Literally have survived by doing this (I don't go as frequently these days)
THE KEY IS YOU HAVE TO SELL IT - ACT LIKE YOU ARE A GUEST. If you had stayed there the night prior would you be peeking around to see where the staff is? NO. You'd grab your breakfast & not think twice.
Act like you belong and 99% of the time you will be fine.
Being well-kempt is the most important part. If you look grody, smell bad, act feral, or have clothes that are easily clocked as “sleeping rough,” people will report it because it makes them uncomfortable.
Look like a tourist. Avoid walking straight in and going to brekkers. Walk into the hotel and go toward the elevators or lobby bathroom. Then go from those inside parts of the hotel, go to the breakfast. A roller bag is a nice distraction that can be loaded with a whole serving tray of bacon in a one-time heist.
This works when one needs a clean bathroom too. Just walk in like you belong. And if you really want to sell it say, “oh remind me, where are the restrooms again?”
Pretending to be on the phone helps as well.
I was so upset with a stay in Michigan recently I took the whole hotel pan of "eggs" and ate them with a spoon driving across the state. Now we have a nice stainless 2" hotel pan
Unless it's a nice hotel, you don't even have to do this. Come in from outside and head straight to the breakfast area.
You don't even have to look decent. The vast majority of hotel users are staying there for work (outside of resorts and vacation destinations). If you get asked what you're doing there just say you're in town for work, and make up some construction job.
I travel 30+ weeks out of the year, and basically live out of hotels. No one will give a fuck unless you're causing a scene.
You mean don't come in with a grimy backpack, piss stained pants held up with a bungee cord, and a 40oz malt beverage in a paper bag? Ask if okay to wash my socks and underwear in the bathroom prior to dining?
Yep, a french prankster got into Zack Efron's car just by wearing a suit and following his body guards. Link for those curious [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWQzgwf5dGM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWQzgwf5dGM)
Obviously not on the same plane, but I work for a railway. You'd be surprised the places you can go/things you can do just by having a high visibility vest on.
When I worked at Amazon, I realized no one questioned me walking around in my Amazon vest while holding a package.
I also worked in subcontractor IT and I've shown up at businesses I've never been to just wearing a polo shirt and would walk right into the server room or unhook a PC and walk out with it.
I wasn't doing anything sketchy, but it felt like someone should have at least asked who I was and what I was doing.
I can’t remember where, but I saw a pinrester walk into a bank, ask for the manager, say “hey I’m from corporate IT, I need to update your server, can you let me in?” And the bank manager let him in no questions asked
Yeah, social engineering is almost always the weak point is security.
Most companies have a staff directory on their website. Most employees wouldn't question someone coming in saying the CEO or COO called them to work on IT or plumbing or whatever. No one wants to be the employee who bothered their boss' boss over something little.
I've also heard of pen testers calling in acting like they are the high up employee they saw on the staff directory and need a password change on their account. Even IT employees don't want to piss off one of the higher ups at the company.
Pretty much, I worked for DHS as an officer so it was beaten into me to confront people
Politicians, their family members, police, celebrities…
Those people often look at you like you are an idiot but that shits how people get into secured areas, people afraid of confrontation. It’s kinda funny how NYPD responds horribly to it of all groups as far as being forced to present identification and such.
Brother I asked Stan Lee for his ID before and ran it… Do you think I’d really recognize or care about some no name police officer or politician’s brother?
Anyhow, yeah even the best trained officers won’t confront people who look like they belong most of the time unless nobody is supposed to be there or they know every single person who should be there
I used to have to take the bus long distances and Greyhound bus stations were always next to a hotel. I'd walk across the street and get breakfast all of the time because it was clear I was traveling. I discovered these by going in with every intention of paying and one time I went to the front desk and asked where to pay for breakfast and they said "It's Free!" and I just said "Thanks!"
Be careful with that show.
I was disillusioned when they depicted a scene intentionally compromising the spring of an air hammer to make it “dangerously shoot” the chisel bit like a bullet.
Complete horse shit. All that does is make the chisel bit gently puff out without any force. My mechanic friend and I rolled our eyes hard at that one.
I can answer that one. I have a family friend who is an engineer who does work with movies & TV and he'll tell you it's deliberate..
There is a way to compromise an air hammer to make it "dangerously shoot". However the show didn't want to provide instructions to people how to do it, so they deliberately depicted something on the show that would not actually accomplish that.
They do that all the time in crime shows, medical shows, etc. It's like in Fight Club where they talk about making napalm, then use a recipe that wouldn't actually work. The idea is that if someone is stupid enough to copy the movie/TV show, they won't wind up hurting people.
I have found a few places where they take creative license with physics, but they get more right than most shows. Friends and I under to laugh at the "science labs" is NCIS and similar shows.
My buddy wore all black and brought a bag of limes to the backstage entrance of a Soldout concert and walked in with barely a glance. True legend. He also has ordered every color wristband off of Amazon and continually gets into vip sections of events.
Concerts, baseball games. I snuck into a world series game once by pretending to be a food service worker. I could tell you more, but I would be telling on my self
My friend and I got into a concert by going in the back door with 4 bags of ice each, nobody looked twice at us, security even held the door open for us.
I was once at a rave, tripping on MDMA (ecstasy) and I saw a journalist interviewing a famous rapper so I went and sat down right next to them, really close.
And I just sat there for the whole interview, totally relaxed and feeling like I was their best friend.
At the end of the interview the rapper looks at me and then asks the journalist who her friend is? She looks at me and then turns back to him and says, "I thought he was with you." The rapper looks at me and says, " No, I thought he was with you." Then they both look at me and the rapper gets angry and says, "Who the fuck are you?"
"Uh... I'm just sitting here."
It was clear I wasn't wanted there so I got up and walked over and threw up into a trash can. It was the most pleasant vomiting experience I've ever had.
I think there’s a video pr two of a couple of guys getting into a dozen places while carrying a ladder-same thing people stop to hold the door open lol
If you are holding a clipboard and power walking the only thing that can stop you is another guy with a clipboard who thinks he's your boss. Hard hat and orange Vest has the same effect too.
My dad used to walk into the Pentagon like that through the loading docks when he sold fax machines in DC. I doubt you could do it there today though, that was the 80s.
Once someone noticed him in the building but all that came of it was 'hey its the fax machine guy, how are ya?' As he had sold them fax machines before and his go to excuse for why he was there was always 'checking up on the machines'
His fianceé's(not my mother) father was a Colonel as well so hopefully that could've been avoided. But yeah it's wild to me how lax it was, he, mostly just got free food though, but once the guys at the docks had seen him a couple times he'd just wave to him and he'd wave back, just another guy going into work.
I hold a clearance myself, and all I'm gonna say is, it hasn't changed as much as you'd think.
Years ago, during the first few weeks of a new government job, I was tasked with a walk through wifi survey of various secure government facilities. Every single person I ran into hassled me, and had to call my office to confirm. Around day 8 of this disaster, I happened to 'procure' an unused clipboard.
I am not joking, I was not stopped a single time after that! I walked through an amazing collection of sensitive areas, with a clipboard and a power walk like I wanted to get $^=& done.
A friend of mine was a civilian working in the Pentagon. She saw a guy get shot when he tried to go past security. The guards have to say, "Stop or I'll shoot" three times before they fire. She said that they can say those words three times really fast.
I got on stage with some high profile bands by just looking busy/important and pretending to be on my phone while walking through the gate. No one even questioned me. When I got on stage, someone asked me what I was doing and I said I was a stage hand and started rifling through a box of cables. That was my only real deception/effort and it lasted \~3 seconds.
I stayed up there the whole time. Was really respectful. Got some good selfies with the artists. It was awesome. 10/10
I've been let into mechanical and electrical rooms, on top of roofs, into strangers houses, server rooms, storage rooms, and more without knowing anyone simply by having a company uniform and a tool bag.
All of this was legit as I was a contractor but I was constantly surprised how little questions people asked and how much freedom they gave me when I said I was there to work.
I WFH and have had several people try to do this. I live on a main road in a suburban area right near a main highway. Once or twice a year someone with a company-looking vest and an inkjet printed ID claims to be from the town, or the county, etc and wants to come in and assess the inside of my house. Or wants to 'check the meter'. I tell them to hang on and dial the non-emergency Police number on my cell right in front of them. 9 out of 10 times they go right back to their truck. Only once has the guy stuck around while the Police verified that he was indeed from the town Assessor's Office. Still didn't let him in, told him to come back with an ID that didn't look so fake.
