It's pretty simple. If you stay at a hotel, you're expected to settle your bill before you leave and sometimes, even before you arrive. Failure to do so can land you in all sorts of trouble. You might face legal action, criminal charges and/or end up on a 'Do-Not-Rent' (DNR) list where you find yourself banned from the establishment. But there will always be those people who insist on taking chances.
A hotel worker has shared how their night shift turned into a nightmare, after a banned guest rocked up and demanded to be checked in. When she was informed that she wasn't welcome at the hotel, she refused to leave, and even pulled out the "Do you know who I am card?" Things got so heated that the cops had to be called.
Checking into a hotel should be a fairly simple process, unless you've been placed on a "Do-Not-Rent" list
When one banned guest refused to take 'no' for an answer, staff had no choice but to call the police
You can run but you can't hide...
A quick Google search reveals that several people have found themselves swapping comfy hotel rooms for jail cells after failing to pay their bills.
In July, an Irish woman was arrested by Spanish border patrol, following an 11-night stay at an all-inclusive resort. She’d reportedly used a bank card to book the vacation for two adults and a minor. When hotel staff tried to charge her card at the end of the family’s £2,100 stay, it was declined. The woman then promising that she’d make the payment, the woman was tracked to the airport
“Although she initially stated that she intended to make the payment, claiming she was unable to access her bank card because she was already at the airport, she ultimately ceased all communication without paying the outstanding amount,” said a police spokesperson at the time.
In January, a reality star (rumored to be an ex-girlfriend of Prince Harry) was arrested in Spain for allegedly leaving a Majorca hotel without settling her $600 bill. 53-year-old Catherine Ommanney was detained on suspicion of fraud. “I have proof the bill was paid in full," she claimed, after appearing in court. "It was a technical error on the hotel’s behalf and I will be seeking an apology through the justice system.”
But perhaps one of the wildest stories involves a man who seems to have made it his life mission to avoid paying his hotel bills. 69-year-old Bingson John spent 30 years checking into luxury hotels across India, and fleeing without paying. John is believed to have conned no less than 300 hotels.
He was finally nabbed in July, after failing to pay a $650 bill and stealing a laptop.
“According to a confession he made to the police, his turn to crime occurred after a personal tragedy,” reports Firstpost, explaining that he abandoned plans to marry altogether after his fiancée passed away. This, he claims, is what led him into the world of crime.
As for why he targeted hotels, officials say that John had once had an argument with the owner of a hotel over non-payment of commission. “From then on, he decided to target expensive hotels,” the site notes. His modus operandi was to travel to a new city, and check into luxurious hotels under a fake name. And it didn't stop there.
"He has posed as a foreign tourist guide, an English teacher, or a yoga trainer to dupe the hotel authorities," the site reveals.
Many felt the hotel worker handled it well, and some shared their own similar DNR nightmares
