Can I Book a Hotel for Someone Else? (Tips & Tricks)

Your other half fancies a trip away with some friends. You have a load of reward points for a hotel that you’re not going to use.

See the dilemma? You’re wondering if you can book the hotel for your partner!

Let’s take a look at your options and see whether it is indeed possible.

Table of Contents

Can I book a hotel for someone else?

In short, yes. Yes, you can book a hotel for someone else. Good news, right?

However, depending on the hotel chain, there may well be some restrictions so it’s always best to read the small print just in case.

Tips booking hotel for someone else — The process of booking a hotel for someone else

Generally, however, there are three ways that you can book a hotel on behalf of someone else.

You can book it in your name and then change the name on the reservation afterwards.

If you can’t change the name, you can add an additional guest who should then be able to check in (while you don’t need to as you’re not actually going!).

If they don’t allow those options, you can book in your name and then telephone the hotel to inform them that another person (i.e., not you!) will be checking in. We’ve yet to find anyone who’s tried this method and had a problem with it.

Is there anything I should be concerned about if I book a hotel for someone else?

If you have booked a hotel for someone else and your name remains on the reservation, there is one thing you should be aware of.

The person liable for any damages or charges will usually stay with you.

This is particularly troublesome if you’ve supplied your bank card details to reserve the room.

Furthermore, any raucous behavior associated with the room could result in a ban from that hotel or a whole chain.

Now, this is pretty extreme, isn’t it? But, if you’re booking a hotel on behalf of someone else, it is most definitely worth thinking about!

Word of Warning – Only book a hotel for someone you trust implicitly in this regard. Granny and grandad? Sure! Your mate down the pub who’s known for his drunken antics? Maybe not.

How do I book a room in one of the major chains for someone else?

Many of the major hotel chains have a very similar way of booking a room on behalf of someone else.

Let’s take a look at some of the bigger chains and talk you through how to do it.

Booking a Hilton Hotel room for someone else

If the hotel you’re trying to book for someone else is a part of the Hilton chain, then this advice will apply to you.

Firstly, on booking, you can specify that any additional guests can check in without you being there.

On booking, there is a box that you can fill in for ‘Additional Comments’. Here, you can specify that your additional guests can check in without you being there.

When you come to add the details for your additional guests (only, they aren’t really additional if you’re not going to be there!) you can choose to give them permission to check in without you.

With Hilton, there’s also another way.

You can ‘pool’ your points with a friend. This means that the friend can then use the points directly using their own account.

Booking an IHG Hotel room for someone else

IHG stands for Intercontinental Hotel Group.

It includes hotel chains such as:

Staybridge Suites
Crowne Plaza
Candlewood Suites
Intercontinental
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn Express

When booking one of their rooms, it does not allow you to change the name of the reservation, but you can specify additional guests when you reserve.

Even if your additional guest will be the only person actually staying, you will need to specify that there will be two guests staying so that you’re able to enter their information.

Under the ‘Special Requests’ section, you can add information such as that your additional guest (ensure you give their name) will be checking in before you.

Booking a Hyatt Hotel room for someone else

Hyatt makes things really easy!

When you book the room, you can actually change the name of the person staying during the reservation process.

Even reading their terms and conditions shows that this is clearly permissible.

It reads, “The Award Reservation must be made by the Member who wishes to gift the award, but the Award Reservation must be made in the name of the person who will actually use the award (i.e., the recipient of the gifted award).

Hyatt definitely has one of the best systems when it comes to booking for someone else and still reaping the rewards.

You can even make a “Guest of Honor” booking for someone else which means they’ll have all the perks that you would have if you were going yourself: free breakfast, late checkout, and maybe even complimentary suite upgrades if they’re available.

Booking a Marriott Hotel room for someone else

Marriott also allows you to book a reward stay for someone else, but you must do this over the telephone.

The Marriott Rewards line is the best place to do this (888-236-2427 in the USA). This line should allow you to book a room at any of the Marriott-branded hotels, including:

Ritz-Carlton
Courtyard by Marriott
Renaissance Inn
Fairfield Inn
SpringHill Suites
TownePlace Suites
and Marriott, among others

Marriott allows you to make bookings for others up to five times in any 12-month period. You don’t earn any additional points for your friend’s stay, however.

Booking a Best Western Hotel room for someone else

Best Western doesn’t let you change the names of the person staying or add any other guests online.

It is not even clear in their terms and conditions whether this is allowed. It may well be worth a phone call to Best Western if this is the chain with whom you want to make your booking!

Final Thoughts on Booking a Hotel for Someone Else

If you’re wanting to book a hotel room for someone else, especially if you are wanting them to benefit from your reward points, there are many ways to go about it.

Different chains of hotels do it differently. But, for the vast majority of hotels, a simple note when booking online or a quick phone call should make it easy enough to do.