Holidaymakers are losing out on valuable holiday time due to hotels’ check-in and check-out rules, a Which? investigation has found.
Which? looked at check-in and check-out times across 10 major hotel brands, including easyHotel and Mercure.
It found that Macdonald Hotels and Resorts, a luxury chain, was the ‘worst example’ with guests told to check-in at 5pm and check-out at 10am the next morning. That means holidaymakers get just 17 hours to enjoy their room and the hotel facilities.
Macdonald told Which? that its 5pm check-in policy was ‘reserved for its self-catering apartments’ as the ‘larger spaces’ in those rooms ‘require more thorough cleaning’.
However, Which? says that this information isn’t made ‘sufficiently clear’ on the chain’s website. It said that if guests want to check in at 3pm or stay until midday, they’ll be charged an extra £29.
Guests at Britannia Hotels and easyHotels get just 19 hours in their room. They can arrive at 3pm and must leave at 10am the next day.
Holiday Inn and Travelodge were the most flexible with Which? finding that guests were able to stay in their room for 22 hours at each hotel with check-in at 3pm and check-out at 12pm the next day.
Which? said its research showed that ‘hotels are now stripping away the basics and charging customers for privileges that used to be free’ and that ‘early check-in is now an upselling opportunity for hotels’.
Which? looked at check-in and check-out times across 10 major hotel brands, including easyHotel and Mercure
Holidaymakers are losing out on valuable vacation time due to hotels’ check-in and check-out rules, a Which? investigation has found
| Brand | Check-in time | Check-out time | Time in room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday Inn | 3pm | 12pm | 22 hours |
| Travelodge | 3pm | 12pm | 22 hours |
| Hilton | 3pm | 12pm | 21 hours |
| Marriott | 3pm | 12pm | 21 hours |
| Copthorne | 2-4pm | 12pm | 20-22 hours |
| Mercure | 3pm | 11am | 20 hours |
| Premier Inn | 3pm | 12pm | 20 hours |
| Britannia | 3pm | 10am | 19 hours |
| easyHotel | 3pm | 10am | 19 hours |
| Macdonald Hotels and Resorts | 3-5pm | 10am-12pm | 17-21 hours |
The consumer expert’s investigation found that the Sofitel Heathrow Airport hotel would allow guests to arrive before 3pm, but it would cost an extra £90. And if guests want to stay past 12pm the next day, they’ll be charged an ‘eyewatering £120’, says Which?.
It adds: ‘Guests can contact Sofitel directly to negotiate. A Which? researcher was quoted £20 for every additional hour past the midday check-out time’.
Which? says: ‘Across hundreds and thousands of room sales every year, the earnings around guests checking in later and checking out earlier are likely to be significant.’
HotelFlex, a technology company designed to ‘help hoteliers upsell those extra hours’ even tells hotels to ‘just sit back and count the money’, according to Which?.
‘It uses automation to predict the departure and arrival times of guests, so hotels can better target sales of early check-ins and late check-outs,’ explains Which?. ‘It’s likely why guests are now bombarded with texts and emails from their hotels asking for their arrival time. The later they arrive, the bigger the potential profits for hotels’.
The investigation found that hotels are ‘potentially cashing in by selling rooms twice within 24 hours’. Which? claims that one hotel in St Pancras is offering day-only bookings between 10:30am and 3:30pm for £70.
It says: ‘That timing is convenient given the 10am check-out and 4pm check-in, and that it takes around 30 minutes to clean the average hotel room.’
If you want to access your hotel room earlier, Which? recommends asking on arrival as ‘many receptionists are still willing to let guests head to the room early without paying if it’s available’.
Which? said its research showed that ‘hotels are now stripping away the basics and charging customers for privileges that used to be free’ and that ‘early check-in is now an upselling opportunity for hotels’
It also suggests checking out ‘hotel loyalty schemes’. Marriott Bonvoy’s ‘free-to-join’ Ambassador Elite programme allows guests to check in at 9am and check out as late as 9pm.
It adds that American Express Platinum cardholders can secure rooms at 12pm from participating hotels, including Four Seasons and Hilton.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel says: ‘Hotel guests by no means expect a full 24 hours in their room but it’s no wonder an increasing number of us feel short changed when some hotel chains are not just shortening our stay, but then trying to upsell early check-in or later check-out back to us.
‘If you are paying for a special night away, there are some ways you can access your room early, like accessing loyalty schemes.
‘Some hotels might also let you use facilities like the pool or spa before you check in so make sure to try and utilise this as much as you can.’
A spokesperson from Macdonald Hotels and Resorts says: ‘This Which? article presents a false impression by failing to differentiate between our hotels and self-catering resorts.
‘Our check-in times have remained consistent over multiple decades. In line with industry norms, guests can check-in at 3pm and check-out at 11am across the vast majority of our hotels at no additional cost. Guests will find the individual check-in times for each of our 30 properties clearly displayed on the appropriate hotel’s homepage.
‘A later check-in time of 5pm applies only to our 10 self-catering resorts, which involve a different guest experience and longer stays. These units require more extensive cleaning and preparation to ensure the highest standards for our guests.’
