pdhenry

You can read about the episode here. Snopes.com converted the PP presentation into a series of web pages, but it may not display properly if you're not viewingwith MSIE.

Back on topic, it has been my understanding that HH upgrades are assigned the morning of the day of arrival. Don't know why you'd lose a room that you've been upgraded into, unless the staff believes you won't be showing up. A call to the front desk just before boarding your flight across might not hurt...

fromYXU

For a very late arrival (~midnight) I call the front desk on the day of arrival. Sometimes they "check" me in and all I need is to pick up a key. I do this especially if the hotel is full for that day. Seems to work, never been walked and always get the executive floor!

Kiwi Flyer

I find a late check-in neutral or a + generally (as long as they are expecting it)

Sometimes get a generous upgrade, helps if you are checking out late, sometimes get a small discount (eg unable to use the lounge).

JDiver

Well, I perhaps should moderate my statement that it can NEVER help to arrive late. I don't believe it is a positive - but it can be mitigated with communication, so they can plan ahead, know that the room is paid for, and allocate my room / upgrade, knowing I will be there, even if it's at oh-dot-thirty (and did I mention knowing my room is paid for?)

One other negative is many hotels where I've checked in late have a skeletal staff at that time, and it may be when other travelers and flight crews are arriving. That's usually also when the HHonors staff is non-existent for a separate queue.

SST

The only times I've ever been walked it's been on a late checkin. And London hotels have walked me twice in exactly the same set of circs you are planning.

I agree that it's good to put comments re: late arrival into the comments box, but I think it is far wiser not to rely on these if you're not in a situation where you are pretty sure the hotel reads them (such as where there's a Zip Check In offered, and they assign the rooms early in the day); I'd advise calling the front desk personally on the day of arrival, getting the name of who you talk to (so they know they're up for complaint if they forget), and letting them know you're on your way and will be arriving late-late.

When I've done this, I've never been walked. (I should note that the SPG Sheraton Universal in LA is ugly-nasty about my habit of doing this, and gets pretty snippy telling me that they can't guarantee a room, which is pretty bold in my book, and has led me to switch to the Hilton Universal City instead. They are the only hotel that has ever taken issue with me when I've followed this procedure).

omegadeal

You can get burned in the ways you described. When I was in high school I worked as a desk clerk for a while and we used to overbook by about 103% on average. No-shows usually brought us down to about 98% occupancy on busy nights, but the late night guys would have to walk people and if you're getting in past midnight the last thing you want is to be walked.

Undesireable rooms sometimes would get saved for the last people to check in. We used to have some with beds that pulled out from the wall and people hated them. They were always saved for last or if you did check someone in there early they would sometimes come back and asked to be changed.

When Hilton starts their 800 check in then this problem will be fixed. I am Hyatt Diamond and it works great. You call into the number after 9am local time and they check you in fully. The telephone rep knows your status and you have a better chance for the upgrade because they are corporate reps and know the tiers. You get your room number right then and can send it out as contact info, etc. which really helps.

ermdjdsj

I had a problem with 12AM check-in at HGI in Philadelphia, where I'd used a credit card to guarantee availability of the room when I booked by phone (this was before I started routinely booking on-line). I arrived and there were two pilots and two FAs from one airloine checking in next to me, apparently into the last four available rooms. Was told they had no rooms of any kind left because someone had refused to check out that day [sic] so they gave me $5 to taxi a few blocks away to another motel with a voucher, where I then stood in line 20 minutes to get checked in, and was then supposed to come back the next day to the HGI for the rest of my stay. [I suppose FAs aren't allowed to double up in rooms, which would have solved the problem then and there if the two had done so and freed up a room for me, they were listening to the whole discussion)

Since then I only book on-line and add anticipated late-arrival comments, AND call to confirm late arrival just in case someone messed up the printout. It is pretty irritating to fly transcontinental with flight delays, turbulence, bad food, screaming babies, etc., ready to instantly crash onto a mattress so you can get up for a 6AM meeting, and then have to be shuttled across town!

SFO-SJC Flyer

I usually always ask for late checkout, and I have never been denied. Until December 30, I got almost anything reasonable that I had asked for. I never ask for less than one hour, and there have been times I have received three hours plus. The desk clerks have always been accommodating.

That all changed the night of December 30, 2004 at the Hampton Inn in Santa Cruz, California. I asked for an hour later checkout until 1 P. M. I was told that I could only get 30 minutes until 12:30. There was no way under any circumstances that I would receive a later checkout than 12:30 without paying an additional fee. In addition, I was told that the hotel was less than half-full, and that it would not be anywhere near full for the night of December 31.

I am Hilton Gold, but even as a Blue and Silver, I had never been denied at least an hour later checkout.

I would like to hear some other experiences with late checkout. Maybe I have just been lucky or have had many accommodating front desk staff.

Thank you in advance for your experiences.

jan_az

I am thinking the fact that it was Dec 30 may have had something to do with it. I know some people in Hampton like hotels recieived no maid service on that day - the hotel was probably operating with a mininal crew and needed to get your room cleaned up befoe they could let all the maids go for the night

western50

Like you until your December 30 stay, I have never been denied a late checkout. Normally, I may ask for 30 minutes to 1 hour. I think the longest late checkout I've asked for was 2 hours at the SLC Hampton Inn Airport when I had a mid afternoon departure. But as jan_az stated above, the holiday date could have been the problem.

SFO-SJC Flyer

When we left our room at 12:30, rooms were still being made up. I got the feeling the 12:30 late checkout was the latest they would allow any day of the year.

Football Fan

You probably just had bad luck and ran into an idiot clerk.

iainbhx

I've been denied late checkout more times that I can shake a pointy stick at.

I've even been denied late checkout when it's been part of the room rate.

I rarely bother asking now except at a couple of places where I stay very frequently.

leviferret

I have never been denied a late check out request at a Hilton property.

pinniped

I hate asking for late checkout - I always feel like I'm trying to buy a used Camaro. The front desk always resists, says they aren't authorized to do that, or "needs to speak with their manager". Sometimes I've even had managers say "I'm the night manager. They don't give me the power to do that." It is always a haggle.

Usually I succeed in getting 1PM. I generally ask for 2PM, knowing that they'll counter with 1PM. And FWIW, the only time I ask to begin with is if I am pretty certain that the hotel isn't anywhere near sold out. It's such a pain to haggle with the clerks that I don't even try unless I really, really need it.