Travel Deal of the Day (August 26, 2008)

One of my pet peeves is a very early check out time imposed by a hotel. Noon is the standard check out time. I have encountered some hotels that impose a 10 a.m. check out time. Other hotels are much more flexible and have an afternoon check out time. The real question for me most times I want to check out late is how do I obtain a late check out. Here are some tips:

(1) My first tip is to always request a late check out in person. I think it is much harder to tell someone no when they are standing right in front of you – it is much easier for a hotel agent to give a “hard line” answer over the phone.

(2) I would generally ask for a little later time then you actually want to depart. The hotel may try to “compromise” with you by offering a time between when you request (likely late in the day) and the stated (earlier) check out time. The compromise time may be closer to the actual time you would like to leave.

(3) Find out how full the hotel is on the date you are departing. If the hotel is sold out, you will likely not be granted a late check out as the hotel must clean all of its rooms and have them ready by the stated check in time. In cases where the hotel is pretty empty, generally you will have a good chance of getting a late check out time from a front desk clerk either the night before check out or the morning of check out.

(4) If the hotel is rather full or you get a negative answer to a late check out request, I would come back – this time, be prepared to give an explanation why a late check out is necessary. Some especially compelling reasons might include the fact that you are celebrating a special occasion or if your baby generally naps late morning or early afternoon. Also, if you are a frequent guest of the hotel or an “elite” guest in their frequent stay program, make sure they know that fact.

(5) If you still have no luck, try to speak with a front desk manager. Generally, if there is some possibility of giving you a late check out, the front desk manager will try to work with you. If their initial answer has been no late check out, try to obtain even an extra hour or two as a compromise. If the hotel could not provide you with a room until after its stated check in time (because of some hotel issue rather than because you just happened to arrive to check in late in the day), let the front desk manager know that fact.

(6) Often very elite guests in a frequent stay club or very high-end credit card users (such as users of the American Express Platinum card) obtain certain perks including late check outs at participating hotels – be sure to check whether such perks apply. In some cases, the late check out perk is guaranteed regardless of hotel availability.

(7) Finally, even if you do not obtain your late check out, be sure to inquire if the hotel has a courtesy room or spa which you can use to change. You may still be able to use the pool or other hotel facilities and change following your usage of these facilities – so, even if you must leave your room, you still will have access to many of the hotel facilities.