Picture this: It’s the end of your vacation or business trip, and your hotel check-out is at 11 a.m., but your flight home isn’t until 5 or even 11 p.m. If you don’t want to explore for hours or sit in the lobby for the better part of the day and would prefer to stay in your hotel room, what are your options?
As a professional travel writer for the past two decades, I’ve had this happen to me multiple times, and I’ve been lucky enough to often be able to keep on relaxing in my hotel room well past check-out time—even until dinner time when I had late-night red-eye flights from both Maui and South Africa—by doing one simple thing.
How do I make this happen? Read on to learn what you need to know.
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The one request you need to make when you check in to a hotel
If you’re making travel plans and know you’re going to need a late check-out, even if it’s just one hour, there’s one thing travel experts say to do: Ask to stay longer when you’re checking in, not the morning of check-out.
“The best time to ask for a late check-out is at check-in,” concurs travel expert Melanie Fish of Hotels.com.
Why is making the request at check-in essential?
“Late check-out is requested by our hotel guests for various reasons, e.g. because their return flight is not until the afternoon, or an appointment at the [spa] is scheduled shortly before departure or simply because they want to enjoy their beautiful room or suite a little longer,” says Annelie Wagner, the front office manager at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin.
Even if you think you don’t need one, unless you have a crack-of-dawn departure, you might. After all, how many times have you overslept or needed an extra minute or two to pack?
The best way to ask for a late check-out
“If there are enough alternative rooms of the same category available for guests arriving the next day, we happily accommodate requests for complimentary late check-out,” says Wagner. Follow these strategies below to get a yes.
Do it in advance
Although it may seem like closer to check-out time is the time to ask to stay longer in your room, there are a number of factors that go into determining how many rooms a hotel needs to have available each day, and at what time, with everything from housekeeping schedules to room availability coming into play. “Hotels often appreciate advance notice so they can plan around housekeeping schedules,” says Fish.
The earlier you ask, the more likely you are to get a yes. In fact, you can request a late check-out even before you arrive at the hotel. “The best time to ask for late check-out is when you book your room,” advises Cameron Sperance, editorial director of Questex Travel. “Drop a note in the comments section when reserving a room online, and it will be on the hotel’s radar ahead of your arrival.”
Be polite
Use your manners when you ask for an extension. Remember that this is a special perk, not a standard part of a hotel stay, so you may need to accept a different room category to make a longer last day work, say the experts.
“According to Hotels.com’s Hotel Room Innsights report, which surveyed more than 400 partner hotels worldwide, being polite and flexible when you make a request goes a long way,” says Fish.
Give a reason
It’s not always necessary, but it can help to give a reason you want to stay in the room longer, such as a later flight or morning paddleboard lesson or yoga class.
Join the club
Want a late check-out every time you stay? Sperance recommends joining a hotel’s loyalty program, explaining that “confirmed late check-out is a perk usually reserved for top-tier members of a hotel’s loyalty program.” That’s also the case at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski and its GHA Discovery program.
And it’s not just hotel loyalty programs that can tip the late check-out scales in your favor. “On Hotels.com, members who book VIP Access properties can unlock perks like late check-out, plus free upgrades and spa credits,” explains Fish.
How to make the request later in your stay
Even if you don’t make a request for a late check-out early in your stay, it’s possible to get a yes, our experts agree. Your chances are better if you’re not visiting during very busy times; think, weekdays instead of weekends and off-season periods instead of busy summer or holiday periods. The same guidelines for asking in advance apply here: Be polite and explain why you are requesting the late check-out.
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Sources:
- Melanie Fish, travel expert at Hotels.com, part of Expedia Group
- Cameron Sperance, content and editorial director of Questex Travel
- Annelie Wagner, front office manager of Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin
The post Here’s Why Making This One Request Is Essential When Checking In to a Hotel appeared first on Reader's Digest.
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