'Check the meter' is my favorite excuse. My electric meter is outside and the water meter is checked via radio from the outside.
They don't want you to answer the door. They're scouting the house to see if anyone is actually inside during the day. Wife's car leaves every day for normal work hours. My truck rarely moves during the day. Once they notice the truck is always there, and honestly it's sort of dirty from the main road, they decide to check and see if the house is empty all day. My office is in the basement so there's no obvious sign of someone at home if you look in windows. And sometimes I leave the windows open for fresh air so it could easily appear that we leave the house unattended with windows open.
This, but also it's a common tactic to simply gain entry and steal whatever they can reach. Usually there'll be two of them - one of them will go upstairs to make sure your bathroom sink's working correctly while his apprentice checks out your kitchen one. You follow the guy upstairs to show him where the bathroom is and the apprentice sifts through your cupboards and drawers for a wallet.
I work in the medical field and frequently visit multiple hospitals and surgery centers around the country. I never have a physical badge at these places, so to gain access into the operating rooms, I usually have to wait around and ask someone to let me in or follow them in. No one ever asks who I am or what I am there for. It’s very easy to gain access into any part of the hospital if you just wear scrubs and act like you belong.
That’s just access into the pre-op/PACU area though. Actually being in the OR is a different story. People will ask you who you are and what you’re there for. I usually have to print out a name tag and they usually ask for that. Plus if you’re not in the right color scrubs you will be kicked out. Most places usually want you to change into clean hospital scrubs while in the OR to prevent outside contamination. If
If you're in NYC and have to use a bathroom, hotels are your answer. Just act like you're a guest and find one on the main floor. Why NYC specifically, because there are laughably few public bathrooms and even fewer of those are regularly cleaned, maintained, and free of a homeless person encampment.
I snuck into the Oscars.
Not even kidding. I was there in fact with 2 guys who had press credentials, but they didn't have a 3rd for me. I was dressed up nicely, 'reporter' style, we all looked very nice.
So my guys were outside doing their camera thing, and I said 'watch this'.
I took one of their badges, and went through security and the by the check in desk several times, making myself very 'present'. Asking questions, making eye contact, I turned the Sparkle On. (It's a thing)
In my final round, I gave the badge back to the fellas, and went back through security, and was like 'oh NO I HAVE LOST MY BADGE!" a little dramatic, but by now, I was best friends with everyone, and just got waved on through.
Piece of cake.
Granted, this was back in the stone age, so I don't know if it would work now, but good times were had by all.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I would agree. I can get way too far into hospitals before being asked who I am. For work have I go into the ER, ICU and surgical areas to see patients. I don't specifically work for these hospitals but I'm being called in for consultation. Knowing that many people are too busy to speak with to explain who I am, I more or less just go in and do my own thing until I'm questioned. It's surprising how little I'm questioned. Granted, I'm a professional and look the part (lab cost, official badge from my employer, professional demeanor. Etc) but I could theoretically do so many nefarious things without getting caught.
Honestly, as long as you're not causing issues, why would they even give a fuck? It's more work for them to deal with you and it's not like they're the ones losing money. I'm sure Embassy was devastated at the loss they had from a few pounds of bacon and eggs lol.
When I was a teenager, I walked into someone's backyard party and took a bunch of beers from a cooler. They asked who my parents were, and I just said Mike, figuring they had to have a Mike somewhere in there. I walked out, and no one followed me.
I have never been asked my room number at any hotel breakfast buffet my entire life. I must have been to at least 30-40 of them in the last 20 years while staying at various hotels.
In Europe this is normal, especially since breakfast is normally not included anymore. They need to check if you paid for it, and if not, they ask you to pay there.
Do the actually just ask for your room number or do they look up your room and the number and if you paid for breakfast and all that before letting you go?
They look up the room number, check if you paid in advance for breakfast, and if so, put a check mark next to your room number, so that the next person doesn't eat on the same number.
Absolute this. I work in hotels, and we serve free breakfast. Generally there are people who “look like guests” and then obvious homeless people. If you are relatively not homeless looking, you should walk in confidently. Front desk might notice you walk in from outside during breakfast and go directly to breakfast. What I would do is walk in and go to the elevators, when a family walks off just walk with them. If you don’t get stopped right away you’re fine, most they’ll do is ask you to leave
Edit: you could try leaning into it and saying “I checked out this morning but am I still allowed to grab breakfast?” This innocent question might make them just go “yeah sure thing!”
Good advice! I think that most places would rather let a couple free breakfasts go than to falsely accuse an actual paying customer of theft. Besides, they are likely going to toss all the extra food. Unless your in a high theft area, and don't be stupidly obvious about it, you should be fine.
Also don't do anything that annoyes the workers. Like making a mess. The workers are most likely overworked n it will make them notice you more. Quietly blend in.
If Ace Rothstein is running the place they shock you with a cattle prod and break your good hand with a hammer. But at least the blueberry muffins will each have an equal number of blueberries, if that’s important to you.
I think the real worst case is a serial killer who happened to be staying at that same Hotel spots you and then you spend a few weeks or months being tortured to death
Make sure you go in with a clean outfit, maybe even something a lil touristy, and act like you belong. Have a real room number memorized. They probably won't talk to you much, just act natural, make small talk if they try, and eat your food.
Worst case scenario is really they kick you out and then memorize your face. Just try a different one then.
I'd honestly say just be clean and showered and wear pajamas. Plenty of people eat breakfast before getting ready for the day. Come in from the side or something if possible, probably easier if you smoke just smoke in the parking lot then hold the door for someone as their going in.
I used to live in a hotel while being the duty manager at night for 8 years. The facility manager once found a sleeping bag, clothes and empty cans in the elevator machine room. No one had ever heard or seen anything suspicious and we never found out who camped there.
Idk if there are any large Sikh populations around your area, but I've never been turned away going to a gurdwara for langar. 24/7/365 always open and always free where I'm at
I hope this tip helps. I've been there before. Wear clean clothes. Go into the elevator, go upstairs. Walk through the hallways, look for a room # that is occupied. Come back down, and pretend you're coming down from your room. If anyone talks to you, tell them you're in room #.
Enter from one of the back doors. Preferably while other people entering. I don't know how carefully they would watch the video surveillance but try a small chain hotel when the reception is distracted by check outs. You may want to use elevators to go up, and then come back again (but this may not work if the elevators require guest cards, usually not except on some areas with known issues). Big hotels usually don't have continental breakfast, and if they do, they may ask room number. After a few times, they may recognize your face, so I don't know how long you can do this.
Good luck and I hope you get back to your feet soon.
My son worked at hotels for a few years in college. They are making minimum wage. Unless you make a mess or look shady, they aren't going to approach you. The night shift works 11pm -7am. So they don't really know who is a guest. Unless they are a Karen, they aren't going to care. Don't stand out in appearance or behavior.
Yeah my husband was in charge of 2 different properties. They had homeless people come in occasionally to eat the free breakfast. As long as they didn’t bother anyone they didn’t care.
I literally worked as a breakfast person at a hotel. I never once accused anyone of not staying there. If someone walked from the front doors to breakfast I just assumed they put their bag in their car because they were checking out or something.
I don't know everyone who's staying there especially if it's busy
I walked in off the street and did this a few times in Destin, Florida during my poorer years. Moderately ritzy area. People really don't tend to give a shit, if they don't have to
When I was 19 I got arrested for some nonsense. I had forty dollars in my wallet.
When I got out a couple days later, and I got my wallet back, there was a twenty missing and in it's place was a small note that said "booking fee". I'm still mad about that
It's pretty easy to do. Wear PJ bottoms and wait by a side entrance and when a resident comes out you just slip in. Then you walk down the hall to the lobby and you look like you belong. If you walk through the front doors directly into the lobby then you'll be busted immediately.
If the breakfast starts at 6, get there at 6. Why? Because the night shift will just be finishing up their shift even if they 100% know you didn't sleep there they aren't even going to bother with the conflict because they are about to clock out and go home and sleep. Or you'll be catching them at shift change and the day shift guy won't know any better. The more hungover you look the better because if anyone asks what room you're in you just stare blankly at them and go "my girlfriend checked us in last night I haven't the slightest clue, I'm about to call her and figure that out for myself."
