power strip with convertible plug receptacles and a good plug adapter too.







i work online and i have to have good Internet when i travel and i have learned from experience that it pays for me to carry a small bag with these bits. solves so many problems.

[mucevoli]

bkkldby, on 15 April 2011 - 06:31 AM, said:

IMO, if handled properly, and in advance, anyone can get most anything from a 3 star and above hotel. i was at Woodlands on one occasion, had called before arrival and asked for a large vase of flowers to be put in the room with a birthday card, it was there on arrival, no cost either. another time i asked to have the bed covered in red flower petals for Valentine's Day, it was done and they also scattered the little "turn-down" chocolates around too. i think part of the trick is to try to get them to show you how great of a hotel they can be. give them time to prepare, give them no way to back out or vacillate, and always be polite.

the bottom line - when staying in 3 star or above rated properties my experience in this industry here tells me to always mention joiners when booking and at check-in, its part and parcel to the hotel business here. i always ask what the policy is, and i always have an email to confirm the entire reservation, including the joiner. if i have a discussion over the phone i get the person's name and i send an email to confirm the conversation we had over the phone. it usually starts with: to confirm my understanding of our conversation today regarding ...........

If I'm staying in a 3+ star hotel I just expect to be treated well without having to jump through hoops when making a reservation to get what I want. I've never had to do this at any other hotel and I didn't expect to have to do it here seeing as I stayed here before without this happening.

The money is not really the problem for me, it's the front desk embarassing me in front of my guest and the excuses they gave me as to why I had to pay (including pointing at the Mr. on her ID card).

I think they must have had some incident since I last stayed as when the girls left in the morning I'd always get a call from reception saying "Your guest is leaving now, is everything OK?". That never happen last time I stayed.

Oh well, if they don't people like me to stay there I'm happy to go elsewhere. Shame really, other than this incident, the hotel was as good as I remembered it.

[bkkldby]

mucevoli, on 15 April 2011 - 08:06 AM, said:

If I'm staying in a 3+ star hotel I just expect to be treated well without having to jump through hoops when making a reservation to get what I want. I've never had to do this at any other hotel and I didn't expect to have to do it here seeing as I stayed here before without this happening.

The money is not really the problem for me, it's the front desk embarassing me in front of my guest and the excuses they gave me as to why I had to pay (including pointing at the Mr. on her ID card).

I think they must have had some incident since I last stayed as when the girls left in the morning I'd always get a call from reception saying "Your guest is leaving now, is everything OK?". That never happen last time I stayed.

Oh well, if they don't people like me to stay there I'm happy to go elsewhere. Shame really, other than this incident, the hotel was as good as I remembered it.

this line does say a lot. and i touched on that in my comment. as far as them calling down when a girl goes to collect her ID, that was policy when i worked there a long time ago and it is there to protect you from theft and injury. similar systems are in place at taxi stands in front of good hotels and department store in TH. they record the plate number and tell the driver your destination in an effort to avoid problems and also to be able to trace the taxi if there is one.

it seems to me that possibly inconsistency of policy enforcement may be the real culprit.

the area GM there is a friend of mine, he was the first TH GM i worked for and he mentored me in the TH way. he is no longer at that hotel on a daily basis as the GM, he is now at the BS and monitors the BV GM. when i go to PTY in May i am going to ask him what the policies are now. if they have changed i am sure he will tell me. if not, he will surely find out who needs more training at the front desk. whatever the case, i am sure he will listen and take it all into account as the people at BV and BS are concerned about what guests think.

[icebergjr.]

Bkkldby,
I gave a +1 on your reply and explanation on post #10.As you really do get what you pay for.
I'm still a little bit upset about the way Mucevoli was treated though,or particularly how his guest was treated(pointing out the MR on her ID was really low class in my opinion )I hope you have at least a little bit of an affect on the former GM when you see him next month as this seems to really be discrimination.
I myself would never want to put up with a double standard anywhere,where LBs were treated different than GGs .
Please keep us updated,and I hope your upcoming advice changes their policy.

