cblaisd

I had a reservation at a Microtel (I know, I know) at MCI. Called and wanted to check in at 1:30pm instead of 3:00 p.m. Was told that there would be a $30 charge for checking in anytime before 3. This would have been more than half a day's charge.

Canceled that reservation and went elsewhere.

FlyingUnderTheRadar

FWIW, the early checkin cost is for assuring that housekeeping makes up the room that one would be occupying first on the list. So you are paying for them to change their normal process to accommodate you. Is that any different than paying for a late check-out? Which I have done.

Twice on a recent trip I got to the hotel early. The first time was after a TATL flight. I asked several weeks ahead of time about an early arrival - not possible and the rooms the night before were fully booked up. When I got to the hotel at 9:30am the clerk asked why I arrived so early. I explained and he said check in is normally 2pm but I will have house keeping arrange your room ASAP, come back at 11:30am. Given that check out was at 10am that gave them time to work with the leaving guests and accommodated me. I went and got some local currency, found a coffee shop, and did some mindless email for a couple of hours. Then came back - worked out fine in this case but had there been a room available the night before I would have booked it and let them know that I would be coming early the next morning.

dchristiva

I missed that part where the OP wanted a guarantee that a room would be available at such an early hour. My mistake. I thought the charge was simply for checking into an available room at an early hour.

If someone wants to ensure that a room is available before the standard check-in time, a room should be reserved the night before.

nonstarter

Yeah, you missed it because I never said it

from my OP: "would appreciate an early check-in if a room is available"

Of course I would expect to pay to guarantee a room. I simply wanted to put myself at the head of the queue for an empty room, should there be one. If they said no rooms, so be it. But I was surprised by a type of charge I had never heard of before.

pinniped

I wish more places offered this: there are a lot of times when I'd pay 50% of a night to have a guaranteed room at 8AM.

There are cases when I'd even be willing to book the night before, pay a full extra night to get into the room at 8AM, but a lot of hotel systems can't even handle this: it becomes no-show at some point in the middle of the night.

I've certainly gotten into rooms early as a courtesy, but I understand it's a completely space-available courtesy. In those cases, I'm prepared to accept a "sorry, we're full" response and dump my luggage at the bell desk until 3PM.

I have yet to run into a case where the front desk clerk said they had available rooms but wanted money for them...even when you didn't attempt to prebook one. Wasn't aware of the practice in Asia...frankly, that almost sounds like something you'd see in Vegas.

wharvey

This type of charge is becoming more and more common.... and I am sure the hotels see this as a major revenue stream. Especially as flights get in earlier and earlier. If you have to have the room, and ask in advance, do not be surprised if you are asked to pay. But, if you are willing to take your chances, and are OK if the answer is no... then just ask when you get to the hotel. I have never been told no when I ask.... but I have had to wait at times.

For examples, we got into Sydney at roughly 8 am and went directly to the Radisson Blu. I asked if it would be possible to check in early... and was told that our room (which was an upgraded room) would not be available for a few hours. We were invited to wait in the bar area and were given temporary internet codes. We ordered a Diet Coke and relaxed for two hours... the front desk agent came over about 2 hours later and gave us our keys. No charge.

But, the hotel has every right to charge you if you are asking for an early check in or late check out... might not be the best customer service... but they are selling a product... that we want.

tentseller

There are some hotel high tier privileges which includes early check in. InterCon RA gets 8am check in subjected to availability. It was handy when I had a consulting gig in UK before London Olympics and was doing many TATL overnight flights with early morning arrivals.

Adam1222

What basis did you have to expect you were entitled to be at the head of the queue.... for free?

WillTravel

I agree that a hotel absolutely has the right to charge 1/2 or a full day if they want for early check-in, but I had a very nice experience last year.

The hotel owner (small hotel in Mexico) saw that I had come in on a redeye and was exhausted. So she let me sleep in one room for some hours. Once I emerged, she booked me into my standard booked room for the first night, but then for the remaining 5 nights she gave me an unasked-for upgrade to a much nicer room because it was available then. Yes, I ended up sleeping in 3 different rooms, but she was doing the best she could to make me comfortable.

nonstarter

Read the thread. I never said I was entitled to it. I was asking for a favor. I have successfully done this before and the hotel was gracious about it. And if you read say Heads in Beads you will see this idea completely backed up by a hotel industry veteran. But he's mostly talking about US and Europe, not Asia.

jabbered

I think the hotel was gracious about their policy as soon as you asked. They could have noted it and not informed you until you arrived. I'd even reply back saying yes/no to see if they guarantee it in advance or that it depends on space available upon arrival.

I haven't read Heads in Beads, so I don't know specifically what you are referencing, but being an industry veteran as well, I'm not looking at room assignments until the day or two before an arrival and at that point try to block everyone into a vacant room if possible.

dchristiva

Ah, then I stand by my original comment. If you're just asking for an early check-in and a room's available, it should be made to you at no additional cost, assuming you're not getting additional housekeeping services that day. If a hotel holds back some rooms for premium members, so be it, but, if rooms are sold "first come, first served", then I don't see any reason why you shouldn't get one that day. Now, if you're asking to be put "at the head of the queue" ahead of your arrival, I don't think they should honor that, especially if you have no standing with that chain. But, if you show up at the front desk at 7 am with a reservation for that night and they have a room ready, they should give it to you. There's no discernible cost to the hotel for doing that.

Adam1222

No one's suggesting you were out of line asking for it. But posting on here how outrageous it is suggests that you believe you were entitled to it. If you truly thought it was a favor that maybe they'd be nice and do for you, when the answer was "only if you pay for it", you'd say, "Oh well. I asked," not going on here saying how wrong they were, that it wasn't disclosed at time of booking, etc., and insisting that what you wanted is common practice and they are wrong for not giving you what you want.

It's not so common to write a hotel in advance and get "put at the head of the queue" for an early room. Sure, a lot of hotels will see if a room is available when you get there, but (a) thats more common when you show up a few hours early, not a half day early, and (b) they're not going to tell someone else who shows up early they can't have the room since you emailed them and may show up early.

So I ask, what's the complaint here:
(1) That they didn't give you a free half day at their hotel
(2) That they don't add a caveat to their online booking "PS When we say check-in time is 2pm, we mean that your reservation includes a check-in time at 2pm, and if you want to book a room for earlier that day, that's not included"
(3) That some book you read says it is "common practice" at different hotels in different continents to allow free early check-in and this hotel should've known you read that book

If you googled or searched flyertalk, you'd see that your understanding of the industry standard is wrong, as people have been talking about this for 12 years.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...ck-europe.html
http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/20...They%27re_Real
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...rly-check.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...ck-charge.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...check-fee.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...check-out.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...ck-charge.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...y-checkin.html

Tchiowa

So what bothered you? You wanted to get to the head of the queue, they offered you a way to get there? Pay for it.

nonstarter

They did NOT offer me a way to get there. Here's the text.

Early check-in is subject to availability and can only be confirmed when you arrive to check in. Checking in between 6 am and 2 pm on day of check will incur a charge of half of the room rate.

For a guaranteed room I would have happily paid for it!

So this implies I could arrive at 11 and they will charge me for an empty room with no additional housekeeping required. Yeah, I think that's unfriendly. If they said to me "we have no clean rooms. Would you like to pay and we'll get a housekeeper right on it" then yeah, I'd see that as fair, and I'd probably take them up on it. But whether a half day rate is appropriate depends on your arrival time. 6am, sure. Noon? not so much.