Hotel strange question...
 

Here it goes: my company will pay me two weeks in a Boston( where I 'll be working) 4 star Hotel, but I want to go for a long weekend to NYC.<BR>Should I say anything to the a hotel in Boston, that is, that I will be away for 3 or 4 days ? <BR>

Why not check out for the nights that you're going to be in NYC. And just use the money for lodging in NYC. Your company would be spending the money anyway, so what difference does it make where you are on the weekends?

I would agree with the previous postr. <BR>I had a similar situation,except in Houston, So, for the weekend, I checked out, and used the company travel agent to book a 2 ntstay in San antonio, at a company-approved hotel, at a rate that is the smae or LOWER than the Houston hotel was. If you are expected to be away on the weekend, and the company is paying for food/lodging, it shouldn't matter where you are, as long as you aren't spending MORE than you would have if you stayed in Boston.

All good points and keep in mind that you can probably get weekend specials in NYC that are as cheap or even cheaper than Boston hotel prices (for comparable lodging).

Norm,<BR>Does the post office transfer people around now to deliver the mail? Just kidding-weak Cheers joke. Anyway, everyone else is correct. But the answer to your question is that, no, you don't have to say anything to the hotel if you leave stuff in you room. This has happened to me before when I unexpectedly couldn't return from a day trip for awhile.

Actually, x, Cliff was the postman on Cheers. Norm was the accountant. Jeez! BTW, I miss that show.

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Check with your company. The IRS has regulations (not so clear) that may prohibit them or the client from paying for a NYC hotel room, because you are really not in NYC on business (only Boston.)<BR><BR>Companies interpret that rule differently.

Bit embarrassing story. I once did this, and went off for three nights for a little "extra-marital fling" in another city. When I returned to the hotel, I found that they had called my home to see if there had been any word. My wife had contacted the police and put out an alert for me as a missing person. The maid reported that I had left things there but obviously had not been into the room in three days, so the hotel contacted my home, suspecting foul play. I suggest if you do it, let the hotel know you will be away for a few days. If I had done so, I might still be married.

To X:<BR><BR>You really don't get it, do you? You state: "let the hotel know you will be away for a few days. IF I HAD DONE SO, I MIGHT STILL BE MARRIED."<BR><BR>So you put the blame for your no longer being married on the fact that you didn't notify the hotel you'd be away? I see. It wouldn't have had anything to do with the fact that you had a "little extra-marital fling" now would it? Are you that pathetically clueless, or just plain arrogant? Nevermind. I guess you're both. Bet your employer is real proud to have such an upstanding employee on the payroll, especially if you treat your job with the same integrity as your marriage. Looks like the real winner in this situation was your ex-wife, who after worrying sick about you, got to find out just what a louse you are.

Mr. x, just curious, are you so proud of what you did that you felt a need to post about it on a public message board? And why do you assume that Norm is just like you?

To all of us women who are at home working, I guess we now have reason to question our husbands when they are not in their rooms when we call them when they are on a business trip. X-you are a total jerk. I am glad your wife divorced you and I feel sorry for the poor slob that you were having an affair with, you will probably screw around on her too.

X: I am going to NYC to be with... my wife. Well, I just want to know if I should say anything to the hotel in Boston, since I'll be away for three or four days and the room is already paid by my company.<BR>Thanks

Well, your wife won't be looking for you, but somebody else might -- I would tell not only the hotel, but also your office and travel agent, in case somebody needs to reach you. <BR><BR>Even if your accountant decides that the company can't pay for your NY hotel, they would probably appreciate you checking out of the Boston hotel IF it saves them $$. Unless, of course, they want to spend more because they're making overhead off a govt. contract! <BR><BR>By the way, I can see why your accountant (or other bean-counter) might technically object, but it's probably still cheaper than sending you home for the wekeend. I've been allowed to do just this -- stay in a different city over the weekend -- while billing a federal govt contract. Their attitude was that you're not expected to officially be onsite or working over the weekend anyway, so they don't care where you stay, especially if it costs them less than sending you home on Friday night and back again on Monday morning!

Norm;<BR><BR>My husband travels frequently for long periods of time and sometimes books hotel rooms for several months at a time. If he leaves for just one day he usually does not say anything to the hotel. However, if he is going to be away for several days he tells the front desk and the maids. He does this because in the past the hotel has assumed that he checked out and packed up his stuff and put it in storage. If you say nothing you may come back and find yourself without a room. Be sure you tell the day staff, almost nothing is ever relayed by the night staff to the day staff.

I did the VERY same thing this time last year. Stayed at the Lenox in Boston--GREAT. Took the train, and my 'stuff' to NY, and came back--checked back in. Of course, the train trip was on my dime. Did you inquire if they would pay for lodging in NY if you checked out those days you will be in NY? Shouldn't be a prob. Oh, the train ride to NYC isn't bad at all! Enjoyable after a long work week.

I would mention it to the hotel if you do leave for a few days, why wouldn't you? Aside from possible company objections re paying for the weekend personal travel thing in NY, it's possible they got a special rate with the hotel based on a long-term certain length of occupancy, and you checking out and back might violate that deal. Maybe not, but you never know. However, I'll bet if you are a typical business traveler for two weeks, you may have a lot of business stuff with you and you don't want to check out and lug it around on your weekend jaunt, right?