Iceberg

[Jason_Bourne]

BKKLDBY, I have given you a couple PLUS ONEs for your posts on this thread. And you have given me an education. As a result I will be more understanding of a few things I have not understood in the past. I will also have more contact ahead of time if I am requesting any special arrangements.

One of the things I have always done in Thailand is reserve a double room, because I have always anticipated having someone stay with me. Since I have been with my GF, I always make sure on check in that she is treated as my partner, not my guest. That means I always ask for a second key, and I expect that they will not keep her ID, unless they are also insisting on keeping mine.

I had a great experience at the Mae Ping last year. My apologies if I wrote about this previously, an apologies for going off topic talking about a different hotel.

I asked the staff at the front desk to see that a flower arrangement was delivered while we were away from the hotel. It was to be one part of a larger romantic surprise for Nong. When we came back, no flowers. Too late for the surprise.

I did not make a big deal about it, but when I had a few moments later, I asked to speak with the manager. The desk person requested that I wait in the lounge, and within 5 -10 minutes the manager showed up. A woman. I explained that everything was great, but I had been disappointed about the flowers because it was meant as a surprise. I wasn't asking for anything.

The manager asked a few questions, then asked how long we were staying at the hotel. After I told her, she said that she would like to put us in a nicer room at no extra cost. Within a few minutes, I had a key to a suite. Nice!

Now I had a great surprise for Nong, and the hotel had won a friend who tells anyone who will listen how well they treated me.

[bkkldby]

icebergjr., on 15 April 2011 - 09:26 AM, said:

Bkkldby,
I gave a +1 on your reply and explanation on post #10.As you really do get what you pay for.
I'm still a little bit upset about the way Mucevoli was treated though,or particularly how his guest was treated(pointing out the MR on her ID was really low class in my opinion )I hope you have at least a little bit of an affect on the former GM when you see him next month as this seems to really be discrimination.
I myself would never want to put up with a double standard anywhere,where LBs were treated different than GGs .
Please keep us updated,and I hope your upcoming advice changes their policy.

Iceberg

the Corporate GM for that group of hotels is a 20+ year expat from Switzerland who is a screaming queen and makes no bones about it or his affections. the PTY area GM, who is also the the hotels representative at all the international travel fairs and expos is also gay, he is TH. he was a utility steward in the BV when he was a young teen. he has worked himself up through the organization to his current post of area GM. i am certain when the Swiss guys retires he will fill that slot. he has been to Europe to hoteliers school (paid for by the owner for the group) and he's has dedicated his life to hospitality.

knowing that, and having worked closely with these people, i am convinced that some very specific over-the-top previous LB behavior has prompted the changes in policy. no discrimination here based on sexual orientation, it must be solely based on some LB's previously bad behavior which we all know occurs. (and i am sure not just one, but many. these folks are usually very resilient and tolerant of unruly and impolite guests until it affects other guests' well being in the hotel.)

having said that, there is no accounting for the behavior of the front desk people and the manner in which they dealt with it. but similar to how delegating responsibility and decision making is a difficult and often unheard of situation in the TH work place, an employees ability to understand how to follow through on policies is difficult to achieve or teach. i have found that once many TH staff are given an edict that will require "laying down the law" they can be overbearing and macho to the point of being ridiculous. some easily become officious butt-heads.

in regard to changing their policy, i doubt it. i am sure the change came after a lot of deliberation and department head meetings. these people are very thoughtful and methodical. (it was a great group to work for.) they rarely make snap decisions, and all decisions are based on fact, figures and what makes the best sense for all parties concerned. it is a very well run organization but as we all know not every member of any staff is always "on the program" or able to institute it with a large degree of finesse. we farangs are taught in school to reason and rationalize to a much greater degree than that Th people we meet everyday. i think for the most part those who can learned it at home, not in school or the work place.

