'The hotel is sold out': Karen lies about booking reservation, demands refund, front desk agent doesn't fall for her tomfoolery

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jun 26, 2024 2:00 PM EDT

If you're looking for a common area where Karens love to throw tantrums, look no further than the concierge desk at a hotel chain. The complaints tend to be of a similar variety. Perhaps the wifi isn't working or the mediocre complimentary breakfast is, in fact, mediocre. Perhaps the room is "too small" despite fitting the exact online description on the hotel website. Or perhaps the Karen made an error and is trying to blame everyone else for said error.

That is one of the possibilities behind this Karen's temper tantrum after she was denied a room on a totally booked evening because her reservation was nowhere to be found. Now, there is also a strong chance that this lady never made a reservation at all and was trying to argue her way into a room out of desperation. Based on the fact that she never checked into the other nearby hotel after the whole fiasco, we're inclined to believe that was the real story here.

For more content like this, check out this post about a tenant who got his Karen neighbor evicted.

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  • 01
    "You can't stay here" HOTEL
    via Marten Bjork
  • 02
    No room? But I paid my deposit... Long This tale comes from when I was working Night Audit in a busy hotel, on the outskirts of a small city, about 8 years ago.
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 03
    It's a sold-out night, I have one room left with one check-in, marked with a late arrival flag so we know the guest is arriving after 2am and late shift have already spoken to the guest.
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  • 04
    Overbooking off, and our local ring- round also verifies that the area is sold out too. This is going to be a perfect fill so I'm happy and my night porter is cracking on with the rounds.
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  • 05
    It's 2:15am and I'm just about to run the night audit when in walks "Karen”. She states her name, slaps down a credit card and asks to be checked in quickly. Immediately alarm bells are ringing as it's not the name of the last arrival I have on the list. I ask her the normal questions;
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 06
    1. Is the reservation booked under another name? 2. Do you have your booking confirmation to hand?
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  • 07
    She looks at me as if I'd suddenly grown an extra head, asks if I'm stupid and pushes her credit card further towards me across the desk.
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  • 08
    Me: I'm really sorry madam but I don't have a record of your reservation for tonight and the hotel is sold out. If you don't have a confirmation number to hand I can't check you in as I don't see a verified reservation for you.
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 09
    Karen: I have a booking, it's been made months ago and I paid a deposit. I just want to be checked in. Me: OK. Let me run your card and see if I can find any payments - was this the card you prepaid the booking on? Karen: rolls her eyes
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 10
    Me: Runs card. Sorry Madam but I'm not finding any payments associated with this card for previous or upcoming reservations. Are you sure you booking is for this hotel as there are two other hotels of the same brand with similar names in the city. Karen: I always stay here. The reception manager knows me and takes care of my bookings personally.
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 11
    Me: Madam, I am the FOM, and I believe this is the first time I am making your acquaintance. And when I pull your information up I'm not seeing any data which means you haven't had a reservation with us in the past three years. Are you sure you have booked this specific location?
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 12
    This interaction is continued back and forth for almost 25 minutes and her attitude is nonchalant with the occasional eye rolls, huffs and puffs. She's texting the entire time. By this time I've accessed the chains dreadful central reservations system and searched other local properties res list
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 13
    which are showing she doesn't have bookings there. The last arrival has also turned up with her kid in tow, and is sat on our lobby sofa watching the entertainment. I've already paged my porter to discreetly check-in the waiting guest so not as to antagonise Karen who is scarily quiet, and I'm just waiting for her to explode.
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 14
    Finally, she slams her entire tiny purse on the counter and exclaims my stupidity. She claims to have paid a 50% deposit, that the reception manager always handles her reservations personally and that I'm a complete and total mc on. By this point the other guest comes back down for a smoke and is laughing watching this crazy person just loose her sh it. I let her meltdown entirely and when she's run
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 15
    out of steam I suggest that I can book her a room at the only available hotel in a 20 mile radius however as she doesn't have a valid booking with me; she would need to pay the rate at the hotel direct and then contact us with her proof of booking and I assured her that she will get a free refund and a comp week booking with spa
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 16
    treatments if she has the proof of reservation, and I'm wrong. Off she eventually toddles to the waiting BMW that's been idling the entire time she's been here, I make the reservation for her at the new hotel and write out a brief handover log.
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 17
    In walks the late arrival guest who's been smoking and enjoying the free entertainment, she slaps down a brand new 20-pack of Marlboros, winks at me and says looks like you need these, pats me on the arm and heads off to bed.
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 18
    I was off for the next two days, came back and caught up with the GM; apparently she never arrived at the booked out hotel, didn't come back to us and no one knows who she is. It still baffles me to this day what her game plan was and where she went...
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 19
    bigexplosion 2 days ago Haha she finally remembered where she was supposed to go.
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  • 20
    thebluewitch - 2 days ago She got out to the car and the person waiting for her immediately said "I told you so."
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 21
    angelmakr9 +1.2 days ago We were traveling in Barcelona and showed up to check-in to our hotel only to find out they had 2 locations and ours was no where near our current location. It wasn't so bad except for the 30 minute bus ride with our luggage.
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 22
    You can bet the next time I booked accommodations in a foreign country I double checked its location compared to the airport location.
    via Adzi_TheLast
  • 23
    Lesson learned and no front desk employees suffered the wrath of a Karen because I knew it was my own stupidity.
    via Adzi_TheLast

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karens entitled parents hotel karen-customer tales from the front desk karens in the wild entitled reddit thread Reddit karen entitled people
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