It was not long ago that almost every brand was 4 to 6 pm the day of arrival, except for a few high demand Hiltons. In the last year or so I've noticed more and more properties going to at least a 24 hour cancellation, including many Hamptons. I now read crefully the cancellation policy when I mke the reservation.

It would be nice if the policy could be more clear and consistent. Some properties say you must cancel "the day before" (anytime until midnight?), some say 24 hours before (24 hours before what?), some give a specific time (e.g. "6 pm local hotel time one day before arrival"). It's the latter one that's most clear and should be the standard.