Getting Around A Hotel Room Occupancy Limit

A family member was recently looking to book a hotel room for her family of four, but told me that some hotels had no rooms available. I found that hard to believe, and after a few quick searches I found the problem wasn’t availability, but the room occupancy limit. These room occupancy limits can vary from not just country to country, but also hotel to hotel. There are a variety of reasons for this.

If you travel a lot with a group (either family or friends), you’ve probably come across this same problem. In this post I’ll go over some important information on why they exist, the positives and negatives of these policies, and if you should try to “cheat” your way through a stay.

Why Hotel Room Occupancy Limits Exist

The primary reason these limits exist are normally due to fire code. The local fire department basically determines what it deems is safe in terms of the number of people exiting a room, hallway, staircase, etc, and passes that along to the hotel, which incorporates it into their policy. It’s also possible that some of these laws/codes are set for an entire country, city, or similar region. Other emergency-related reasons could also exist, but it always boils down to something that’s related to safety. Hard to argue with that.

Then there’s the possibility that it’s simply the hotel that limits it by their own policy. It may seem unfair initially, but consider some examples:

• An all-inclusive hotel where guests can eat and drink for free
• A secluded hotel, like those in the Maldives or other hard to reach areas
• A luxury hotel where staff get to know guests and try to anticipate guest needs (Aman and the like)

I think most people would agree that these examples are ones where it’s quite obvious why the hotel would either limit the number of guests or at least need an accurate count.

Then there are the hotels that just want the extra money. The rooms can legally (according to local law) fit more people, but the hotels want to charge. I will acknowledge that usually an extra person does incrementally increase costs for a hotel – more towels to wash, trash to remove, sheets to clean, and the like. But when you think about it, it really is minimal for each additional guest.

This is also where the region/country comes into play. In the US, it’s quite common that hotels allow up to 4 people in a room, though some may limit it to two adults. On the other hand, some hotels (though somewhat rare) charge an additional fee beyond even the first person.

In the Middle East and Europe, it’s not uncommon to be charged beyond the third occupant. You’ll find all kinds of rules in between as well, but the bottom line is that some hotels usually just want to make that extra money if possible.

Should You Try to Cheat Room Occupancy Limits?

If morals and honesty mean something to you, then there’s no doubt the right thing to do is to follow the laws and rules established for that hotel. You can take solace in the fact that they are, more likely than not, established for your and your loved ones’ safety. It’s hard to argue with that.

On the other hand, there are the hotels that are trying to make that extra cash. If they’re charging more per person, we know the law/code allows that extra person. If you think that’s unfair, you may be willing to cheat it.

Or you may just be in a more difficult financial position. Maybe you’re traveling with a family of 4 or 5, and you don’t have any other choice. A second room is out of the budget, and even an extra room charge would be too hard on your wallet. Maybe your morals/honesty begin to bend a bit in that circumstance.

There are probably a million reasons you might want to cheat the hotel occupancy limit. Just know that they may exist for emergency scenarios and you may be putting yourself, your family/friends, and other hotel occupants at risk if an emergency situation arises.

What If You Get Caught

Hotels might be smarter than you think. Housekeepers may be instructed to count bags or toothbrushes, or staff may be looking specifically for larger groups to enforce their policies. So what happens if you get caught?

Frankly, this is how I think everyone should approach these situations: Anytime I do something in the grey area (if I’m being honest, I’ve done some things in the darkest shades of that grey area in my points/miles career), then I always have a backup plan in case it goes wrong. I think it’s a good idea to sleep well knowing that even if they find out you’re doing something questionable, you’ll be fine.

When I used to book flights using the old/broken/glorious Lifemiles program that allowed me to fly Business Class to Europe for 25k miles, I always knew they might not allow me to check in if they found the glitch. I always knew which other mileage accounts I had that I could use to book flights to make sure I was able to take the rest of the trip.

Similarly, you should have a backup plan if the hotel calls you out on having unregistered guests. I haven’t heard of anyone being thrown out on the streets, so hopefully that won’t be a possibility. What they can do is charge you. Most hotels will require a credit card at check-in, and you should expect that charges for additional people can be added if they figure it out.

If the hotel is strict on the occupancy limit for legal or other reasons, they may require you to book another room. I’ve read that most hotels, in this particular circumstance, will try to give you a discounted rate on that second room. Still, it’s unlikely to be considered cheap.

Very Important Considerations

The most important thing I want you to consider before doing this is the location you attempt to do this in. If you’re in a country where laws are stricter and the authorities are not as reliable as you’re used to, you might want to think of something else. I might be willing to try this in Dubai, but as an American I might try to avoid it in Saudi Arabia or Russia given the state of the current world.

The next piece of advice is to avoid bringing attention to yourselves. I know first hand that it can be difficult when traveling with friends – the noise level sometimes creeps up without you realizing it, and that can disturb neighbors when you’re jetlagged at night. Similarly, if you check-in with two others at the front desk, don’t come out of the elevators an hour later with your crew of 6 after pregaming. Try to remain invisible to the staff.

Don’t give the hotel a reason to question you or bother you. Many larger or nicer chain hotels in the US won’t even do anything if they find out. Smaller hotels/motels or engaged operators may be looking for cheaters so they can bill them. But if you don’t give them a reason to notice you, you are likely to either avoid detection or avoid them caring about you.

And while obvious, it needs to be pointed out that you shouldn’t expect the benefits to apply to everyone in your unregistered group. Your free breakfast benefit is only good for the number of people you booked (unless it was a dollar amount benefit), so don’t try to argue for benefits like that. Asking for a room upgrade at check-in is worthwhile, but arguing if you didn’t get one due to your status isn’t a good idea if you’re skirting the occupancy rules.

Basically, don’t be the guy breaking the rules and also throwing a temper tantrum for not getting a room upgrade.

Final Thoughts

So is it worth it? The answer will be different for every person and situation. I’ve done it before with friends. I didn’t feel bad about it at the time, and I don’t really now either. But I would also certainly pick my spots if I were to try it again. Others may tell me I’m a terrible person for doing so. I won’t argue with you about it. Do what you gotta do.