Hotel Workers Reveal: Why Guests “Forgetting” to List Kids on Reservations Drives Us Bonkers
Have you ever thought about sneaking an extra kid or two into your hotel room, figuring, “What’s the harm?” Well, hotel staff have a few things to say about that—and they’re not holding back! A recent viral post from r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk, titled “i am shocked by guests stupidity,” pulled back the curtain on the bonkers world of hotel check-ins, where some guests treat fire codes like polite suggestions and children like invisible luggage.
What started as a simple vent from one front desk worker turned into a wild and hilariously relatable thread, as hospitality veterans and travelers alike weighed in. The result? A crash course in why listing everyone in your party—including your tiniest travelers—isn’t just common courtesy, but the law of the land.
“But My Baby Isn’t a Person!”—The Wild World of Check-In Shenanigans
The original poster, u/witchersbitch, shared an all-too-familiar scenario: a party booking four rooms, “two adults each,” but showing up with five extra kids in tow—unlisted, unannounced, and apparently, in the minds of the parents, not even qualifying as people. When pressed, these guests explained they’d skipped listing the kids because “schmooking always gave us separate rooms if we listed them.” Translation: they’d rather gamble with hotel fire codes than fork out for an extra room.
One guest even tried to argue that his one-year-old “wasn’t a person,” so she didn’t count toward the room limit. “Of course it is a person!” the OP exclaimed, echoing the collective facepalm of hotel workers everywhere.
As the comments piled up, it became clear: this isn’t a rare occurrence. u/RainbowRandomness chimed in with their own war stories, recalling guests who badgered them for spare mattresses or insisted on sleeping on the floor—despite clear rules. “Do I look like the person who makes the rules?” they quipped, capturing the universal exasperation of front desk staff everywhere.
Fire Codes, Fines, and Why Counting Kids Actually Matters
It turns out, there’s a very good reason hotels care about the number of “souls” (as one commenter wryly put it) in a room: safety. Overcrowding isn’t just a nuisance—it’s a liability.
u/kismetxoxo7, a decade-long hospitality veteran, put it bluntly: “The majority of people do not consider children to be people.” But for hotels, knowing exactly how many bodies are in a room is critical in case of emergencies. As u/TheHonPonderStibbons explained, having an accurate headcount can mean the difference between life and death during a fire evacuation. “In the worst case scenario, I want my family and friends to know exactly who was in that room.”
Yet, even when staff explain it’s the fire marshal’s rule—not their own—guests shrug it off. “We’ll take the blame,” they say. As if a $1,000 fire code fine will be sent to their Venmo instead of the hotel’s ledger. “If I had to explain to a firefighter that I disregarded my fire safety training… ooooohhh. No. I ain’t doing that lol,” u/RainbowRandomness wrote.
Not Just Hotels: The Universal Plague of “Oops, I Forgot the Kids”
This kind of creative counting isn’t confined to hotels. Restaurant workers joined the fray, sharing stories of “reservations for four” that magically transformed into ten-person parties—once you included the “invisible” children.
As u/JevingtonJigg recounted, “Hi, we booked for four… and six children. So… ten? Well, four. And six children. Do they need chairs? Yes. Then it’s ten.” One brave waiter, on his last day, simply sat the family at a table for five, as reserved, and told them, “So you either take turns at the table or learn how to count to 9.” Legendary.
And don’t get the airline employees started! As u/NoCleverUsername22 pointed out, families try the same tricks on flights—showing up with extra kids, pets, or expecting to be seated together without booking adjacent seats in advance. It’s not rocket science, as u/birdmanrules observed: “You don’t go to McDonald’s and demand a 5-star Michelin meal. Hotels are no different.”
Book the Room You Actually Need—And Why It’s Worth It
So, what’s the solution? Plan ahead, be honest, and book accommodations that actually fit your group. “I’m appalled—but not surprised—that people do this,” wrote u/BasicTelevision5, who described how he checked room capacity before a family trip and simply found a hotel that could accommodate three people. “I couldn’t imagine showing up at a hotel… and expect the FD to fix it for me.”
Others shared similar stories of meticulous planning—booking large suites or adjoining rooms for big families, or intentionally choosing hotels with strict two-adult policies for a blissfully kid-free stay (shoutout to the commenter who picked a D.C. hotel for its peace and quiet).
And for those who insist on pushing their luck? As u/Legal-Lingonberry577 observed, “They’re not stupid. They’re scammers trying to stiff you on fees.” Whether it’s weaponized incompetence or simple entitlement, front desk workers have seen it all.
The Bottom Line: Don’t Be That Guest
If you take one thing away from this saga, let it be this: Hotel staff aren’t out to get you. They’re following rules—fire safety, capacity limits, liability insurance—set by people paid much more than them. As the OP put it, “Why would we deny you if we could make money from you!?”
So, next time you travel, spare yourself (and the exhausted staff) the drama. List every member of your party—yes, even the baby. The rules are there for a reason, and trust us: nobody’s hiding secret mattresses in the back room just for you.
Have you ever witnessed or survived a hotel check-in horror story? Or are you a hospitality worker with a tale to share? Sound off in the comments below—just remember to count everyone in your party!
Original Reddit Post: i am shocked by guests stupidity