Edited by bkkldby, 15 April 2011 - 11:38 AM.

[bkkldby]

Jason_Bourne, on 15 April 2011 - 10:09 AM, said:

BKKLDBY, I have given you a couple PLUS ONEs for your posts on this thread. And you have given me an education. As a result I will be more understanding of a few things I have not understood in the past. I will also have more contact ahead of time if I am requesting any special arrangements.

One of the things I have always done in Thailand is reserve a double room, because I have always anticipated having someone stay with me. Since I have been with my GF, I always make sure on check in that she is treated as my partner, not my guest. That means I always ask for a second key, and I expect that they will not keep her ID, unless they are also insisting on keeping mine.

thanks JB.

for those who wish to have joiners, and are doing what you do, paying for a double (in TH most times the price is the same in this level of hotel regardless of 1 or 2 ppl in the room) BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHO THE OTHER PERSON IS simply tell them/write this - Guest: TBA (to be announced). then the joiner is a pre-booked guest, not a joiner. sure its all semantics, but it helps navigate the process and they will be hard pressed to say that you cannot have a different one every night. NOTE: they only need one name for the registration, the other can be the TBA. upon arrival they will need to show their ID possibly for security and safety reasons.

if a traveler is only into ST and will not be taking anyone LT, then they need to tell the hotel at booking they only want 1 coupon per day for the breakfast buffet, or none at all. that can save money too sometimes. it will depend on whether the hotel's pricing includes it in the overall price of the room in the first place. if the traveler then breaks the 3-day rule or gets lubbed up, and the LB's meter runs into LT, they can always pay for their tilac's breakfast after the fact.

for me, regardless of something being special or not, i list all my demands and preferences and ask for written confirmation of them all. you never know who will be at the front desk, or what time it will be on your arrival. the person who registered your reservation in a hotel of this class is most likely not their after hours, or possibly off site in an admin office and never there.

once again, get an email confirmation when booking in advance and print it out (see below).

NOTE: see a screen shot below of an email thread of mine asking for an up-grade that they know is a 2nd LB in my room.

sure, maybe we shouldn't have to jump through hoops to get stuff organized well, but i figure if its for my benefit who better to do the leg work that will assure me a nice time and my LB friend possible embarrassment. and for guys who save their holiday time and money all year, why not invest an evening in corresponding with your hotel so that you get the best f*ck for your buck?

another strategy i employ if i do not have a previous contact at a hotel is to contact the hotel and ask for the room division manager/front desk manager/ or GM's email address. i will then write to them and tell them how i surfed them up on the Internet, their hotel looks really nice, i am looking forward to being a guest and i hope they will please check to make certain that my reservation is all logged in and correct. i ask them to do this because, "i had a very unfortunate experience previously at some other hotel and i hope that will not happen at their property as i am traveling so far and simply want to have an uneventful check-in". 99% of the time they will do this so you cannot catch them out after if there is a problem. the onus is on the man at the top from the outset. no where to pass the buck from there.

Examples below are from the Woodlands, but this can be done with any hotel:

note in the 1st sample the response of the manager in the first sentence that he writes. i have previously pandered to his good side by asking him how his high-season is going, i have shown an interest in him and recognized that what he does is work, he replies in kind. i have gotten his attention in a way that is beneficial to me.

in the second example where i am asking for an up-grade i have written the email in a very matter of fact way, shown an interest in him, and it is not a demand, its a polite request. i have also told them to not waste time or resources on making up an extra bed. it is all plain for them to see. his response comes back to me confirmed within less than an hours time.

the trick is to think like them and make them happy to do whatever it is you want. never put them on the spot or ask them to change policy in front of subordinate staff.

"know thine enemy" or some Sun Tzu sh*t like that.

(DISCLAIMER: none of this stuff will work in a hotel of lesser class or if they simply do not care.)

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