@SteveSoCal wrote:
As a scheduler, I had to reject a hotel shop where the manager complained that the shopper had brought along additional unreported family members.
It's a foolish move to do that without advance permission.
Yeah, there are reasons why this is bad and affects the results. Obviously, I am a shopper now and don't do hotel shops due to my past experience, but here's one scenario (true story) where a kid affects the result: parent complains towel dirty with blood in bathroom. Desk clerk remembered they had McDonald's items when they checked in. Desk clerk goes to room, sees dirty towel. Obviously ketchup the size of a child's finger. The child obviously dirtied the towel, but the desk clerk is not going to say that to the guest and is simply going to rectify the situation. However, don't think that a note isn't going to be added in your internal guest notes about you, which is going to cause the desk to look at you with extra attention/skepticism about the rest of your stay if something happens.
Now let's say this was the shopper. Hotel is going to be dinged for housekeeping on a report when they should not have been.
Also, if your kids are with you at check in, the clerk will be short with you because they assume you just want to get to your room and handle them and settle them in. This can then cause them to skip a key question that you will address on your report, that would have otherwise been asked.
Children, being overly noisy can disrupt the guest next door. That in turn will affect the service you get if they complain about that noise. Children can be pushy in the breakfast area, which in turn can affect the service you get by the breakfast attendant.
I don't do hotel shops, but my past life knows why this rule exists. I can go on, and on with more examples. So, most definitely, if I found our shopper had kids, I would decline the report and mention that. They will affect the hotel's score, one way or the other, and likely not in a positive way.