As we all know, hotels provide check-in and check-out times. While many hotels are typically flexible about allowing you to check in early, it is reasonable for guests to anticipate that, at the very least, a room will be available by the designated time.
I want to delve into this topic in more depth in this post. Are there instances where rooms are not prepared by the stated check-in time, and if that is the case, what occurs?
Reasons why hotel rooms may not be ready at check-in time
Hotels usually have a turnaround period of three to five hours for rooms, spanning from the stated check-out time to the listed check-in time. In practice, hotels often have slightly more time since some guests check out early, while others arrive late.
Nevertheless, there are instances where you may discover that, regardless of this timeframe, your room is still not ready by the announced check-in time. What might lead to this situation?
- Occasionally, hotels may experience a shortage of housekeeping staff, meaning that on days with a high volume of departures and arrivals, they might find it challenging to clean all rooms in a timely manner; it can be difficult for hotels to prioritize room cleaning when they are uncertain about guests’ expected arrival times, and when guests do not notify the front desk during check-out
- Some guests have guaranteed 4PM late check-out, which creates a significant problem because if that is utilized, the room cannot be prepared by the check-in time; this includes Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members, World of Hyatt Globalist members, and those utilizing Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, among others.
- Certain hotels accept non-traditional check-in and check-out times; this includes hotels that have agreements for airline crews, and it even includes Peninsula, which boasts the most flexible stay policy among all luxury hotel chains
What to anticipate from a hotel when your room isn’t ready
Although it is not a common occurrence, there are times when a hotel simply cannot ready a room by the stated check-in time. In such cases, what can you expect?
To begin, I strive to be understanding toward hotels and the difficult positions they sometimes find themselves in. For hotels with a high proportion of elite guests, it becomes challenging to accommodate 4PM late check-outs while also ensuring that newly arriving guests can access their rooms at the designated time. This becomes especially complicated if a specific room type has been reserved, as this situation falls beyond the hotel’s control.
With that perspective, a few reflections:
- Most prominent hotel chains do not actually guarantee check-in times, at least in the aspect that there are no published rules about what guests are entitled to if they are unable to access their rooms on time; in general, the conditions we accept when booking a hotel are quite imbalanced.
- Therefore, it is up to the front desk personnel (or front office supervisor) to determine how to address this matter on a case-by-case basis.
Personally, I tend to be reasonable with hotels, as I have also enjoyed the benefit of late check-out on numerous occasions. If my room is only slightly delayed (let’s say up to an hour), and it does not significantly hinder my enjoyment of the stay, I will not make a fuss about it.
Now, I believe it reflects well on the hotel if they offer to treat you to a drink or snack at the