# How do hotels decide which flags to fly? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2020, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hotels-decide-which-flags-to-fly/926374 "2020-11-24T22:14:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2020, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hotels-decide-which-flags-to-fly/926374/21 "2020-11-26T02:57:42Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > > [@kitap](#): > > > > ETA: Europeans are awesome about knowing to have and hand over ID. > > I always hand my ID and credit card to the desk clerk before they even get a chance to ask. They rarely are surprised, do I figured it was pretty common. We get arguments sometimes. It’s like, yeah no. No ID, no checking in. Of course, they’re also the ones who fight with us as to whether they need to show ID before getting another key. Um yes. Yes you do. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hotels-decide-which-flags-to-fly/926374/22 "2020-11-27T20:26:51Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > We get arguments sometimes. It’s like, yeah no. No ID, no checking in. Of course, they’re also the ones who fight with us as to whether they need to show ID before getting another key. Um yes. Yes you do. I was tired and grumpy already before I had to sit in the front lobby for an hour, waiting for my wife. Because both the rooms – which I had paid for with my credit card, not two hours earlier – were in her name. I had drivers licence and the credit card, but they couldn’t see their way clear to opening one of the rooms for me. What would you have done? ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2020, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hotels-decide-which-flags-to-fly/926374/23 "2020-11-27T21:26:28Z")
If your name isn’t on the room, you can’t get a key. I’m sorry but it’s a security thing. Unless — wait wait the credit card is in your name only? Then you _might_ get a key. It depends on if the software can determine if the card was swiped and it records the name on the swiped card in this system. Ours can always do the first and sometimes the second… If both can be verified, yeah, you’d get a key. Otherwise, well, you could be in the middle of an ugly divorce. Put both names on the reservation is my suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hotels-decide-which-flags-to-fly/926374/24 "2020-11-29T15:57:33Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > I was tired and grumpy already before I had to sit in the front lobby for an hour, waiting for my wife. Because both the rooms – which I had paid for with my credit card, not two hours earlier – were in her name. I had drivers licence and the credit card, but they couldn’t see their way clear to opening one of the rooms for me. I’m a little confused - you had paid for the rooms two hours earlier with your credit card but the rooms were in your wife’s name? That sounds like your wife made the reservations and you paid in person when you checked in. My husband and I almost\* always use one name on the reservation - but at check in, they ask if we want one key or two and ask for a second name for two keys. - Resorts and cruises typically ask for everyone’s name when making a reservation, but you aren’t paying only for a room in those cases. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2020, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hotels-decide-which-flags-to-fly/926374/25 "2020-11-29T16:17:06Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I’m imagining a tired, bedraggled Estonian family, fruitlessly searching the streets of Manhattan until they can find a hotel flying the Estonian flag so they can rest for the night. Somewhat more realistically, if a family were driving around looking for a hotel, and happened to spot one flying their country’s flag, that might be just enough for them to select that particular hotel over the others. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2020, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hotels-decide-which-flags-to-fly/926374/26 "2020-11-29T22:26:42Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > That sounds like your wife made the reservations and you paid in person when you checked in. Correct. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hotels-decide-which-flags-to-fly/926374.md?page=1)