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As the accountant for my office, I would not pay out on travel reimbursement if one our employess did this. The company is paying your way to Boston for a reason, if you have free time and decide to leave Boston, how is the company responsible for the bill? I would suggest you keep your room, let the staff know that you will be in and out, do not leave any valuables in the room, and then go and do your own thing and don't tell your boss. As I have had to decline travel vouchers for this and other nonsense, I am constantly telling people,what I do not know will not hurt either of us, but receipts, now they don't lie. As for the self rightous assholes on this board who feel the need to castigate the poster who told about his extra marital fling, that marriage was probably already in trouble...who knows what the family dynamics are!! better yet who cares???????????

xxx, I'm seriously trying to understand the logic here. If the employee is not expected to work over the weekend, why do you care whether he spends it in Boston or NYC? <BR><BR>I can see why you wouldn't pay for the transport to another city, or duplicate hotel rooms if he keeps the one in Boston, but why do you care which city he has lunch in? Or sleeps in? Would he have to spend the whole weekend IN BOSTON for you to pay for his meals? What if he went to Cambridge? Brookline? Cape Cod? Is this employee your indentured servant, bound to stay in Boston even though he's giving up a weekend with his home and family?

This sounds like a bad Dilbert Cartoon!<BR><BR>I agree with Ellen's reply to the BeanCounter.<BR><BR>Those in charge of employee reimbursement get all too caught up with the "little" rules. They don't think that they've taken their employee's weekend away from him. What's Norm's time worth? If you don't want to pay a few bucks of the company's money, when you're keeping Norm from his home and family, then maybe Norm should check out, fly home, and return on Monday. Sure, it will cost the company (or its customer) more money, but at least the beancounters won't worry about that Norm was doing a few things on his own while stuck out of town for 2 weeks on business. It's my experience that the beancounters make it hard on the company travelers because they're jealous of having be be stuck in a cubicle all day. But Norm's probably generating revenue for the company, while the accountants are just generating paper.

As an accountant by trade, it really irritates me to read postings by true beancounters....those who can't see the forest from the trees.<BR><BR>Why should the company deny anyone a weekend off - does it count that this person is away from home (and probably family) during this extended 3 week period? What difference does it make whether a hundred bucks is spent in one town versus another - and better yet, what if the company actually saves money?!<BR><BR>Get a grip!<BR><BR>To Norm, whatever you decide to do, please notify the hotel of your plans. They will double lock your door and re-open it for you upon your return. If you don't tell them, it will definitely cause a problem - they will think you are missing, etc.<BR>

As a bean counter I am not losing my job because one of my fellow colleagues feels the need to cheat on a travel voucher. More often than not, if our employees are expected to stay over a weekend there is usually a reason for it. Meetings, gatherings, etc. that are essential. Also, our employees get paid for the hours they work on travel, we have built that in. The original poster of this did ask a good question about his room, but the fact is that he is real question was should I be honest with my employer? most of the anwers were no, that say alot about those posters. Where have moral and ethics gone? I hope that you are all business owners who have employees that rip you off, since you obviously feel that it is ok to do this...

xxx, I think you don't understand the situation. Whenever I have been sent out of town for 2 weeks, it has been understood that my weekends are my own. The OP (Norm) has never implied the he is doing anything that his employer wold consider sneaky. If he were expected to be in Boston for the weekend for meetings then of course he would not want his hotel to know he was out of town, since they might tell his employer.<BR><BR>I do agree with you that if the employee was expected to attend weekend meetings, etc., then leaving town would be cheating, but I don't think that is the situation. Still, I'm glad I don't work for the same employer as you.

I'm glad that Mr Bean posted and didn't get as emotional as I did. "Not seeing the forest from the trees" is exactly what I was thinking of too. I also doubt that Norm was doing anything sneaky. I think he was doing his employer a favor by not incurring multiple airline trips, and a little consideration from his employer, like paying for a NYC hotel, is the least they can do to return the favor.<BR><BR>My current employer is great, but the former SOB I worked for thought nothing of sending people out of town with hardly any advance notice, making them always fly on their own time, and spending weekends out of town to capitalize on the "Saturday overnight requirement". I'm sorry, I *have* a family, and it does not include my boss.<BR><BR>Now, as a former hotel worker, I will state that if Norm does vacate the room, but not check out, he should tell the hotel, so they don't assume he "skipped".

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Just a simple question...if Norm's wife is in NYC already, then why would there be a hotel bill for NYC? Wouldn't he just stay with her?<BR><BR>And for the record, I think he should tell his office. He will be away longer than a 2 day weekend ("for 3 or 4 days") so he if he's taking 1 or 2 days off to play, and he is a hardworker, valued by his company/boss, they will likely encourage it. But I think they have a right to know. He should def let the hotel know.<BR><BR>Norm, have fun in BOS...enjoy a pint at Cheers!

Jeez some people really get off track and get lost on a tirade that has NOTHING to do with the original question! ARRRGH! Go and enjoy NYC. DO tell the front desk you are leaving the site for a few days and shall return. DO tell your boss of your NYC plans in case someone from the office tries to contact you while you plan to be away. DO NOT check out of the Boston hotel for the weekend! Weekend rates are cheaper. If you checkout and check back in, you could lose a pre-negotiated extended stay rate that is a set cost per night for the length of stay. Weeknight rates are much higher. I would drive to NYC (and pay for the gas cost on your own, don't expense it) You can get to NYC from Boston FASTER and CHEAPER than taking the Acela train which costs $200. And don't bother going to Cheers. It's nothing like the TV Show! Enjoy Boston while you're here though and check out Villa Francesca in the North End for dinner one night. Great place.

As long as we've gotten off on a tangent about telling Norm how to GET to NYC, I agree that the Acela is expensive, but rather than driving he could take the bus, which is a lot classier than it used to be, much more relaxing than driving, and no more expensive once you pay for gas and those outrageous NYC parking fees.

Hey, Norm, when are you going? Can I bum a ride with you if you drive? Then I won't have to worry about which train station in CT to park at.

TO: y<BR><BR>It comes on back-to-back every night on Nick at Nite!

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