booking.com question

onethreefive · 04-09-2013 8:56pm #1

Hi,
I have a hotel booked and paid for with booking.com The money for the hotel was taken from my card on the day of booking so all I am wondering is what to I bring with me to the hotel as proof of booking?
Thanks,

Eponymous · 04-09-2013 9:37pm

I always print my booking or the e-mail confirmation and to be honest I'm rarely asked for it once I give my name. The couple of times I have been asked for confirmation, they've accepted either the e-mail or the print-out from the screen.

Better safe than sorry!

JohnMearsheimer · 04-09-2013 9:39pm

Just print out the email confirmation from booking.com. Have the credit card you booked the room with handy as well.

ProudDUB · 04-09-2013 10:01pm

Yeah, bring the card that you used with you as well. You may have prepaid for the room, but they usually like to swipe it when you arrive and have it on file until you check out. This is just in case you rack up additional charges that aren't included in your original booking...room service, bar bills, charging meals to your room etc etc. You may not plan on doing any of that, but they don't know that.

OakeyDokey · 04-09-2013 10:32pm

Passport. They usually ask for your passport. That's the way it's been for me. You could also download the app and show them the booking that way.

ProudDUB · 05-09-2013 1:13am

Passport? I've never been asked to produce my passport in any hotel, in any country, that I have ever stayed at, whether it's been booked with booking.com or not. I've just been asked for my credit card and booking confirmation number. Perhaps it is a country by country thing?

Meangadh · 05-09-2013 1:16am

Most places I've stayed in, particularly in Italy, I've been asked for my passport. Happened in a hotel in England last month too- they just take a copy of it. That's regardless of who I booked with though.

OP I'd just print off the email or booking plus I.D. and you'll be grand.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 05-09-2013 1:22am

German and Austrian hotels ask for a passport or ID card (legal requirment).

tatli_lokma · 05-09-2013 7:43am

Most places I've stayed in, in a range of countries, have always asked for your passport. As said it is required for legal reasons.

Gatica · 05-09-2013 8:26am

can't remember abroad but in Ireland have never been asked for passport, I wouldn't even bring it with me anyway.

finbarrk · 05-09-2013 8:54am

ProudDUB wrote: »

Passport? I've never been asked to produce my passport in any hotel, in any country, that I have ever stayed at, whether it's been booked with booking.com or not. I've just been asked for my credit card and booking confirmation number. Perhaps it is a country by country thing?

You mustn't have been to too many countries so. It's common worldwide. Sometimes it can be taken for 24 hours.

Eponymous · 05-09-2013 9:23am

ProudDUB wrote: »

Passport? I've never been asked to produce my passport in any hotel, in any country, that I have ever stayed at, whether it's been booked with booking.com or not. I've just been asked for my credit card and booking confirmation number. Perhaps it is a country by country thing?

Spain, Germany, Italy, France are all places I've stayed where they've taken a copy of my passport at check-in. This is a legal requirement afaik and nothing to do with having reseved a room with booking.com. If you arrive late, you probably won't get your passport back til next day as it's generally done by back-office.

FWIW, you don't need to use the card you secured the booking with either. I tend to use my credit card to secure the booking and pay on arrival using Visa Debit or cash, but they'll ask to take a swipe of a card for additions to the room.

keithclancy · 05-09-2013 9:42am

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

German and Austrian hotels ask for a passport or ID card (legal requirment).

Must depend on the place, I stay in different hotels almost every week in Germany that I book with Hotels.com Booking.com, olotels etc etc.

Never get asked to show ID, all I provide is the booking form and my Credit card.

Although I always book on the German site I guess

ProudDUB · 05-09-2013 11:44am

finbarrk wrote: »

You mustn't have been to too many countries so. It's common worldwide. Sometimes it can be taken for 24 hours.

