Extra person charges are less common in U.S. hotels compared to Europe and other regions, where rooms often have strict occupancy limits and additional fees for extra guests. This difference can lead to unexpected charges for travelers unfamiliar with international practices.
A recent incident at the Marriott Autograph Collection Le Mersenne Zanzibar highlighted this issue. A guest, who booked a room for one person but arrived with two, was charged an additional $86 fee for the second guest. The charge had to be paid in cash, and the hotel initially refused to provide a receipt.
The guest recounted their experience: "Tried to check in to Marriott’s le mersenne zanzibar today as a group of two since it was a relatively good points redemption. To my surprise they asked me to pay 86$ for an extra person fee on my booking because I only had one guest on the booking. This has never happened in my life at any hotel, never mind a resort with Marriott."