[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

This is pretty normal practice everywhere.

All hotels have a check in time. Don't expect to check in before that.

Not really...nice hotels will typically work something out for you, particularly if there is vacancy.

Paris just happens to suck ass. Doubt they'd pull that shit at the Wynn, 4 Seasons, or Mandarin.

[BayMoWe335]

And let me tell you this:

If they actually let you check in and you got a room, that means they had vacancy and just screwed you because they didn't like you.

There is no "fee" for early check-in at a hotel that gives a crap about that client. If they truly can't handle you checking in early because they have no room, they would just tell you that.

If they hit you with a fee, they are just being assholes. I'd cancel my reservation right there if they charged me that shit.

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

And let me tell you this:

If they actually let you check in and you got a room, that means they had vacancy and just screwed you because they didn't like you.

There is no "fee" for early check-in at a hotel that gives a crap about that client. If they truly can't handle you checking in early because they have no room, they would just tell you that.

If they hit you with a fee, they are just being assholes. I'd cancel my reservation right there if they charged me that shit.

just to be clear, most hotels will allow you to check in early before their stated time if there is availability. To clarify further, availability means the comparable room you paid for, not the VIP $1000 a night penthouse suite when you paid for the $150/night double. So no one is getting screwed. If you're in early without paying extra, that means your room was ready.

If you have to wait, that means you're not a priority. Not all customers are treated the same, it's how much you're willing to pay for is your priority level of treatment. Don't like it? Pay more and you'll get VIP treatment. And that's the cold hard truth.

If you are paying a fee for early check in, that means they're putting you ahead of their preferred client, usually someone who holds status. And there's nothing unfair about that. They do "give a crap" about the client, just that client in question is NOT YOU. But you should feel lucky they extended it to you as a non-status non-VIP client for a fee. For example, at the Ritz Carlton there's a room ready every single night for the walk-up status customer. That customer will pay for the walk up rate, but that room will almost never be offered to any walk-up non-status customer. And if it somehow is offered to general booking, you'll pay up the difference in cost for their payment back to that VIP if and when he decides to show up and there's no room. That's just how it works.


Paying up for extra level of service is the norm. It's about filling the entire demand curve for all the incremental prices each consumer is willing to pay. Get used to it, it's already implemented in forms of time-adjusted or priority-adjusted pricing with airlines, uber, hotels, gym memberships, lines at Disneyworld, etc etc etc.

And I highly doubt you will "just cancel your reservation". Sure you can walk out right away, but most reservations are held by credit card and has a 24-hour cancellation policy. You're not really sticking it to them by walking out, and on top of it, you'll need to find lodging at the walk-up rate that night at another hotel...which likely will be double what you reserved your old room for.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

This is pretty normal practice everywhere.

All hotels have a check in time. Don't expect to check in before that.

I've been traveling for business and pleasure for over 40 years. Back when I was traveling a lot, I'd do 20 trips a year in the US. That experience gives me a certain perspective on what to expect and not expect. In all of those years, I have never once been asked to pay an additional fee for checking in a 1pm. If they had a clean room, they gave it to me. If they didn't, I checked my bag with the Bell Captain and went about my day. Never was I told, "Yes we have a clean room for you but you will have to pay a fee since its not 4pm yet. But, we will waive the fee if you upgrade your room".

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

I've been traveling for business and pleasure for over 40 years. Back when I was traveling a lot, I'd do 20 trips a year in the US. That experience gives me a certain perspective on what to expect and not expect. In all of those years, I have never once been asked to pay an additional fee for checking in a 1pm. If they had a clean room, they gave it to me. If they didn't, I checked my bag with the Bell Captain and went about my day. Never was I told, "Yes we have a clean room for you but you will have to pay a fee since its not 4pm yet. But, we will waive the fee if you upgrade your room".

This.

[1LRM3]

I didn't read through all of this, but often, if you are a member of the hotel program i.e. Starwood or Sheraton, you may receive a courtesy early check in. I don't even travel that much for work but I can say that anytime I have called ahead for early check in privileges, I have been granted them without issue. Give it a try....

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

I've been traveling for business and pleasure for over 40 years. Back when I was traveling a lot, I'd do 20 trips a year in the US. That experience gives me a certain perspective on what to expect and not expect. In all of those years, I have never once been asked to pay an additional fee for checking in a 1pm. If they had a clean room, they gave it to me. If they didn't, I checked my bag with the Bell Captain and went about my day. Never was I told, "Yes we have a clean room for you but you will have to pay a fee since its not 4pm yet. But, we will waive the fee if you upgrade your room".

