I’m always hearing about people checking into hotels under “John Doe” aliases and the like, but how exactly is this done? I’ve stayed in quite a number of hotels over the last few years and even the worst podunk dives still require a picture ID to check in, whether you’re paying by cash or credit card. So how do people get around these issues, especially celebrities and adulterers, who have the most to lose should their privacy be breeched?
They slip them some folding money.
The better the hotel, the bigger the bill.
You probably can check in under your real name, but then you can just tell the front desk to have you listed as “IP Freely” to ward off unwanted calls.
I’ve never done it, but I’ve got a hunch.
You can request an Authorized User card from your bank for many credit cards, if you requested a card in the name I P Freely and reserved a hotel room under that name, I’d suspect that you’d get by fine. It’s been a while since I rented a hotel room, so I don’t remember if they ask for photo id these days, if they do, then you may be out of luck. OTOH, you could still claim to be Mr. Freely’s employee, cousin, or brother-in-law and that he’d reserved the hotel room for you (people often reserve rooms for children, etc…).
The later in the day the better. As a matter of fact, I would say, check in after midnight or 1 am. Go to a third tier hotel - Red Roof Inn or Comfort Suites or HoJo, something like that. Pay cash for the room. Use the name I P Freely.
Now, if you want to do this at a Westin or Marriott or Sheraton or Hilton, call in advance. Explain that you are trying to get away and you don’t want people to track you down. The more low key you are about this - some plausible story, but not too many details, the more likely you will get what you want. Hotels register people under alias’ all the time. The bigger the name, the more bizzare the alias. Don’t expect to get phone calls under your real name though as they will only have the alias on file.
All of the above advice seemingly makes sense, to the point that I would have assumed all of this in the first place had not my recent experience contradicted things. I’ve stayed in about half a dozen hotels in the last six months, all mid- to low- tier (ie. anything from the Ramada to a local rat trap with holes in the walls and no Bible on the nightstand). They’ve all had the same policy: a photo ID is required for either cash or credit card payments. I’ve been paying mostly cash and they still inevitably end up photocopying my driver’s license, presumably in case I make off with any valuables. Maybe it’s the ritzier hotels that are a bit more trusting and don’t require ID. I’m not sure.
I’ve stayed in several very high end hotels and never had to show ID. The most recent (The Delta Hotel) only needed my Amex.
Maybe it’s an American thing? I once stayed at the “Red Roof Inn” in Detroit and I did need ID.
I’ve been to the Hilton (nigara falls) and didn’t get bothered there. Just show my credit card and check in (with reservation) was 1 minute.
I’'ve stayed at quite a few motels, from Ottawa, to Niagara Falls (ON), to Portland, ME to Allentown, PA. I payed with a credit card for all of them, but none of them required photo ID… maybe it varies by chain? (These were all very inexpensive places.)