Check-in and check-out: times, early arrivals and late departures
A hotel night runs from the afternoon to the next morning, not from midnight to midnight. Knowing the two times on your booking saves a lot of waiting in the lobby.
3 min read ·
Two times, not one date
A hotel booking has a check-in date and a check-out date, and each comes with a time set by the hotel: typically in the afternoon for check-in and in the late morning for check-out. The exact times differ from hotel to hotel; check the hotel's page and your confirmation.
So one night is not midnight to midnight. It runs from the afternoon of the check-in day to the morning of the check-out day. Plan the first and last day of the trip around those two times.
Arriving early
A room is guaranteed from the check-in time, not before. The hotel may let you in earlier if the room is ready, but that is decided on the day.
- Ask ahead. Write your arrival time in the requests box when you book. It reaches the hotel with the booking.
- Ask again at the desk. Early check-in often depends on the night before: a room that was empty is ready sooner.
- If it has to be certain, book the night before. It costs a night, and it is the only way to be sure of a room at 7 in the morning.
Arriving late
Arriving late is usually fine, but tell the hotel. Some desks close at night, and a room booked with no word can be treated as a no-show.
A flight that lands after midnight lands on the next day's date. If you want a bed when you arrive, the booking has to start the night before. See how to read a flight.
Leaving late
Check-out is in the morning, and staying later is a request, not a right. Some hotels agree for free if the room is not needed, some charge, and some cannot.
If the flight home is in the evening, most hotels will keep your luggage after check-out, which leaves the day free. Ask at the desk.
At the desk
- Documents. Hotels usually ask for an identity document for each adult, and a passport abroad.
- A card. Many hotels hold a deposit or take a card for charges at the property, such as a city tax. See what you pay at the hotel.
- The booking. Keep the confirmation to hand: it states the room, the board and the conditions you booked.
Questions that keep coming up
Can I check in before the official time?
Only if the room is ready, and that is the hotel's decision on the day. Ask in advance and again on arrival; if it matters, book the night before.
What if I arrive after midnight?
A flight landing in the small hours needs the room from the night before if you want a bed when you arrive. Tell the hotel your arrival time so the room is held.
Can I leave my luggage at the hotel?
Most hotels keep bags before check-in and after check-out, but not all. Check the hotel's description or ask before you travel.
What do I need at check-in?
Usually an identity document for each adult and a card for any deposit or charges paid at the property. The hotel's own conditions say what applies.
On Rahlio the hotel page shows its check-in and check-out times where the supplier states them, and what you write in the requests box at checkout — an arrival time, an early check-in — is passed on to the hotel with the booking.