I think this might be one of the hardest aspects of the hobby. Booking FMTYs and sponsoring trips are among the most enjoyable parts because it means you'll have a provider all to yourself. It’s also what sets some clients apart from others who haven’t yet crossed that threshold. However, I believe many clients hesitate to book their first FMTY because the most challenging part of the process is booking the hotel room.
Now, booking a hotel room isn’t difficult in itself—anyone can do it. The hard part is booking a room specifically for a provider. Typically, when booking a room, the front desk staff will require a form of ID to cross-reference with the name on the reservation. This ensures there’s no confusion or mistakes. But it gets complicated when the reservation is for someone else.
If you’re booking a room for another person, the critical piece of information you’ll need is their government name. Hotels use this name to confirm the reservation with the guest upon check-in. If the name on the reservation doesn’t match the government ID of the person staying in the room, they won’t be allowed to check in. And that’s where the problem lies for providers.
Providers almost never share their real names. It’s a personal detail they keep private from most clients, and understandably so. Let’s say you’re a client who’s seen a provider two or three times and want to schedule an FMTY. Chances are, the provider won’t give you her real name for the booking process. So, what do you do in that situation?
Well, I can tell you what not to do. Don’t do what this client did for Sienna Summer. Listing a provider’s stage name as the occupant on a hotel reservation is not a good idea—and that should be obvious. But seriously, what’s the alternative? I’m genuinely asking because I’m not sure myself.
I’ve dealt with situations like this in the past. I wanted to schedule an FMTY with a provider. I knew I needed her real name to book the hotel, so I asked her for it. After that, I never heard from her again. I figured I overstepped, but I couldn’t think of another way to book the room for her.
The only workaround I’ve found is to reimburse the provider for the room. This avoids any awkwardness and allows her to keep her government name private. But I still wonder if there’s a better way to handle this through normal channels. I have no idea how to approach it without making it seem like I’m prying into their personal lives.
Now, booking a hotel room isn’t difficult in itself—anyone can do it. The hard part is booking a room specifically for a provider. Typically, when booking a room, the front desk staff will require a form of ID to cross-reference with the name on the reservation. This ensures there’s no confusion or mistakes. But it gets complicated when the reservation is for someone else.If you’re booking a room for another person, the critical piece of information you’ll need is their government name. Hotels use this name to confirm the reservation with the guest upon check-in. If the name on the reservation doesn’t match the government ID of the person staying in the room, they won’t be allowed to check in. And that’s where the problem lies for providers.
Providers almost never share their real names. It’s a personal detail they keep private from most clients, and understandably so. Let’s say you’re a client who’s seen a provider two or three times and want to schedule an FMTY. Chances are, the provider won’t give you her real name for the booking process. So, what do you do in that situation?
Well, I can tell you what not to do. Don’t do what this client did for Sienna Summer. Listing a provider’s stage name as the occupant on a hotel reservation is not a good idea—and that should be obvious. But seriously, what’s the alternative? I’m genuinely asking because I’m not sure myself.
I’ve dealt with situations like this in the past. I wanted to schedule an FMTY with a provider. I knew I needed her real name to book the hotel, so I asked her for it. After that, I never heard from her again. I figured I overstepped, but I couldn’t think of another way to book the room for her.
The only workaround I’ve found is to reimburse the provider for the room. This avoids any awkwardness and allows her to keep her government name private. But I still wonder if there’s a better way to handle this through normal channels. I have no idea how to approach it without making it seem like I’m prying into their personal lives.
