Hi folks,

On a recent trip to Miami, a hotel waiter told us that someone had reserved a room under the name, "George Washington." The waiter was all "a twitter" because he was sure the mysterious traveler, expected to check in that evening, was a celebrity.

Is this a common practice? To reserve under some generic name? At first I believed it, but then I thought that a celebrity would probably just use their birth name rather than their commonly known stage name. Or, better yet, wouldn't they use their personal assistant's name and not their stage name?

Thoughts?

-Darvy, the travel gal

No-we make the reservation under our own names but it is in the registration book/at the desk under a pseudonym for privacy.

I have heard of such practices-- I wonder if it might have been Bennifer and J.Lo.... Easy-to-remember is the key, although why they would go for something that calls so much attention to itself for being so patently fake is beyond me.

Gilda Radner wrote that when she was undergoing one of her cancer treatments, Gene Wilder had checked her in at the hospital as Lorna Miller (Lorna was the name they would have used if they had had a daughter-- and Miller from "The Judy Miller Show" from SNL). Fine, she got a couple of days of privacy. But one of the doctors caring for her was very fond of her, always tried to make her laugh or smile, and always called her "Lorna Doone", after the cookie.

I always register under a psuedonym but reserve using my real name.

Well, looky there guvnah! I seems to be hob nobbins with the travellin' e-leet! Well, I'll say!

Scarlett, PamSF: you wish.

Then I guess PamSF and I are hob- nobbing with the clueless?

Yes, Darvy, it is a common practice, and REALLY big celebs/dignitaries don't leave a pseudonym and actual name at the front desk. In fact, the bigger celebs don't even check themselves in. They have an assistant do all the interfacing, and they are simply escorted straight to their suite without ever being seen near the front desk.
Many celebs do use dual identities at the front desk, most often at places where they are regulars.
I have a couple friends who have been long time managers at high end hotels in NYC and Las Vegas, and the hotel staff usually know who's who and what's what. It's usually no secret within. But there are strict confidentiality restrictions at better hotels and employees can be and are fired for breaching the rules.

This reminds me of the scene in the movie Nottinghill when Hugh Grant's character couldn't remember under what name Julia Roberts' character told him she was registered. I think it was one of the 7 dwarfs?