On a scale of 1 to weird, where would you rank this?

[Deleted]

probably more weird then not.

[kittyb]

7. I would feel weird about that. It might be legit, but I would def be uncomfortable about the room payment and the room in general.

[whattheheck]

On his company's bill or on his client's bill? Company's bill - a little weird. Client's bill - very weird. In my opinion - but maybe I'm out of touch.

[vanillacourage]

7.975. 

The offer itself is highly dependent on what kind of guy he is. Putting it on his client's tab is strange. 

[speckledfrog]

WEIRD

[isabel]

8? It's pretty darn weird. I would not feel comfortable personally or professionally with that. No way am I letting some random company foot the bill for my hotel room unless it's for an actual interview.

[UMaineTeach]

It's weird. And at H's company, they would for sure notice a second hotel room.

[mandymay]

Definitely weird. How far across LA are we talking? Traffic shouldn't be awful at night.

[Mrs.Rad888]

He's offering to get you your own room at the hotel he's staying at?
If he has always been a friend, and knows how driving in LA is, I don't know that it's too weird to me, but it's definitely not 100% ethical to expense your hotel room. 
But, of course now I'm wondering if he's planning that you can just stay in his room, under the pretense that there weren't any other rooms available.

[eb777888]

Kinda weird? If I felt a hotel was something I wanted, I'd pay for my own and book it myself.

[greenlight]

Weird as hell.

[turnipthebeet]

This doesn't raise any major flags to me, but at my last job people were pretty liberal with what they expensed. However, I would probably decline because I would choose my own bed over a hotel 10/10.

[happywife]

It's weird to me.

[rachers]

It feels weird to me.

[Deleted]

Not inherently weird to me. I have a huge expense account and if I don't spend it all I lose it next year . . . And this is just about the time of year I start worrying about that. I'd expense a potential client's room and entertainment if for no reason other than to get the budget spent in late August.

Where it crosses the line is if the room is ALL he is spending money on. Normally a room would accompany a sporting event or concert invitation. Not just, like, a room and dinner. That's a date, not burning up an expense budget before YE.

[pixy0stix]

Weird. I'd decline.

[agnes]

Yeah, this sounds weird.

[MixedBerryJam]

Weird. It might actually color my overall perception of the guy no matter how it plays out, unless he's self-employed. To expense a hotel room for a friend on a client's or the boss's dime just seems ... underhanded? Plus, unless he lives in Smalltown, USA a 40 minute drive after meeting up for dinner and networking is nbd.

[ECB]

IDK. You know this guy, we don't. On a personal level, with the right person, I dont' find it weird.

But professionally/ethically? Yes, it feels weird. I read elle's response and maybe that's what is going on. BUT if that's not his situation and he's just trying to slide in another room (or doesn't have to specifically account for how he spent the $$), it feels weird.

[loskadoodle]

How closely did you work with this person? Like worked together for 10 years and spoke daily? Not that weird. Acquaintance that you worked at the same company with but only interacted a hand full of times? Weird.

[WOUNDTIGHT]

Go with your gut. I don't know it's weird but if you think something is off, it probably is.

[cabbagecabbage]

I'd decline the room offer stat. It seems like weirdness wrapped in plausible deniability. In my 35 years, no one but my mother has offered me a hotel room and I'm the type to shut things down the second I get a vibe.

[lovelyshoes]

Weird. I think your gut is steering you in the right direction.

[NandaB]

Weird. Also he wants to bone you. If my husband, who is not a weirdo or a cheater, mentioned that he was meeting a casual business associate for dinner and drinks AND offered her a hotel room I would tell him that he was being weird and she was going to think he was trying to bone her

[MixedBerryJam]

Aug 21, 2016 10:23:52 GMT -5 @32flavors said:

I would just ask if he would be okay with spending the money picking up an Uber or car service for me. If they reason is the driving that solves the issue.

Honestly, this seems even weirder to me. Why should mp ask the guy to pick up the cost of the ride in the first place? (ETA: I'm getting the feeling from mp that the drive is not a concern at all.)