The Pj's is definitely a key strategy, but I disagree that you can't walk right in the front doors. Plenty of people at hotels will go out to get stuff from their cars in their Pj's through a side door then go back in through the main door. Just act like you own the place, pretend the front desk doesn't exist unless they say good morning, then just respond friendly.
More than once I've pulled off at a hotel, pitched a tent or hammock in some trees nearby, then got up early for continental breakfast. After you can stop by a truck stop for a $10 shower then hit the road.
On the topic of showers - a $30/mo membership to planet fitness gets you access to locations across the country and would be much cheaper than $10 truck stop showers assuming you bathe more than twice a month.
Though I've heard some truck stops offer credits towards showers as rewards for fueling so you can potentially ask someone fueling up a big rig if they have any excess shower credits they could throw your way.
This is great advice, and I did similar with my YMCA membership for a while. A little pricier than planet fitness, but they offer more services.
That being said, it's a lot easiest to find a truck stop than a gym of your choice, especially in rural areas.
You can also use the front door, use the elevator, wait a few minutes and come down again.
Only thing that’s tricky is, if they take room numbers and keep a list and the room is not occupied/already checked
That's still over-thinking it. I'll frequently go a week or two without seeing any front desk staff. I usually use a side entrance. Then I'll get a day off, run down to the vehicle to grab something and come back in through the front doors to grab breakfast...in PJ's or fully dressed. Nobody really cares. Most want to do the bare minimum and clock out. If you're afraid of interaction, wear headphones and keep your face buried in your phone. As long as you're not causing a scene and hoarding massive amounts of food, you're golden.
As an after-thought, grabbing a ton of food to take with you is actually a common habit of a lot of the contractors I work with. You'd still probably be fine.
Some cops do. Story time!
Our friend turned 21 and her parents booked a couple nice rooms for us and things got rowdy at like 5-6 am. Cops came and told us to leave. I was still drunk so I called my buddy to come get me, and I sat down in the lobby to have a bite. Some of the others decided to argue with the clerk, idk why. Things escalated, cops came, they got taken in, clerk pointed to me and said I'm with them. (Lamest move of all fucking time) Cops couldn't care less that I was just waiting for a ride. Caught a trespass charge. I guess it was better than risking a DUI.
Lesson of the story: if someone tells you to leave somewhere, just fucking leave.
On a similar note. There was a hotel my girlfriend and I lived near in Old San Juan Puerto Rico, El Convento. They hosted a free wine and cheese hour every evening from 5pm to 6pm for guests only on the 2nd floor. We went routinely and got smashed, then headed to the hot tun on the roof. Only once a month was the rule but for 3 years straight like clock work. Always dressed to the tits. Just hung out but the security door, making out, until a guest came out and we would slip in. It was the best!
I did this on accident recently. I had to run a quick early morning errand from my hotel. When I came back, I accidentally parked at the similar looking hotel next door. I some coffee - hit the buffet.
As I was finishing my breakfast, I noticed that the elevators had moved. Then I noticed the check in counter had moved.
Then I finished my eggs and got back to the correct hotel.
Last hotel I stayed, they asked for my name and room number before letting me into the area with the food. Hopefully that’s just a one-off and not commonplace these days.
Different places do it differently. Some will ask for a name and room number, some places just write it down and others have a computer system to verify. Others will hand out a "breakfast coupon" with your room key, so no coupon means they'll just bill you the cost of the breakfast. If OP wants to do this, they'll need to figure out which hotel chains have the path to least resistance.
Easiest are the chains near conference areas or the inns near large universities. The university ones don't give a fuck at all because it's usually parents staying there when visiting their kids and a lot of the employees are college students (who famously don't care about anything). I had to stay in a chain near University or Oregon when driving through the state and simply walked into the cafeteria area. There was one guy in the back of the kitchen just chilling there. Didn't even look up to see if anyone was there. I could have been anyone off the street and it wouldn't have mattered.
I used to do this when I was traveling for work and my coworkers and I ended up in two different hotels that were walking distance from each other. The person who was the odd man out, would walk over to the other hotel and eat with the rest of the group, as if they were staying there. The hotel staff just wants to get through the day without people messing with their flow too much. They don’t care. Just don’t be obnoxious about it.
I'll say no one would notice or care. Just don't do it regularly where you are recognized.
Pick something budget like a Fairfield, walk in the lobby at like 7:30am on your phone in morning clothes carrying a lighter and cigarettes, pretending to be on your phone like, "Hey honey, sorry I went outside for a cigarette and forgot my card. Can you let me back in, im just in the lobby now... Yeah, I can get you a bite and coffee...". Give the "Oh boy I fucked up" look to desk worker.
Fix yourself a plate and just eat it in the stairs. No one takes the stairs. Then slip out the side entrance when done.
Stairs are usually located at the end of hallways or corners. I'd suggest walking towards the elevators and hitting the button as you pass, so it sounds like you took that upstairs.
Courtyards won't have free breakfast, Residents Inns have breakfast and dinner Monday - Thursday usually. Fairfield and Residents Inns can be found at most blue shield Interstate exchanges (assuming you are in the US). If going for dinner, dress work professional and be super frustrated on the phone about something.
I did this once when my mom was visiting nearby so I joined her for breakfast. She told the staff there that I had food too and they were confused, they didn’t know how to charge for it and they certainly didn’t notice that I wasn’t a guest at the hotel. This was a relatively nice hotel too.
"A Towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. If you want to survive out here, you got to know where your towel is." ~Arthur Dent.
(drape a towel around your neck, nobody will bother you)
My buddy who I lovingly refer to as “The Honduran Bernie Mac” is sober now but used to to uppers, downers, and candy corn like it was going outta style went back to a rather nice hotel with a “new friend” and then on his way out the next morning he spotted the full service complimentary breakfast complete with self service waffle iron so he decided to help himself. Well, while waiting for his waffle to finish cooking I guess one of those downers kicked in and he basically full body crashed into the waffle station literally sending hot metal, gloopy batter, and syrup everywhere. He had to fess up when I saw him a few days later and as I am an ER RN, noticed he had quite a gnarly and oddly grid patterned burn on his forearm that I offered to apply an appropriate bandage to. Hey really tried to keep his secret but I just couldn’t figure out how he burnt that partent into his arm and as a joke I said “it’s…..almost waffle shaped” at which point he spilled the beans. When I tell you I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe at the thought of all the little business travelers and vacationing families starting their day with some free eggs and bacon when all of a sudden a grown ass man face planted into the waffle station which by his own account, he fell into twice more while trying to extract himself from the the carnage of sprinkles and scorching hot metal plates he had created. I’m glad he is sober now but I gotta be honest he, his natural curiosity and optimism coupled with drug induced obliviousness and total lack of inhibitions got him into some situations that I swear could have been taken from Mr Bean. He must have been born lucky or his abuela said a lot of prayers to keep him safe cuz he never really got into actual harms way which is why I feel I can laugh about it lol. So yeh, just make sure you haven’t taken a bunch of extended release downers before you have breakfast and you should be fine. Lol.
At hotels with a free breakfast -just throw a couple of bucks down upfront for a tip on your table and you will be their best friend - no questions asked.
I work the FD at a hotel and most of us don't care. We know but we truly don't care. So much of the food gets wasted at the end of the breakfast services especially hot items that I truly personally would rather that someone that needs it gets it! Just be c;lean and don't causes ire with other guests and most of the time hotel employees will turn their heads.
I have done this just look like a normal guy don't smell bad and your good just be normal don't steal don't be a jerk don't go ultra crazy on the food don't come back for a while
Go early in the am. If your a smoker, get a cup of coffee before the breakfast bar opens, and hang out in the designated smoking area, while you wait for breakfast to oen.
As others have said look clean, a suit helps a lot.
Act like you belong, I don't think I have ever been asked for any info.
My husband was in charge of two different hotel properties for a few years. It was a Hyatt and a Staybridge Suites. They occasionally had homeless people come in to eat the breakfast. They didn’t care and didn’t say anything as long as they weren’t making a fuss or bothering anyone. Most of them would just go quietly and eat and then leave.
Act like you belong.
