I doubt it's a Kubrick error. Like him or not, he meticulously plotted out every scene of every movie. If you see the documentary "Kubrick's Boxes," you will see just how much research and planning went into every nuance. Also, interviews with anyone who worked with him.
Given that, and some of the insightful answers above, here's my theory:
1. I agree with others that "Fidelio" was not the "insider" password. Only one, or maybe a handful, of the "help" had it, and they were all accounted for. So, they knew to check his pockets.
2. He arrived at the gate, and door, without mask. That was probably a huge tipoff. Now, Ziegler did know a bunch of the mucky-mucks who were also members, but then, he was no doubt invited to join.
3. "The Nod from the balcony:" It could've been just a reassurance to an obviously new member. Or, word could've quickly gone out via whispers who the interloper was. I think it was the former, and that it was Ziegler and his lady for the evening. They probably discussed the problem of Bill intruding and knew what was to happen.
4. "Nod," cont'd: Another reason for it could've been: "We know you're not one of us, watch what we do about it." Bill's mask was bought at a costume shop. The others all had a design theme. How do I know? Because in the credits, the designer was of "Venetian masks," and the Trivia section shows Kubrick selected them from a previous production about a ball in Venice. Bill's mask, however, was designed for this movie, and modeled after Ryan O'Neal's face. So, maybe the couple on the balcony thought they recognized Ryan O'Neal! (kidding)
5. "Nod," cont'd: As a filmmaker, Kubrick might also have been showing us that Bill had no idea how to respond to any of this; how far out of his element he was. He had the twin feelings of fear of being recognized, vs how to respond to a possible signal among members. Thus, putting US off guard.
5. Mandy's "redemption" of Bill: I believe Ziegler that the whole thing was staged. She was substituted, remember, as his consort, then Bill was removed before anything could happen. Now whether she was drugged on purpose, or not, I don't know. But I suspect she was, in fact, an addict. As a former beauty queen, she had, in a way, sunk very low to be a consort for hire at these parties, and for the likes of Ziegler. So depression and dependence could have taken their toll.
In any case, I doubt Bill's recognition is any lapse on Kubrick's part. It may not even be material, just something to set a tone of nervousness on our part.
The important thing was, the mucky-mucks recognized him as an intruder, quickly found out who he was, and wanted to throw a scare into him, which they did.
Ziegler, probably under orders, also had him followed to ensure he didn't cause any damage.
Same with Nick, who probably loathed the moment he trusted Bill with the password.
I wondered what they did with/to the cab driver to ensure his silence.
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