You're 100% right. He doesn't know what he's talking about because he's just one of those people who thinks rules are rules and never experienced the real world.

Travel plans change all the time and good hotels know this. You think the Ritz is going to charge you a BS fee bc your flight got in early? LOL.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

Travel plans change all the time and good hotels know this. You think the Ritz is going to charge you a BS fee bc your flight got in early? LOL.

I wish I could catch one of those flights that arrives early for a change.

[Vitalität]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

My wife and I went to Las Vegas this week to celebrate her birthday. We checked in at 1:10 pm at the Paris Hotel. The check in clerk told us they have rooms available but there is a $20 early check in fee because the official check in time starts at 4pm. The clerk then said he would waive the fee if we upgraded to a higher level room.

I told the clerk I've never heard of such a fee at any hotel in my many years of travel. He argued that it is a normal fee and went on to explain why the Paris Hotel charges this fee if you check in before 4pm.

When I got back home I checked the Paris Hotel website and it does show this early check in fee in the details.

So, for the Paris Hotel at least, you are not getting a room for a day, you are getting a room for 19 hours (4pm to 11am checkout time).

Question: Have any of you heard of this type of fee before? Do you pay it?

Being to few countries in Europe, yes this is normal. That is just one thing. I went to Venice 4 years ago month of September and there was no AC. Staff said local ordinance or something was preventing them from providing it. It was a warm night. Another hotel even posted no eating in the room since it attracts ants. A lot of stuff going on out there.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

...Paying up for extra level of service is the norm. It's about filling the entire demand curve for all the incremental prices each consumer is willing to pay. Get used to it, it's already implemented in forms of time-adjusted or priority-adjusted pricing with airlines, uber, hotels, gym memberships, lines at Disneyworld, etc etc etc.

Checking after 1pm is not an extra level of service. It is the norm if a room is ready. If a room is not ready then you check your bags and go do something for 3 hours. Traditionally, the 4pm check in time is to allow the hotel time to ensure a room is ready so the client doesn't complain that that the room is not ready. It's wasn't meant to be a revenue generator for extra fees. How can it be the norm as you say. This is the first time in hundreds of hotel stays that I have been told I need to pay a fee for early check in.

As in the Paris Las Vegas case I referenced in the OP, they went on to offer to waive the fee if I upgraded. The last thing a traveler wants to do is be hassled at check in for a fee and then be told it will be waived in you upgrade your room. Coupling these two points together in an upgrade sales pitch turns the desk clerk into a used car salesperson.

You reference the Ritz. I've stayed 4 different Ritz Carlton's on multiple occasions. I've almost always checked in well before 4 and I've never been asked to pay a fee. All I get from Ritz is a perfect welcome and a glass of wine at check in, followed by perfect service by well trained people for the entire stay.

Regarding your comment to get used early check in fees: No.

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

Checking after 1pm is not an extra level of service. It is the norm if a room is ready. If a room is not ready then you check your bags and go do something for 3 hours. Traditionally, the 4pm check in time is to allow the hotel time to ensure a room is ready so the client doesn't complain that that the room is not ready. It's wasn't meant to be a revenue generator for extra fees. How can it be the norm as you say. This is the first time in hundreds of hotel stays that I have been told I need to pay a fee for early check in.

As in the Paris Las Vegas case I referenced in the OP, they went on to offer to waive the fee if I upgraded. The last thing a traveler wants to do is be hassled at check in for a fee and then be told it will be waived in you upgrade your room. Coupling these two points together in an upgrade sales pitch turns the desk clerk into a used car salesperson.

You reference the Ritz. I've stayed 4 different Ritz Carlton's on multiple occasions. I've almost always checked in well before 4 and I've never been asked to pay a fee. All I get from Ritz is a perfect welcome and a glass of wine at check in, followed by perfect service by well trained people for the entire stay.

Regarding your comment to get used early check in fees: No.

I'm no disputing whether you CAN check in early IF your room is already available. But the room apparently is not in this case. In fact, you may have paid for a specific room that they offered at that rate.

That fee accounts for you taking the reservation of someone else, likely a status member. It's how priority is assigned. You want to get higher priority? Pay up.

I can tell you right now, being a status member of Hilton and Marriott, if I designated my check in time, AND they tell me my room is NOT ready when it is b/c they gave it to someone else, they're going to have to compensate me with something...

Likely what happened is, a status member notified the hotel of his check in say at 5 pm. Hotel already has the room available for him and it was the one offered for the fee. There would have been a chance this status member shows up before 5 pm...and the hotel would have to scramble to either upgrade that person or compensate him with a free dinner or club pass or something...