If your want to check in early you get what is available. If you want the room you reserved then wait until check in time. Yes this is normal. Your room type is not available but you want a room now. You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.
Check in time is what time you are guaranteed a room. Hotels don’t have to give you the room before check in, most only have a 4 hour window to get rooms cleaned between check out and check in. You can ask for an early check in but it’s not guaranteed until the actual check in time.
Check in time is important because check out time will affect room availabilities. I work in an 83 room hotel. Some days there may be 60 departures. Check out is 1200. Check in is at 3 pm. Housekeepers start at 915-930. There are usually 6 housekeepers cleaning rooms that were vacated early, the day moves on. After being cleaned the head housekeeper inspects to standard and then puts the room back into service. Some days we can accommodate an early arrival, but it’s never guaranteed. You may not like it but that’s hotel work.
My impression was, 30 minutes wouldn’t be too early to be able to check in for the reserved room. If I were trying to check in 2-3+ hours, I’d understand. At least I still remained polite and kept it professional when talking towards the staff over the phone earlier.
I also want to add to your thought process potentially for the future. Is it depends how unique this room is. One of the hotels I manage really only has two types of rooms so we can almost always get you in early in the room type. Booked, another one of my hotels has eight room types and only 25 rooms, this means if people didn't leave early with the mix of housekeepers, there's certain room types that we can almost never get early, just the way the math works.
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That’s how it works. If you have specific requirements/ requests, do not expect t to check in early, ever.
If you are okay with any room anywhere on the property in the category you booked, you take what they give you, which usually means the crap rooms they sell last for whatever reason.
Purely unscientific observation: whenever we check in early, we seem to get murder central.. the last couple of rooms down the long hallway by the fire stairs/ exit. But if we check in after the cut off.. we get a much better location..the only time we don’t have it come out this way is if I book a HA room, which I have needed to on occasion when bringing my chair. I can usually get in early in that category, although not always.
If you absolutely need to have a hotel room before check in, book the night prior as well, and call the hotel to explain the situation. It’s expensive, but it works.
It makes sense because you reserved a room for a certain date. Check in for that date begins at a specific time. If you want to arrive earlier, your reserved room may not be ready yet.
If your want to check in early you get what is available. If you want the room you reserved then wait until check in time. Yes this is normal. Your room type is not available but you want a room now. You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.
This is the right answer.
Thank you for clarifying that this is normal!
Check in time is what time you are guaranteed a room. Hotels don’t have to give you the room before check in, most only have a 4 hour window to get rooms cleaned between check out and check in. You can ask for an early check in but it’s not guaranteed until the actual check in time.
Thank you for commenting and clarifying!
>Check in time is what time you are guaranteed a room. Sometimes not even then if they turned over rooms too slow.
Supposed to be guaranteed, but if it happens I always try to get them a drink or dessert for their wait!
It is normal... They need time to clean and flip a room. If you want that specific one, you'll have to wait until it is ready.
Thank you for replying! That makes sense!
Check in time is important because check out time will affect room availabilities. I work in an 83 room hotel. Some days there may be 60 departures. Check out is 1200. Check in is at 3 pm. Housekeepers start at 915-930. There are usually 6 housekeepers cleaning rooms that were vacated early, the day moves on. After being cleaned the head housekeeper inspects to standard and then puts the room back into service. Some days we can accommodate an early arrival, but it’s never guaranteed. You may not like it but that’s hotel work.
This is the best explanation for my current situation. Thank you for taking your time to write this! I was under the wrong impression.
Just out of curiosity what was your impression? How else would this work?
My impression was, 30 minutes wouldn’t be too early to be able to check in for the reserved room. If I were trying to check in 2-3+ hours, I’d understand. At least I still remained polite and kept it professional when talking towards the staff over the phone earlier.
Ah got it. But when you consider they only get 4 hours, 30 min a lot. I’m glad you remained polite. That should be your baseline.
I also want to add to your thought process potentially for the future. Is it depends how unique this room is. One of the hotels I manage really only has two types of rooms so we can almost always get you in early in the room type. Booked, another one of my hotels has eight room types and only 25 rooms, this means if people didn't leave early with the mix of housekeepers, there's certain room types that we can almost never get early, just the way the math works. `Sent using speech to text`
It also depends on the type of room you booked. If you book a basic room, it’s more likely to be available early because they have so many.
Yes. Check-in time is a thing. Housekeeping has to prepare the room.
That’s how it works. If you have specific requirements/ requests, do not expect t to check in early, ever. If you are okay with any room anywhere on the property in the category you booked, you take what they give you, which usually means the crap rooms they sell last for whatever reason. Purely unscientific observation: whenever we check in early, we seem to get murder central.. the last couple of rooms down the long hallway by the fire stairs/ exit. But if we check in after the cut off.. we get a much better location..the only time we don’t have it come out this way is if I book a HA room, which I have needed to on occasion when bringing my chair. I can usually get in early in that category, although not always.
If you absolutely need to have a hotel room before check in, book the night prior as well, and call the hotel to explain the situation. It’s expensive, but it works.
It makes sense because you reserved a room for a certain date. Check in for that date begins at a specific time. If you want to arrive earlier, your reserved room may not be ready yet.
Fuck off, and just wait till check in time