Shooting in Hotels

veryrandom

I am planning to do a small shoot soon and i was toying with the idea of using a hotel or a hotel room as a location, am just curious has anyone done this before? Or what is the accepted procedure for it? Do you have to buy a couple of hours? Do they mind? Do you explain what your using it for?

Any advice appriciated

ThOnda

I was stuck once for a studio and shoot in my place was not possible. I've called few hotels and "obviously", there are few hotels that rent rooms for hourly rate. They are very discrete, but a bit pricey. Explaining what I want to do in the hotel room with the paid girl (model, of course), I've got good rate from a nearby hotel. And they had no problem with shooting in there. but few hotels strictly forbid any commercial photography activities in their rooms.

Samples of the shoot are here, here and here.

Thecageyone

beautiful shots ThOnda, but ... you could have achieved same without the need for a Hotel room surely?

Good idea on renting rooms for this purpose, if you're going to avail of the space I guess.

veryrandom

Nice pics! Any reccommendations of hotels that are ok with it?

smelltheglove

Just the thread I need, will be looking to use a hotel room for a shoot soon.

veryrandom

Woo! Snap!

Would love to know how that conversation goes on the phone, to be honest.

Do they ask for any credentials or samples of your work? Or to see your gear prior to you entering their property or any kind of release form or anything at all?

Why would you not just say you're a photographer if you just want an hour or two with a lady, but didn't want to stay overnight? Surely they hear all kinds of reasons and excuses people don't want to stay overnight?


Very curious about this.

veryrandom

Exactly! These are all the questions i have, i mean its all very well ringing them up but...what then? Are they receptive or just like 'shag off'? Again, anyone with advice or info feel free to enlighten us!

CabanSail

I did a shoot earlier this year. The couple were getting married in a very nice hotel and they requested the use of a room for a couple of hours to do some photography. The hotel was very cooperative and gave us the choice of a couple of rooms. We used the suite and the results came out fine.

I guess it's all in the way you ask.

Chorcai

Watch American Psycho, lots of pro tips to be got. Plastic is your friend, if things get messy.





Oh wait... nevermind... carry on

the_syco

Another benefit of telling the hotel, IMO, would be that they'd ensure that the room looks well, and that the room given to you is one of their better rooms. That small stain on the wall/carpet/bedcover may not be that noticeable, but in a photo it may.

veryrandom

Haha, a bit of plastic hides all sins!

But what i want to know is - do they mind? Like do you just ring up out of the blue and talk to the manager and ask to use their nicest room cuz ur a photographer? Then they say 'what kind of photographer? Who are you? What have you done?

I think i might just call up and see what happens...grab the bulls by the horns and whatnot!

bullpost

In fairness , in the middle of a recession ,you'd imagine they'd jump at it.
It sounds like a nice little earner potentially for a hotel which could afford to let out a few vacant rooms on an hourly basis to photogs?