A Cleveland-area man said he went to check into a Wyndham hotel for a short staycation and found a sign stating that local residents could no longer rent rooms there. Buddie, who posts on TikTok as @buddieee83, shared a photo of the notice in a video that has gained 84,200 views.
The caption on the TikTok read, “mannnnn what!!?? @Wyndham Hotels & Resorts yall gotta do bɛtter. I stay at Wyndham in Westlake and Independence all the time and now this!!?? and @priceline wouldnt refund my money smh.” The image showed a printed sign in a clear holder on the counter.
The sign carried the Wyndham Hotel Group logo and stated, “Per our hotel policy, we No longer rent rooms to guests who reside locally in Cleveland and surrounding areas of the hotel. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.” The words “No longer” appeared in red and underlined.
Hotel policy restricts rooms for local Cleveland residents
Buddie later told BroBible that he had been staying at Wyndham locations regularly to get a break from living with family. He said, “I go there a few times a month because I stay with family right now until I’m able to get my own place. So it’s kinda where I always went to catch a break. Swim. Use the jacuzzi. It’s a nice hotel, and it’s always the absolute cheapest in the area. If you go to any booking site, rooms are always $50-60 unless it’s a weekend or a big event in the city.”
He added that a front desk employee gave little explanation for the new rule. Buddie stated, “He couldn’t (or wouldn’t) tell me anything. His exact words were, ‘We don’t rent rooms to Cleveland people anymore. Sorry.’”
Buddie also said he was unable to get a refund after booking through a third-party site. He claimed, “Then to top it off, I wasn’t able to get refunded through the booking agency. It’s s– idk why they want to punish other people for randoms messing s– up. They take a hundred-dollar deposit and keep a card on file for incidental so idk what they are achieving by this.”
BroBible noted that hotels sometimes restrict locals to try to limit illegal activity and large parties on the property, according to reporting from WMBF News. The article also stated that some states, including South Carolina and Missouri, allow hotels to refuse a room as long as the decision does not discriminate based on race, age, gender, or marital status.
Meg Davis of Wyndham Hotels told the outlet, “Our franchisees strive to create open and welcoming spaces for all, some hotels do implement local-resident restrictions at the property level. When this happens, it’s our expectation that the policy comply with the law and, where possible, guests be proactively notified and receive a refund for any pre-paid charges.”
Some viewers on TikTok appeared to support the policy. One commenter wrote, “It’s pretty common for hotels to not rent to locals as a front desk agent, I agree with this.” Another stated, “Most hotels in the US have a policy like this. It’s because local people get a room to party and trash.” Hotel guests’ troubles go beyond local-rental policies, as one woman says a Marriott left her stuck without room access when no one was at the front desk.
Other comments raised possible exceptions. One viewer wrote, “What if you have a house fire? A gas leak? What if you’re escaping an abusive relationship? What if you got put out of your apartment because of mold? What if you’re just tired of staying in a house with no AC?” Disputes over hotel rules can get contentious, as when a woman says an NYC hotel fined her for smoking and she claims innocence.
Published: Oct 12, 2026 10:15 am