Originally Posted by jcresq

I booked a room at the Homewood Suites Atlanta Buckhead for tonight; I made the reservation about 1 pm. At a little after 2, I came to the hotel and asked if i could check in early. The desk agent said "We do have rooms ready, but it there is a $75 fee for early check in." I asked if that applied even to Diamond members; she said yes. I told her I travel a lot, I have never heard of such a thing. She said "it's right there on our website." I asked if she would instead let me out of the reservation I had made an hour earlier; she said, yes but that will incur a $75 fee as well.

While she didn't offer to let me sit in the lobby and use the wifi, I did so anyway. I checked the Hilton website and the hotel's individual website; there's nothing about an early check in fee. I called the Diamond desk; the lady who answered went through the policies she had as well as the website, and she couldn't find anything about an early check-in fee. I asked if she would call the hotel for me and try to prevail upon the desk clerk (who appears also to be the manager) to let me into my room. I could hear the phone ringing from my perch in the lobby; it was never answered. The Diamond desk lady came back on and said they're not even answering the phone.

Even in this era of reduced customer service in the hospitality industry, i'm a little astonished. You have a room ready; a good customer with a reservation presents himself, and you don't let him into the room. And you make up a policy on the website (did she think I wasn't going to look?) to try to squeeze another $75 out of me.

Has anyone ever heard of such a fee? i mean, if they don't have a room ready, that's one thing; but she said there were rooms ready, they would just cost an extra $75.

Thoughts about how I might pursue this after my stay?

Originally Posted by Eujeanie

We recently were in Las Vegas which is known for early check-in fees, 3 different hotels, arrived at all of them before standard check-in time, and not one charged us a dime. And their early cif is published policy when you make a reservation (none of these were Hiltons, just casino hotels).

Originally Posted by finarg

probably will avoid Homewood in general

Originally Posted by arlflyer

Could you point us to the language in the program terms and conditions that outlines this benefit? I think many of us, myself included, would be very curious.

Originally Posted by BLT

This happened to me two months ago at the Hilton at the Frankfurt Airport. They said it would take 2-3 hours to clean a room since I was early for check-in. For 45 euros they would send someone to clean it right away and I could be in it in about a half hour. So here's what I did. I had been traveling for 15 hours and was tired and did not look pretty. So I sat in the elegant lobby right next to the main entrance. I took off my shoes, scattered my checked bag, carryon bag, backpack and fanny pack on several chairs. Then I took out a diet coke I had bought in the airport and some food that I saved from the plane. Then I spread out, put my feet up and prepared to eat, drink and read for two hours. After a half hour the assistant manager asked me to put my shoes on which I did. Fifteen minutes later they found me a room.
On my return I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, right next door to the Hilton. Same demand for an extra 45 euros to save a two hour wait, same response from me. I was in a room in 45 minutes.

Originally Posted by RichG

It occurs to me that this could be the kind of thing that someone suggests in a revenue maximization meeting and the GM (or his/her boss) approves on the basis of "let's try this out and see what kind of pushback we get". I acknowledge that this is very cynical speculation on my part, but based on the robotic methods with which many companies operate these days, I don't think it's impossible. But it takes treatment not nearly as bad as this to get a property crossed off my personal "must return" list.

Originally Posted by The Road Goes On Forever

FWIW, attempting to contact the GM in a case like this is honestly a complete waste of time. No desk agent would ever say something like this unless they were the GM or the GM had fully condoned the idea. Any SALT survey feedback will likely be ignored by the property the same as any inquiry to the Diamond Desk. Move on and stay somewhere else.

Originally Posted by smmrfld

And you're proud of this behavior, to the point of posting it in a public forum? SMH. No wonder Americans have a certain travel reputation.

Originally Posted by hotturnip

I would add that this is probably something the hotel owner is pushing.

Originally Posted by greekman

I get early check in and late check out all the time - I have never heard of early check in fee - unless ridiculously early like 7-8 or 9am - if I know this is might be the case a friendly call night before about occupancy can do the trick - if a hotel is half empty with some friendliness quite often I can get a 11am or even 10am check - but I am also 90% Marriott loyal - in my experience is best service for these types of issues -
Raising it up the chain of command never hurts -

Originally Posted by Doppy

I guess I can see why hotels might like to charge these fees to generate some ancillary revenue or otherwise stick to posted check-in times, but they also create a lot of bad will with customers.

Originally Posted by SUPERTRAVEL

Bad will indeed. I can remember showing up at my hotel in Orlando around 9am following a redeye flight from the west coast. I had a reservation at a certain hotel and she said it was before check-in time and I could not get my room. So I went across the street to a different hotel where I did not have a reservation and inquired whether I could check-in. They had rooms and gave me one. I then called the first hotel and cancelled.
I

Originally Posted by arlflyer

Yeah, I was gonna say, sounds like a great way to get a very bad entry in your CRM record and / or a visit from the Polizei.