In the last year alone, I've been to the UK (4 times) Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, the US, (twice) & Canada. I have also stayed in hotels in Donegal, Kerry, Cork, Limerick & Galway here. I have never been asked for my passport or any other kind of photo ID in any of them.

tatli_lokma · 05-09-2013 12:23pm

You won't get asked for ID in an Irish hotel if they know you are an Irish resident. AFAIK it usually applies to non-residents. Most hotels will also get you to sign a check in card specifying your personal particulars.

cailinoBAC · 05-09-2013 1:40pm

They are very strict in Spain about the passport.
Last year when I got married the hotel wasn't going to let my sisters check in as they had left their passports back in my house. Eventually they were persuaded/
This year I had my passport stolen and had to stay in a hotel one night, however they already had me on file and I had the police report stating it had been stolen.

keithclancy · 05-09-2013 2:47pm

tatli_lokma wrote: »

You won't get asked for ID in an Irish hotel if they know you are an Irish resident. AFAIK it usually applies to non-residents. Most hotels will also get you to sign a check in card specifying your personal particulars.

I'm non resident .. never been asked.

ProudDUB · 06-09-2013 1:56am

tatli_lokma wrote: »

You won't get asked for ID in an Irish hotel if they know you are an Irish resident. AFAIK it usually applies to non-residents. Most hotels will also get you to sign a check in card specifying your personal particulars.

I have an American accent, I use US based booking sites a lot and the credit card I use most often is registered to a US address. Given all that, I have never once been asked for photo ID when checking into an Irish hotel. I have stayed in a lot of hotels in the 2 plus years that I have been back living here. I honestly can not remember having been asked to fill out a check in card giving my personal details in any of them. It may have happened, but I don't remember it. It certainly never happened in any of the hotels that I stayed in over the summer.

keithclancy · 06-09-2013 7:42am

IMO when you pay by Credit Card once you hand that in at reception to cover room expenses they don't check anything.

In Europe anyway, US we had to show our passports.
Bali also,

Cant think of anywhere else, Munich, but that was for Oktoberfest, I assume in case we trashed the place

Skuxx · 06-09-2013 7:52am

I've never been asked for a passport in this country, but I have while abroad on various occasions! They have never held onto it for 24hrs as someone above mentioned! Not sure I'd be to happy about that!

kerry4sam · 06-09-2013 10:08am

I have been asked for my passport at numerous hotels throughout Europe.

Some hotels said it was compulsory that they keep it until I departed from hotel but each time I heard that, it sent shivers & I refused every time. Always informed compulsory, but maybe it was compulsory for all except for me when I refused point-blank!

They could hold it and take what details they NEED at point of c/in, but no way were they/anyone else holding onto my passport over night, never mind numerous nights in succession.

I work in hospitality here in Ireland, and we don't ask anyone for their passport details although some arrive and present passport expecting it to be checked or have the details recorded.

ardmacha · 06-09-2013 3:49pm

It's not rocket science, in countries where people are required to have ID cards the custom has been to ask for them in hotels. In Ireland, we don't have ID cards and so that isn't the custom.

tatli_lokma · 06-09-2013 3:58pm

I am Irish and my husband is non-Irish. Any time I make a booking in my name for a hotel in Ireland we don't get asked for ID at check in. Any time he has made the booking in his name and on his card he was asked for ID. One time I was asked what nationality I was. Once I confirmed I am Irish they said they didn't need my passport but did hubby have his? We just said no, we're both residents so don't travel within Ireland with our passports! they were happy enough with that. But just pointing out that we have been asked - but only when the original booking was in my husbands name, which is obviously not an Irish one!

Spanish Eyes · 21-09-2013 5:28pm

Spanish hotels and passports....

Self and sister did an overnight to Malaga city from our apt in Estepona. Of course we didn't bring our passports doh!

Major problems indeed. I was very lucky that I remembered my passport number by heart, it is an easy one! Offered the number to the desk clerk, and he accepted it. We are two nice ladies from Dublin and charmed the man with our good grace under fire!

I now have a photo of the details page on my passport in Dropbox on my phone.

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