How to book a hotel room for someone else: Most hotel chains and hotel websites will allow you to input separate billing and guest information when booking a room. But most will also require you to either prepay the reservation or fill out a credit card authorization form for the guest to bring to the hotel.

You can certainly pay for a hotel room for someone else, but you should never leave the reservation solely in your own name if you are not staying there. Hotels require the name on the reservation to match the photo ID of the guest checking in for security and liability reasons. If a guest arrives and their name isn't on the booking, the hotel may refuse them entry, even if the room is prepaid. To do this correctly in 2026, most booking sites have a "Check-in guest name" field or a "I am booking for someone else" checkbox. If you've already booked it in your name, you must call the hotel or use the app to add the actual guest as an "additional guest" or "registered occupant." Furthermore, if you want to cover their expenses, you will likely need to submit a Credit Card Authorization Form to the hotel in advance, as most properties still require a physical card to be swiped at the front desk for incidental deposits like room service or damages.