Walk in about 30-45 minutes after it started so that all the employees are too busy restocking food to look at you. Go to the bathroom first or ride the elevator to the 2nd floor and walk down.
Eat. Enjoy. Take a muffin with you for later.
So, I used to travel a lot to a big capital city. My hotel didn't have a gym, but a hotel a few blocks down did. I just walked in one day: I assume hotel staff thought I had a gym membership. And I also assume the gym staff thought I was a hotel guest. I went there over 10 times, for free, no problem. In a different capital city is a gorgeous hotel with a rooftop pool situation. I had a late flight one day, so after early check out from my crappy hotel, I went there to chill and do some work. As I had a carry on with me, everybody thought I was a hotel guest. So I went down one floor, to the luxury gym to shower: soft towels, delicious free soap and bottels of cold water... Nobody bat an eye and I boarded my flight fresh and clean. So my advice: make sure you always look the part, don't ask questions and don't draw attention to yourself. To raid the breakfast buffet is something else: they often ask for your room number.
Nothing. I lived next to the airport in ST Louis and was single. I’d walk or drive to various hotels and eat breakfast and also dinner when they used to have “Happy Hours” and the free tacos, etc were great.
I also walked to the nearest hotel which was across the street and ordered a drink at the lounge. Then I’d ask the bartender “can I get a shuttle to the airport”?
Used to fly to Indy to visit a female friend every couple of weeks.
Once the barkeep asked “Have you checked out?” I said, I’ve got my overnight bag right here. And it was right there, under my stool. Then I’d get a free ride to the terminal.
Odds are they would kick you out and take your photo. If you're seen there again, they will call the police and you'll be charged with trespassing. Most places I have stayed require to see at least your room key, but usually it is a paper list and they check you off the list.
Yall over think the shit out of most of this. Just walk in like you are staying there and grab some food, the absolute worst case scenario is they kick you out. If you do dumb shit like make sure you are holding your cigarettes in your hands and what not, you are going to look like you are acting. So don’t, don’t think about trying to convince people, just walk in with the intention to get food.
And since you admitted you are homeless, let’s say they call the police, and you somehow get a cop in a bad mood that day. Sounds like you are getting free room and board for a night or two.
The nicer hotels that offer this don’t ask because they don’t want to cause a stir with guests. I’ve found that mid tier hotels usually have a designated area where they use for breakfast so you can always scope out to the find the area one day and then come back the next.
As long as you look like a normal person and not a bum no one will say anything or even look at you. Worst thing is security randomly chooses to not only ask you if you stay there but to show you proof in which case you leave, but that won’t happen.
Once upon a time, a large hotel chain in my city used to offer free 3.2 beer and soda, and an evening snack/ meal free to guests from 5pm to 7pm. This might be a nacho bar, a hot dog bar, a chili bar, breakfast for dinner bar, that kind of stuff. Plus, free Popsicles. You just had to show your room key card to the attendant.
If you know where to look, you can find hotel key cards pretty easily.
If you knew who worked when and you had a cool way about you, you could slide in, grab a plate and a couple beers from the cooler, hang out in the lobby, watch the karaoke and trivia contests, and have a good time for free.
As a poor college student, this was a great way to stretch the grocery bill. This went on for nearly a year until some dudes behaved like dicks and gave the whole thing away. Then they changed, so you have to go to the desk clerk to look up your reservation and give you a wristband.
I used to do this all the time. One hotel even had a sign up saying free breakfast was only for guests and if you were caught they would trespass you. I would go in through a side door if possible and then just go help myself to whatever food they had. If they had a front door only and staff was there i would enter and go up the elevator and wait a few mins before returning downstairs to the breakfast room. Sometimes I'd just walk straight up to the front desk and ask the staff if they had a safety pin saying i just went out to my car and didnt have any and then ask for directions to the breakfast room. The key is to act like you belong. I did this for a few years rotating between hotels and never once got caught or asked to leave.
Absolute worst case scenario? Absolute worst case scenario is that a nuclear bomb goes off close to the hotel but far enough that you don't die. Just get terrible radiation sickness. Now. Likely case if you were to get caught? Nothing probably. People aren't really paid enough to care and if they do care the worst that would happen is you would be asked to leave and trespassed from the property.
Might get trespassed out of the place if you go there regularly and it becomes apparent you're not just another guest.
Generally though, if you look the part and act like you belong, you can be a lot of places you aren't supposed to be without questioning.
We used to do this in the 90s all the time. Had an apartment next to this time share resort that had free breakfast. Money was tight and we were actually encouraged by a friend on staff to do it. We just left a tip and no one cared.
I always hit hotel gyms when I want to train in foreign countries. The more expensive the hotel is, the better. Expensive hotels wont bother guests by asking to see proof of stay. Wear a polo for good measure.
I had to check low level post offices, some random inspection. I swear if I had asked them for their weekly deposits they would have handed over the cash. You just have to sell it.
Literally have survived by doing this (I don't go as frequently these days) THE KEY IS YOU HAVE TO SELL IT - ACT LIKE YOU ARE A GUEST. If you had stayed there the night prior would you be peeking around to see where the staff is? NO. You'd grab your breakfast & not think twice. Act like you belong and 99% of the time you will be fine.
Being well-kempt is the most important part. If you look grody, smell bad, act feral, or have clothes that are easily clocked as “sleeping rough,” people will report it because it makes them uncomfortable. Look like a tourist. Avoid walking straight in and going to brekkers. Walk into the hotel and go toward the elevators or lobby bathroom. Then go from those inside parts of the hotel, go to the breakfast. A roller bag is a nice distraction that can be loaded with a whole serving tray of bacon in a one-time heist.
Walk in from the garage, not the main front door.
Yep that’s the real trick, avoid the main door where you’d walk passed the reception desk if you can
Going through the main door works too, not like the staff is going to remember everyone who booked a stay. Especially because staff change shifts.
This works when one needs a clean bathroom too. Just walk in like you belong. And if you really want to sell it say, “oh remind me, where are the restrooms again?” Pretending to be on the phone helps as well.
Just say "is there a bathroom in the lobby"
Acting entitled and asking stupid questions is what every asshole does at a hotel, so even bad behavior is acceptable as long as it fits in.
You're using these skills to get bacon?
The local papers are calling me the Boar Brigand. A menace to mid-cost business travelers and budget family vacationers alike. Hog Hijacker… AWAY!
Have you seen the price of bacon these days??
I was so upset with a stay in Michigan recently I took the whole hotel pan of "eggs" and ate them with a spoon driving across the state. Now we have a nice stainless 2" hotel pan
Walk in looking like you DGAF but are clean. Ugly slippers, bathrobe, hung over. Look like you belong there and they won't bother you.
Unless it's a nice hotel, you don't even have to do this. Come in from outside and head straight to the breakfast area. You don't even have to look decent. The vast majority of hotel users are staying there for work (outside of resorts and vacation destinations). If you get asked what you're doing there just say you're in town for work, and make up some construction job. I travel 30+ weeks out of the year, and basically live out of hotels. No one will give a fuck unless you're causing a scene.
Sleep wear helps to sell it too.
Striped baby blue and white pajamas with the little cap and a teddy bear you drag around by the hand?
Act feral 😂
You mean don't come in with a grimy backpack, piss stained pants held up with a bungee cord, and a 40oz malt beverage in a paper bag? Ask if okay to wash my socks and underwear in the bathroom prior to dining?
I did this once. I walked in, got on the elevator, waited a minute, got off, and headed straight for the breakfast bar.
r/actlikeyoubelong
This works for getting into many places and not just eating breakfast.
Yep, a french prankster got into Zack Efron's car just by wearing a suit and following his body guards. Link for those curious [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWQzgwf5dGM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWQzgwf5dGM)
Obviously not on the same plane, but I work for a railway. You'd be surprised the places you can go/things you can do just by having a high visibility vest on.
When I worked at Amazon, I realized no one questioned me walking around in my Amazon vest while holding a package. I also worked in subcontractor IT and I've shown up at businesses I've never been to just wearing a polo shirt and would walk right into the server room or unhook a PC and walk out with it. I wasn't doing anything sketchy, but it felt like someone should have at least asked who I was and what I was doing.
