Early check-in or late check-out problem

Early check-in and late check-out is a common problem faced by visitors. All visitors reach their destination in different way thus their arrival and departure timing may vary. For convenience in management, majority of popular hotels and resorts maintains fixed check-in time and check-out timing. In between check-out time and check-in time, they maintain a time gap of 1:30 hr to 2:30 hr time gap for house-keeping team to prepare the room for next guest. Problem arises when guest reaches before check-in time or want to do late check-out. In standard or deluxe or luxury category of hotels, they all maintain specific time table for early check-in or late check-out. In budget category of hotels, we may find 24hr check-in our check-out system.

Possible Solutions

Some of the commonly offered solution for early check-in or late check-out is as follows:

1. If you are reaching 1-2 hrs before actual check-in time then on request, hotel may check the availability room which are either not booked in last night or booked but vacated early by guest. If they will find any such room then they may offer it to guest against some nominal fee or without any early check-in fee. This all depends upon the policy of hotel management. Here we can't force the hotel management as it their discretionary power.
2. If we are reaching 4-8 hrs before actual check-in time then almost none of the hotel will treat it early check-in case but ask to book the room from day before actual check-in date. This is safest and assured way to secure early check-in.
3. For late check-out, if hotel will not have any subsequent day room booking and we need late check-out for 1-2 hrs then as per condition, hotel or resort management may allow the guest to use the room without any additional fee or by some nominal fee, as per their policy. Here guest can place request and hotel management may or may not entertain the request. It is their discretionary power and we have to respect it.
4. For assured late check-out when we want to extend stay for extra 4-8 hrs then best way is to book the room for next whole day. In such case we can freely extend our stay as per our requirement. Only condition is that room should be available for booking. If room is not available then we have to leave the room as per declared check-out time. We can keep the luggage in hotel lobby area and wait their for rest of the period.