Hotels, credit cards, prepaid and otherwise

[JCotton]

I'm married, not out, and can't host. I run into lots of others in the same boat, and it is often suggested that we get a hotel room. I've done that twice - the first, a run down place that seemed sort of dirty, an eros killer in my mind, and the second, a nicer chain hotel. The problem with the latter was that they required a credit card hold for incidentals, and that hold later showed up on my credit card statement. Fortunately, my wife did not look at the credit card bill.

My question is this: are there hotels that do not require a credit card for booking, and which accept a prepaid credit card for incidental holds? It would be much, much safer and easier to meet someone if I could do that.

Any other suggestions are welcome as well. Thanks.

[cornholejoe]

get a credit card she wont know about

[Coastocoast]

Oh she will know about the card the first time anyone runs your credit if you are married. In most states you do not need the other's permission to get a card but when they consider granting you credit they consider the debt of both. My ex had a card that I found out about at the car dealership and apparently the dealer had been through this before. Even though it was not going to hamper my ability to buy it, when I questioned it he laid the credit report on the table and said I will let you two talk about this alone. She had charged general crap she did not want me to know about, but believe me I saw the purchases in the end. Had she refused to share the purchases or had there been motel charges, the divorce may have come a couple years earlier. Motel 6 is not high class but they do take cash, do not require a card and are usually clean. If that is what you want to do you will need to avoid the Weston if you intend to stay married.

[JCotton]

Thanks for the suggestion about Motel 6.

[NjbiGuy01]

I have a master card attached to my paypal account which is attached to a small passbook account at my bank. The wife knows nothing about it and the statements are electronic only and come to a private G mail account. I usually try to do cash anyway, but when I do go out for a drink or dinner or pay for a motel/hotel, I can do it without worrying about a paper trail... not that difficult really.