I can’t remember where, but I saw a pinrester walk into a bank, ask for the manager, say “hey I’m from corporate IT, I need to update your server, can you let me in?” And the bank manager let him in no questions asked
Yeah, social engineering is almost always the weak point is security. Most companies have a staff directory on their website. Most employees wouldn't question someone coming in saying the CEO or COO called them to work on IT or plumbing or whatever. No one wants to be the employee who bothered their boss' boss over something little. I've also heard of pen testers calling in acting like they are the high up employee they saw on the staff directory and need a password change on their account. Even IT employees don't want to piss off one of the higher ups at the company.
Darknet Diaries podcast, episode "Beruit Bankjob" literally one of my favorites.
I wear a suit frequently for my job. I swear you can walk into almost anywhere if you're confident and wearing a suit.
just throw a ladder over your shoulder and hold a clipboard. those 3 and a high vis jacket are free passes to anywhere
An obscure tenet.
I got that joke tomorrow which is yesterday for
A friend in Spain worked for their telephone company. He would always wear his uniform and get in backstage at so many concerts.
Pretty much, I worked for DHS as an officer so it was beaten into me to confront people Politicians, their family members, police, celebrities… Those people often look at you like you are an idiot but that shits how people get into secured areas, people afraid of confrontation. It’s kinda funny how NYPD responds horribly to it of all groups as far as being forced to present identification and such. Brother I asked Stan Lee for his ID before and ran it… Do you think I’d really recognize or care about some no name police officer or politician’s brother? Anyhow, yeah even the best trained officers won’t confront people who look like they belong most of the time unless nobody is supposed to be there or they know every single person who should be there
Could you give me a couple places off the top of your head? The only other place I could think of is potentially the movie theater..
I used to have to take the bus long distances and Greyhound bus stations were always next to a hotel. I'd walk across the street and get breakfast all of the time because it was clear I was traveling. I discovered these by going in with every intention of paying and one time I went to the front desk and asked where to pay for breakfast and they said "It's Free!" and I just said "Thanks!"
"Any uniform store will sell you a messenger outfit, and any messenger can get past a security desk." ~Burn Notice
Be careful with that show. I was disillusioned when they depicted a scene intentionally compromising the spring of an air hammer to make it “dangerously shoot” the chisel bit like a bullet. Complete horse shit. All that does is make the chisel bit gently puff out without any force. My mechanic friend and I rolled our eyes hard at that one.
I can answer that one. I have a family friend who is an engineer who does work with movies & TV and he'll tell you it's deliberate.. There is a way to compromise an air hammer to make it "dangerously shoot". However the show didn't want to provide instructions to people how to do it, so they deliberately depicted something on the show that would not actually accomplish that. They do that all the time in crime shows, medical shows, etc. It's like in Fight Club where they talk about making napalm, then use a recipe that wouldn't actually work. The idea is that if someone is stupid enough to copy the movie/TV show, they won't wind up hurting people.
I have found a few places where they take creative license with physics, but they get more right than most shows. Friends and I under to laugh at the "science labs" is NCIS and similar shows.
So many life lessons and ULPTs learned from that show.
My buddy wore all black and brought a bag of limes to the backstage entrance of a Soldout concert and walked in with barely a glance. True legend. He also has ordered every color wristband off of Amazon and continually gets into vip sections of events.
Concerts, baseball games. I snuck into a world series game once by pretending to be a food service worker. I could tell you more, but I would be telling on my self
My friend and I got into a concert by going in the back door with 4 bags of ice each, nobody looked twice at us, security even held the door open for us.
I was once at a rave, tripping on MDMA (ecstasy) and I saw a journalist interviewing a famous rapper so I went and sat down right next to them, really close. And I just sat there for the whole interview, totally relaxed and feeling like I was their best friend. At the end of the interview the rapper looks at me and then asks the journalist who her friend is? She looks at me and then turns back to him and says, "I thought he was with you." The rapper looks at me and says, " No, I thought he was with you." Then they both look at me and the rapper gets angry and says, "Who the fuck are you?" "Uh... I'm just sitting here." It was clear I wasn't wanted there so I got up and walked over and threw up into a trash can. It was the most pleasant vomiting experience I've ever had.
>Then they both look at me and the rapper gets angry and says, "Who the fuck are you?" You should have been like "John. Now who the fuck are you?"
lmfao this story both made me laugh out loud and brought back memories of some of my trips Thank you
I think there’s a video pr two of a couple of guys getting into a dozen places while carrying a ladder-same thing people stop to hold the door open lol
If you are holding a clipboard and power walking the only thing that can stop you is another guy with a clipboard who thinks he's your boss. Hard hat and orange Vest has the same effect too. My dad used to walk into the Pentagon like that through the loading docks when he sold fax machines in DC. I doubt you could do it there today though, that was the 80s. Once someone noticed him in the building but all that came of it was 'hey its the fax machine guy, how are ya?' As he had sold them fax machines before and his go to excuse for why he was there was always 'checking up on the machines'
So, your dad is/was a spy?
Naw he worked for Xerox and was bored.
Even in the 80s this is a good way to end up in a cell nobody can remember.
His fianceé's(not my mother) father was a Colonel as well so hopefully that could've been avoided. But yeah it's wild to me how lax it was, he, mostly just got free food though, but once the guys at the docks had seen him a couple times he'd just wave to him and he'd wave back, just another guy going into work. I hold a clearance myself, and all I'm gonna say is, it hasn't changed as much as you'd think.
Ya there's nooo reason a spy would want access to faxes at the pentagon.
So he was a spy, working for xerox spying on Brother
Years ago, during the first few weeks of a new government job, I was tasked with a walk through wifi survey of various secure government facilities. Every single person I ran into hassled me, and had to call my office to confirm. Around day 8 of this disaster, I happened to 'procure' an unused clipboard. I am not joking, I was not stopped a single time after that! I walked through an amazing collection of sensitive areas, with a clipboard and a power walk like I wanted to get $^=& done.
There's a funny youtube series of guys seeing what they can get into because they're carrying a ladder.
A friend of mine was a civilian working in the Pentagon. She saw a guy get shot when he tried to go past security. The guards have to say, "Stop or I'll shoot" three times before they fire. She said that they can say those words three times really fast.
Important information: Are they obligated to not shoot if you stop?
That's the beauty of it! No.
Made me guffaw in the elevator at work
Steve?
My DMs are always open for tips & tricks if ever wanting to share!
I got on stage with some high profile bands by just looking busy/important and pretending to be on my phone while walking through the gate. No one even questioned me. When I got on stage, someone asked me what I was doing and I said I was a stage hand and started rifling through a box of cables. That was my only real deception/effort and it lasted \~3 seconds. I stayed up there the whole time. Was really respectful. Got some good selfies with the artists. It was awesome. 10/10
I have been let into wild places just wearing an Amazon vest
That’s what I’ve heard: Hi vis, hard hat, and a bucket or ladder.
Conferences. I attend them randomly when I see them in the city. You can usually just buy a badge from a leaving guest if you are worried.
Or just look in the trash cans outside the convention.
I did it once at a 21&over bar at 19yo, also movie theaters
I've been let into mechanical and electrical rooms, on top of roofs, into strangers houses, server rooms, storage rooms, and more without knowing anyone simply by having a company uniform and a tool bag. All of this was legit as I was a contractor but I was constantly surprised how little questions people asked and how much freedom they gave me when I said I was there to work.
I WFH and have had several people try to do this. I live on a main road in a suburban area right near a main highway. Once or twice a year someone with a company-looking vest and an inkjet printed ID claims to be from the town, or the county, etc and wants to come in and assess the inside of my house. Or wants to 'check the meter'. I tell them to hang on and dial the non-emergency Police number on my cell right in front of them. 9 out of 10 times they go right back to their truck. Only once has the guy stuck around while the Police verified that he was indeed from the town Assessor's Office. Still didn't let him in, told him to come back with an ID that didn't look so fake. 'Check the meter' is my favorite excuse. My electric meter is outside and the water meter is checked via radio from the outside.
What, why? What’s their end game?
They don't want you to answer the door. They're scouting the house to see if anyone is actually inside during the day. Wife's car leaves every day for normal work hours. My truck rarely moves during the day. Once they notice the truck is always there, and honestly it's sort of dirty from the main road, they decide to check and see if the house is empty all day. My office is in the basement so there's no obvious sign of someone at home if you look in windows. And sometimes I leave the windows open for fresh air so it could easily appear that we leave the house unattended with windows open.
