A man showed up at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort and charged $1,238.10 in food, drinks and clothing to somebody else’s room. He ultimately got caught because he was unlucky. The real guest was looking over his bill as the man walked by at exactly the wrong moment.

How Scheme Worked

According to the arrest report, the 62-year-old man used fake names “Mr. Robert Tress” and “Joshua Tress” while presenting himself as a hotel guest.

The real guest reviewed his bill, didn’t recognize the charges, and the man happened to walk past the coversation with the hotel over the items – and the staff recognized him as the man who billed them.

When confronted, he claimed he had paid for clothing from the hotel shop and showed a receipt to security. He would have gotten a receipt, regardless of his payment method (in this case, room charge).

Police say he admitted coming to the hotel and charging things under the real guest’s name. The report says he was homeless and

“had no intention of paying for the clothing and food because he does not have money.”

He was arrested for third-degree grand theft and was being held on $2,500 bond.

This Wasn’t A First Attempt

Miami-Dade’s booking database has eight listings matching the man’s name and birth date since April 2023 (though I have not verified that all are the same person). Four are for defrauding hotels.

Meanwhile, a Nashville court record shows misdemeanor theft in 2022: $499.44 in unauthorized food and drinks at the Hermitage Hotel.

For the most part, guest charges operate on trust.

• In 2017, a man allegedly occupied a Sonesta Hilton Head room after its real guests checked out, then charged almost $2,000 in room service and spa treatments over three days.

• Another man was arrested at a Residence Inn after booking with somebody else’s stolen Marriott Bonvoy points. The actual member saw the confirmation emails and called police.

• Earlier this month, police arrested an alleged serial scammer accused of duping hundreds of luxury hotels.

Stealing Breakfast From Hotels Is Actually A Viral Trend

This is really just scaling the social media “free hotel breakfast” trick. Look like you belong, act like you belong, and take what you want – nobody questions it.

I first wrote about people walking into limited-service hotels for breakfast in 2023. A TikTok claimed this year,

“They make it so easy to get the free hotel breakfast when you’re not staying at a hotel.”

Many hotels serve a complimentary breakfast to their guests, it’s often setup in a cafeteria style room by the front desk. Many of these areas aren’t secured by keycard and that people off the streets could just walk in and eat and leave.

This woman and many others have figured… pic.twitter.com/hnLmRRNw3V

— SonnyBoy🇺🇸 (@gotrice2024) March 13, 2026

Most hotels don’t police buffets. The staff costs would outweigh the savings, and it would undermine the hospitality experience. If someone is genuinely hungry, I understand the Jean Valjean rationalization. Meanwhile, I’ve certainly used hotel lobbies as meeting space even when I wasn’t staying on-property.

The people most likely to pass unchallenged are often those who least need the free meal, while people who do not fit an employee’s image of a hotel guest receive scrutiny. I’ve covered a Black registered guest being singled out and police being called while she ate the included breakfast. If a hotel verifies breakfast eligibility, it should check everyone using a room list, key or voucher rather than profiling guests.

Hotels usually absord the cost of the eggs, but when it gets more expensive that’s when they involve police.

The best sendup of this was Chevy Chase in Fletch. I’ve always wanted to splurge at a resort and put the whole thing on the Underhills’ American Express card. Want the number?