Most hotels typically allow you to check in earlier than stated.
Hotels have set times for check-in and check-out. Nonetheless, there tends to be some leeway. Most hotels are willing to permit you to check in much earlier than the stated check-in time, provided that a room is ready and cleaned.
There are several factors to consider:
– Hotels usually give priority for early check-in to elite members or other “preferred” guests (like those who have booked via programs such as Virtuoso).
– In my observation, many hotels permit early check-in at no additional cost, although some hotels may charge a fee; in my experience, fees for early check-in are most often seen at airport hotels or those that offer day rooms.
– It’s crucial to be realistic, acknowledging that it’s quite common for early check-in to be unavailable, as many hotels operate near full capacity, have limited housekeeping staff, and assign guests specific rooms.
– If it’s vital for you to have access to a room prior to the official check-in time, you may want to either reserve the room for the preceding night, contact the hotel to inquire if you can pay for guaranteed early check-in, or choose a hotel that provides guaranteed early check-in (for instance, the Peninsula offers guaranteed 6AM check-in or 10PM check-out).
But how early is too early for hotel check-in?
How early is generally too soon for attempting to check into your accommodation? You typically can’t arrive at 12:01 AM with a reservation for that day and expect to be accommodated 15-16 hours before the stated check-in time. So what time is reasonable for showing up with a belief that you will get a room, depending on availability?
– This is generally feasible only after the night audit has been completed because, at most hotels, the system wouldn’t even permit it beforehand; this often occurs in the early morning hours, typically by 5AM.
– Personally, I wouldn’t hesitate to request early check-in starting around 6AM; this doesn’t guarantee success or room availability, and it’s completely reasonable if the hotel declines it on principle, but to me, it feels much more rational than asking for a 2AM check-in, for instance.
– If you want to be truly sensible, I think 9AM is a less contentious deadline for requesting early check-in, subject to availability.
My approach to deciding whether or not to pay for an extra night
When contemplating whether to book a hotel for the previous night or take a chance, I generally assess how much I genuinely value having early room access, as well as my estimation of the likelihood that the room will be ready early if I opt not to pay.
Here’s my general thought process:
– If I’m traveling solo, I’m more inclined to take a risk; however, if I’m with young kids, I place a higher value on certainty due to the importance of schedules.
– I also evaluate the cost of an additional night; I’m more likely to take chances at a $1,000 per night hotel than at a $100 per night one, purely based on the total expense of ensuring early check-in.
– I factor in the seasonality of the destination; if you’re going somewhere in the off-season, the chances of having rooms available early are much greater than traveling during peak season.
– Should my room not be ready until check-in time, I assess how nicely I can spend my time; if I’m at a city hotel, I ponder if there are suitable locations for me to work without a room, whereas if I’m at a resort, I reflect on how many great spots there are to work without a room.
– I evaluate the longest duration I might end up without a room; if I land at 5AM, I would be considerably more inclined to pay for an extra night compared to arriving at 11AM (obviously).
The reality is that I seldom find myself in a situation these days where I need to choose whether to reserve a hotel for the previous night or not (I rarely pay for them, and usually just take my chances).
The last time I distinctly recall paying for the night prior was back in 2022, when I stayed at the Alila Hinu Bay in Oman. We landed at Salalah Airport (SLL) at 4:20 AM on Qatar Airways. We anticipated it would take a while to collect our rental car, followed by a roughly 75-minute drive to the resort. I figured that, in an absolute best-case scenario, we’d reach the hotel around 6 AM.
For what it’s worth, the hotel was charging about $300 per night, so while it wasn’t inexpensive, it also wasn’t an outrageous price. Here’s