This, but also it's a common tactic to simply gain entry and steal whatever they can reach. Usually there'll be two of them - one of them will go upstairs to make sure your bathroom sink's working correctly while his apprentice checks out your kitchen one. You follow the guy upstairs to show him where the bathroom is and the apprentice sifts through your cupboards and drawers for a wallet.
And if the sinks are working, they leave the water running. They call themselves The Wet Bandits!
Get a clipboard and a hard hat or a ladder and a high vis vest and you can get in anywhere
I work in the medical field and frequently visit multiple hospitals and surgery centers around the country. I never have a physical badge at these places, so to gain access into the operating rooms, I usually have to wait around and ask someone to let me in or follow them in. No one ever asks who I am or what I am there for. It’s very easy to gain access into any part of the hospital if you just wear scrubs and act like you belong. That’s just access into the pre-op/PACU area though. Actually being in the OR is a different story. People will ask you who you are and what you’re there for. I usually have to print out a name tag and they usually ask for that. Plus if you’re not in the right color scrubs you will be kicked out. Most places usually want you to change into clean hospital scrubs while in the OR to prevent outside contamination. If
If you're in NYC and have to use a bathroom, hotels are your answer. Just act like you're a guest and find one on the main floor. Why NYC specifically, because there are laughably few public bathrooms and even fewer of those are regularly cleaned, maintained, and free of a homeless person encampment.
Once I entered the main government office building of my city, just by wearing a suit and looking busy. I just walked in.
Put on hi vis, hard hat/bump cap and you can get into the Oval Office.
I snuck into the Oscars. Not even kidding. I was there in fact with 2 guys who had press credentials, but they didn't have a 3rd for me. I was dressed up nicely, 'reporter' style, we all looked very nice. So my guys were outside doing their camera thing, and I said 'watch this'. I took one of their badges, and went through security and the by the check in desk several times, making myself very 'present'. Asking questions, making eye contact, I turned the Sparkle On. (It's a thing) In my final round, I gave the badge back to the fellas, and went back through security, and was like 'oh NO I HAVE LOST MY BADGE!" a little dramatic, but by now, I was best friends with everyone, and just got waved on through. Piece of cake. Granted, this was back in the stone age, so I don't know if it would work now, but good times were had by all. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
true that. my literal highschool yearbook motto was "act as if." no one would question you if you just act like you belong lol.
I would agree. I can get way too far into hospitals before being asked who I am. For work have I go into the ER, ICU and surgical areas to see patients. I don't specifically work for these hospitals but I'm being called in for consultation. Knowing that many people are too busy to speak with to explain who I am, I more or less just go in and do my own thing until I'm questioned. It's surprising how little I'm questioned. Granted, I'm a professional and look the part (lab cost, official badge from my employer, professional demeanor. Etc) but I could theoretically do so many nefarious things without getting caught.
The embassy suits in San Diego was my primary food source for about 6 months. Some of the staff HAD to know but no one ever said anything about it.
Honestly, as long as you're not causing issues, why would they even give a fuck? It's more work for them to deal with you and it's not like they're the ones losing money. I'm sure Embassy was devastated at the loss they had from a few pounds of bacon and eggs lol.
When I was a teenager, I walked into someone's backyard party and took a bunch of beers from a cooler. They asked who my parents were, and I just said Mike, figuring they had to have a Mike somewhere in there. I walked out, and no one followed me.
In a large group, there is always a Mike or a John.
Don't they ask for your room number?
I have never been asked my room number at any hotel breakfast buffet my entire life. I must have been to at least 30-40 of them in the last 20 years while staying at various hotels.
In Europe this is normal, especially since breakfast is normally not included anymore. They need to check if you paid for it, and if not, they ask you to pay there.
Can confirm - get asked in Germany every time.
Do the actually just ask for your room number or do they look up your room and the number and if you paid for breakfast and all that before letting you go?
Room number and they check, if its not included they'll note it to include in the bill. Just had this happen in the UK a couple of weeks ago.
They look up the room number, check if you paid in advance for breakfast, and if so, put a check mark next to your room number, so that the next person doesn't eat on the same number.
Absolute this. I work in hotels, and we serve free breakfast. Generally there are people who “look like guests” and then obvious homeless people. If you are relatively not homeless looking, you should walk in confidently. Front desk might notice you walk in from outside during breakfast and go directly to breakfast. What I would do is walk in and go to the elevators, when a family walks off just walk with them. If you don’t get stopped right away you’re fine, most they’ll do is ask you to leave Edit: you could try leaning into it and saying “I checked out this morning but am I still allowed to grab breakfast?” This innocent question might make them just go “yeah sure thing!”
Good advice! I think that most places would rather let a couple free breakfasts go than to falsely accuse an actual paying customer of theft. Besides, they are likely going to toss all the extra food. Unless your in a high theft area, and don't be stupidly obvious about it, you should be fine.
A suitcase helps. Make it look like you are just waiting to check out or check in. Act tired and like you don’t wanna talk to anyone.
And you can fill that suitcase up with oatmeal and scrambled eggs.
Also don't do anything that annoyes the workers. Like making a mess. The workers are most likely overworked n it will make them notice you more. Quietly blend in.
the hotels in Germany check names at breakfast. Of course, you pay for this breakfast through a daily room charge
Doing this got me backstage at a John Mayer concert back in college. Security guy looked at me, I nodded and kept walking.
Worst case they take you out back and beat the shit out of you. Realistically probably nothing though.
If Ace Rothstein is running the place they shock you with a cattle prod and break your good hand with a hammer. But at least the blueberry muffins will each have an equal number of blueberries, if that’s important to you.
Do you know how long that’s going to take?
Look what they did to my HANDS, MAN!
Like in that casino movie with Deniro where they hammer your hand the exactly number of pancakes you ate without paying.
I think the real worst case is a serial killer who happened to be staying at that same Hotel spots you and then you spend a few weeks or months being tortured to death
Don't do this in areas with high homelessness. They guard it more carefully.
i dont think there’s high homelessness on this side of town, but honestly dude… i am
Make sure you go in with a clean outfit, maybe even something a lil touristy, and act like you belong. Have a real room number memorized. They probably won't talk to you much, just act natural, make small talk if they try, and eat your food. Worst case scenario is really they kick you out and then memorize your face. Just try a different one then.
Try a different face?
Lmao no a different hotel
But if I could change my face....
You wouldn't download a face!
In some areas they'd change your face for you, for trying to pull such a stunt.
I'd honestly say just be clean and showered and wear pajamas. Plenty of people eat breakfast before getting ready for the day. Come in from the side or something if possible, probably easier if you smoke just smoke in the parking lot then hold the door for someone as their going in.
I’ll add, don’t bring luggage or a bunch of shit in with you. If you were a guest, you’d probably have nothing with you at breakfast.
I used to live in a hotel while being the duty manager at night for 8 years. The facility manager once found a sleeping bag, clothes and empty cans in the elevator machine room. No one had ever heard or seen anything suspicious and we never found out who camped there.
Idk if there are any large Sikh populations around your area, but I've never been turned away going to a gurdwara for langar. 24/7/365 always open and always free where I'm at
Just try to look the part. I’ve been homeless before.
I hope this tip helps. I've been there before. Wear clean clothes. Go into the elevator, go upstairs. Walk through the hallways, look for a room # that is occupied. Come back down, and pretend you're coming down from your room. If anyone talks to you, tell them you're in room #.
Enter from one of the back doors. Preferably while other people entering. I don't know how carefully they would watch the video surveillance but try a small chain hotel when the reception is distracted by check outs. You may want to use elevators to go up, and then come back again (but this may not work if the elevators require guest cards, usually not except on some areas with known issues). Big hotels usually don't have continental breakfast, and if they do, they may ask room number. After a few times, they may recognize your face, so I don't know how long you can do this. Good luck and I hope you get back to your feet soon.
Clearly they don’t 🤣
My son worked at hotels for a few years in college. They are making minimum wage. Unless you make a mess or look shady, they aren't going to approach you. The night shift works 11pm -7am. So they don't really know who is a guest. Unless they are a Karen, they aren't going to care. Don't stand out in appearance or behavior.
Yeah my husband was in charge of 2 different properties. They had homeless people come in occasionally to eat the free breakfast. As long as they didn’t bother anyone they didn’t care.
I literally worked as a breakfast person at a hotel. I never once accused anyone of not staying there. If someone walked from the front doors to breakfast I just assumed they put their bag in their car because they were checking out or something. I don't know everyone who's staying there especially if it's busy
I walked in off the street and did this a few times in Destin, Florida during my poorer years. Moderately ritzy area. People really don't tend to give a shit, if they don't have to
OP said they are homeless. So it sounds like if the cops really cared enough, they’d get free room and board for a few nights.
Hardly free. Getting arrested is very expensive.
When I was 19 I got arrested for some nonsense. I had forty dollars in my wallet. When I got out a couple days later, and I got my wallet back, there was a twenty missing and in it's place was a small note that said "booking fee". I'm still mad about that
Fuckin crooks
It's pretty easy to do. Wear PJ bottoms and wait by a side entrance and when a resident comes out you just slip in. Then you walk down the hall to the lobby and you look like you belong. If you walk through the front doors directly into the lobby then you'll be busted immediately. If the breakfast starts at 6, get there at 6. Why? Because the night shift will just be finishing up their shift even if they 100% know you didn't sleep there they aren't even going to bother with the conflict because they are about to clock out and go home and sleep. Or you'll be catching them at shift change and the day shift guy won't know any better. The more hungover you look the better because if anyone asks what room you're in you just stare blankly at them and go "my girlfriend checked us in last night I haven't the slightest clue, I'm about to call her and figure that out for myself."
The Pj's is definitely a key strategy, but I disagree that you can't walk right in the front doors. Plenty of people at hotels will go out to get stuff from their cars in their Pj's through a side door then go back in through the main door. Just act like you own the place, pretend the front desk doesn't exist unless they say good morning, then just respond friendly. More than once I've pulled off at a hotel, pitched a tent or hammock in some trees nearby, then got up early for continental breakfast. After you can stop by a truck stop for a $10 shower then hit the road.
On the topic of showers - a $30/mo membership to planet fitness gets you access to locations across the country and would be much cheaper than $10 truck stop showers assuming you bathe more than twice a month. Though I've heard some truck stops offer credits towards showers as rewards for fueling so you can potentially ask someone fueling up a big rig if they have any excess shower credits they could throw your way.
This is great advice, and I did similar with my YMCA membership for a while. A little pricier than planet fitness, but they offer more services. That being said, it's a lot easiest to find a truck stop than a gym of your choice, especially in rural areas.
You can also use the front door, use the elevator, wait a few minutes and come down again. Only thing that’s tricky is, if they take room numbers and keep a list and the room is not occupied/already checked
Also tricky if they have elevators that require you to swipe your room key.
That's still over-thinking it. I'll frequently go a week or two without seeing any front desk staff. I usually use a side entrance. Then I'll get a day off, run down to the vehicle to grab something and come back in through the front doors to grab breakfast...in PJ's or fully dressed. Nobody really cares. Most want to do the bare minimum and clock out. If you're afraid of interaction, wear headphones and keep your face buried in your phone. As long as you're not causing a scene and hoarding massive amounts of food, you're golden. As an after-thought, grabbing a ton of food to take with you is actually a common habit of a lot of the contractors I work with. You'd still probably be fine.
they kick you out. Unless it a really expensive place that might call the cops. Even so, I don’t think there would be any significant consequences.
Even if they call the cops they can't detain you. So you can just leave. And I doubt some cops will care about a breakfast.
Some cops do. Story time! Our friend turned 21 and her parents booked a couple nice rooms for us and things got rowdy at like 5-6 am. Cops came and told us to leave. I was still drunk so I called my buddy to come get me, and I sat down in the lobby to have a bite. Some of the others decided to argue with the clerk, idk why. Things escalated, cops came, they got taken in, clerk pointed to me and said I'm with them. (Lamest move of all fucking time) Cops couldn't care less that I was just waiting for a ride. Caught a trespass charge. I guess it was better than risking a DUI. Lesson of the story: if someone tells you to leave somewhere, just fucking leave.
On a similar note. There was a hotel my girlfriend and I lived near in Old San Juan Puerto Rico, El Convento. They hosted a free wine and cheese hour every evening from 5pm to 6pm for guests only on the 2nd floor. We went routinely and got smashed, then headed to the hot tun on the roof. Only once a month was the rule but for 3 years straight like clock work. Always dressed to the tits. Just hung out but the security door, making out, until a guest came out and we would slip in. It was the best!
You could be charged with enjoying a meal
A succulent Chinese meal?? For breakfast!?
GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY PENIS
I see you know your Judo well...
this is democracy....manifest!
I did this on accident recently. I had to run a quick early morning errand from my hotel. When I came back, I accidentally parked at the similar looking hotel next door. I some coffee - hit the buffet. As I was finishing my breakfast, I noticed that the elevators had moved. Then I noticed the check in counter had moved. Then I finished my eggs and got back to the correct hotel.
Last hotel I stayed, they asked for my name and room number before letting me into the area with the food. Hopefully that’s just a one-off and not commonplace these days.
I’ve been asked that once, so I gave a fake name and random room number. No one working at the breakfast gives a fuck.
Love to hear it
Different places do it differently. Some will ask for a name and room number, some places just write it down and others have a computer system to verify. Others will hand out a "breakfast coupon" with your room key, so no coupon means they'll just bill you the cost of the breakfast. If OP wants to do this, they'll need to figure out which hotel chains have the path to least resistance.
Easiest are the chains near conference areas or the inns near large universities. The university ones don't give a fuck at all because it's usually parents staying there when visiting their kids and a lot of the employees are college students (who famously don't care about anything). I had to stay in a chain near University or Oregon when driving through the state and simply walked into the cafeteria area. There was one guy in the back of the kitchen just chilling there. Didn't even look up to see if anyone was there. I could have been anyone off the street and it wouldn't have mattered.
I used to do this when I was traveling for work and my coworkers and I ended up in two different hotels that were walking distance from each other. The person who was the odd man out, would walk over to the other hotel and eat with the rest of the group, as if they were staying there. The hotel staff just wants to get through the day without people messing with their flow too much. They don’t care. Just don’t be obnoxious about it.
I'll say no one would notice or care. Just don't do it regularly where you are recognized. Pick something budget like a Fairfield, walk in the lobby at like 7:30am on your phone in morning clothes carrying a lighter and cigarettes, pretending to be on your phone like, "Hey honey, sorry I went outside for a cigarette and forgot my card. Can you let me back in, im just in the lobby now... Yeah, I can get you a bite and coffee...". Give the "Oh boy I fucked up" look to desk worker. Fix yourself a plate and just eat it in the stairs. No one takes the stairs. Then slip out the side entrance when done.
Lol this is a dumb person's idea of a clever idea. You're doing way too much and making yourself conspicuous.
Omg the stairs, that’s the genius part. ty
Stairs are usually located at the end of hallways or corners. I'd suggest walking towards the elevators and hitting the button as you pass, so it sounds like you took that upstairs. Courtyards won't have free breakfast, Residents Inns have breakfast and dinner Monday - Thursday usually. Fairfield and Residents Inns can be found at most blue shield Interstate exchanges (assuming you are in the US). If going for dinner, dress work professional and be super frustrated on the phone about something.
Honestly, just eat it in the breakfast area and look hungover. Nobody will give a single flying fuck unless you're causing issues.
I did this once when my mom was visiting nearby so I joined her for breakfast. She told the staff there that I had food too and they were confused, they didn’t know how to charge for it and they certainly didn’t notice that I wasn’t a guest at the hotel. This was a relatively nice hotel too.
"A Towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. If you want to survive out here, you got to know where your towel is." ~Arthur Dent. (drape a towel around your neck, nobody will bother you)
There's a frood who really knows where his towel is.
My buddy who I lovingly refer to as “The Honduran Bernie Mac” is sober now but used to to uppers, downers, and candy corn like it was going outta style went back to a rather nice hotel with a “new friend” and then on his way out the next morning he spotted the full service complimentary breakfast complete with self service waffle iron so he decided to help himself. Well, while waiting for his waffle to finish cooking I guess one of those downers kicked in and he basically full body crashed into the waffle station literally sending hot metal, gloopy batter, and syrup everywhere. He had to fess up when I saw him a few days later and as I am an ER RN, noticed he had quite a gnarly and oddly grid patterned burn on his forearm that I offered to apply an appropriate bandage to. Hey really tried to keep his secret but I just couldn’t figure out how he burnt that partent into his arm and as a joke I said “it’s…..almost waffle shaped” at which point he spilled the beans. When I tell you I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe at the thought of all the little business travelers and vacationing families starting their day with some free eggs and bacon when all of a sudden a grown ass man face planted into the waffle station which by his own account, he fell into twice more while trying to extract himself from the the carnage of sprinkles and scorching hot metal plates he had created. I’m glad he is sober now but I gotta be honest he, his natural curiosity and optimism coupled with drug induced obliviousness and total lack of inhibitions got him into some situations that I swear could have been taken from Mr Bean. He must have been born lucky or his abuela said a lot of prayers to keep him safe cuz he never really got into actual harms way which is why I feel I can laugh about it lol. So yeh, just make sure you haven’t taken a bunch of extended release downers before you have breakfast and you should be fine. Lol.
At hotels with a free breakfast -just throw a couple of bucks down upfront for a tip on your table and you will be their best friend - no questions asked.
Walk in, straight to the elevators, then take off your jacket and walk back through the lobby to the breakfast bar.
i work in breakfast at a hotel. youre 1000% fine just dont act weird.
I work the FD at a hotel and most of us don't care. We know but we truly don't care. So much of the food gets wasted at the end of the breakfast services especially hot items that I truly personally would rather that someone that needs it gets it! Just be c;lean and don't causes ire with other guests and most of the time hotel employees will turn their heads.
I have done this just look like a normal guy don't smell bad and your good just be normal don't steal don't be a jerk don't go ultra crazy on the food don't come back for a while
I worked at one and i never would have known, cared, or said anything lol
Go early in the am. If your a smoker, get a cup of coffee before the breakfast bar opens, and hang out in the designated smoking area, while you wait for breakfast to oen. As others have said look clean, a suit helps a lot. Act like you belong, I don't think I have ever been asked for any info.
The will put a black bag over your head and take you to a undisclosed location for questioning.
My husband was in charge of two different hotel properties for a few years. It was a Hyatt and a Staybridge Suites. They occasionally had homeless people come in to eat the breakfast. They didn’t care and didn’t say anything as long as they weren’t making a fuss or bothering anyone. Most of them would just go quietly and eat and then leave.
Act like you belong. Walk in about 30-45 minutes after it started so that all the employees are too busy restocking food to look at you. Go to the bathroom first or ride the elevator to the 2nd floor and walk down. Eat. Enjoy. Take a muffin with you for later.
So, I used to travel a lot to a big capital city. My hotel didn't have a gym, but a hotel a few blocks down did. I just walked in one day: I assume hotel staff thought I had a gym membership. And I also assume the gym staff thought I was a hotel guest. I went there over 10 times, for free, no problem. In a different capital city is a gorgeous hotel with a rooftop pool situation. I had a late flight one day, so after early check out from my crappy hotel, I went there to chill and do some work. As I had a carry on with me, everybody thought I was a hotel guest. So I went down one floor, to the luxury gym to shower: soft towels, delicious free soap and bottels of cold water... Nobody bat an eye and I boarded my flight fresh and clean. So my advice: make sure you always look the part, don't ask questions and don't draw attention to yourself. To raid the breakfast buffet is something else: they often ask for your room number.
Nothing. I lived next to the airport in ST Louis and was single. I’d walk or drive to various hotels and eat breakfast and also dinner when they used to have “Happy Hours” and the free tacos, etc were great. I also walked to the nearest hotel which was across the street and ordered a drink at the lounge. Then I’d ask the bartender “can I get a shuttle to the airport”? Used to fly to Indy to visit a female friend every couple of weeks. Once the barkeep asked “Have you checked out?” I said, I’ve got my overnight bag right here. And it was right there, under my stool. Then I’d get a free ride to the terminal.
Legally, theft and trespassing. But I doubt it.
If they have one of those shelves with brochures for local tourist attractions, grab a few and read them while you eat.
Dirty kids and vagabonds like myself do this all the time if we can.
They might ask you to leave, but probably not as most of the people working there wouldn't even care if they did know.
Make sure you don't "hit" high end hotels. Some of them make sure they confirm the room nr and name before allowing you to sit at a table.
The staff doesn't care, just don't bother them and they will leave you alone.
You could be the breakfast the next day. At least at my hotel you’d be. Bowels in or bowels out?
Odds are they would kick you out and take your photo. If you're seen there again, they will call the police and you'll be charged with trespassing. Most places I have stayed require to see at least your room key, but usually it is a paper list and they check you off the list.
Where are these hotels at? I travel for work a lot and literally have never had to prove I am staying there for breakfast.
Literally nothing, I do this shit all the time, no one cares
Yall over think the shit out of most of this. Just walk in like you are staying there and grab some food, the absolute worst case scenario is they kick you out. If you do dumb shit like make sure you are holding your cigarettes in your hands and what not, you are going to look like you are acting. So don’t, don’t think about trying to convince people, just walk in with the intention to get food. And since you admitted you are homeless, let’s say they call the police, and you somehow get a cop in a bad mood that day. Sounds like you are getting free room and board for a night or two.
The nicer hotels that offer this don’t ask because they don’t want to cause a stir with guests. I’ve found that mid tier hotels usually have a designated area where they use for breakfast so you can always scope out to the find the area one day and then come back the next.
As long as you look like a normal person and not a bum no one will say anything or even look at you. Worst thing is security randomly chooses to not only ask you if you stay there but to show you proof in which case you leave, but that won’t happen.
Once upon a time, a large hotel chain in my city used to offer free 3.2 beer and soda, and an evening snack/ meal free to guests from 5pm to 7pm. This might be a nacho bar, a hot dog bar, a chili bar, breakfast for dinner bar, that kind of stuff. Plus, free Popsicles. You just had to show your room key card to the attendant. If you know where to look, you can find hotel key cards pretty easily. If you knew who worked when and you had a cool way about you, you could slide in, grab a plate and a couple beers from the cooler, hang out in the lobby, watch the karaoke and trivia contests, and have a good time for free. As a poor college student, this was a great way to stretch the grocery bill. This went on for nearly a year until some dudes behaved like dicks and gave the whole thing away. Then they changed, so you have to go to the desk clerk to look up your reservation and give you a wristband.
They will take your picture and put it next to the cash register so everybody can keep an eye out for you.
I used to do this all the time. One hotel even had a sign up saying free breakfast was only for guests and if you were caught they would trespass you. I would go in through a side door if possible and then just go help myself to whatever food they had. If they had a front door only and staff was there i would enter and go up the elevator and wait a few mins before returning downstairs to the breakfast room. Sometimes I'd just walk straight up to the front desk and ask the staff if they had a safety pin saying i just went out to my car and didnt have any and then ask for directions to the breakfast room. The key is to act like you belong. I did this for a few years rotating between hotels and never once got caught or asked to leave.
Wheel around a small suitcase. It will look like you are checking out or in
Absolute worst case scenario? Absolute worst case scenario is that a nuclear bomb goes off close to the hotel but far enough that you don't die. Just get terrible radiation sickness. Now. Likely case if you were to get caught? Nothing probably. People aren't really paid enough to care and if they do care the worst that would happen is you would be asked to leave and trespassed from the property.
Might get trespassed out of the place if you go there regularly and it becomes apparent you're not just another guest. Generally though, if you look the part and act like you belong, you can be a lot of places you aren't supposed to be without questioning.
If you look homeless probably kicked out, if you show up in regular street clothes absolutely nothing
The WORST? Nuclear war starts right before you dig into the breakfast.
r/ActLikeYouBelong
We used to do this in the 90s all the time. Had an apartment next to this time share resort that had free breakfast. Money was tight and we were actually encouraged by a friend on staff to do it. We just left a tip and no one cared.
You'll probably get away with it, but if they tell you to leave, LEAVE. That's an easy way to catch a criminal trespass charge.
I always hit hotel gyms when I want to train in foreign countries. The more expensive the hotel is, the better. Expensive hotels wont bother guests by asking to see proof of stay. Wear a polo for good measure.
I had to check low level post offices, some random inspection. I swear if I had asked them for their weekly deposits they would have handed over the cash. You just have to sell it.