Can I Check Out Of The Hotel The Same Day As I Check In?

When we are talking about hotel rules, we should always think of some differences between countries and even states. But some rules are still the same and they mainly depend on your wishes rather than on hotel rules. We are often asked if a person can check out of the hotel the same day as he or she arrives. And the answer is quite simple.

You can do whatever you want unless it violates the rules of the hotel you are staying in. This means that checking into a hotel and checking out any time you want will be OK if you obey the rules. For example, if you want to check out of the hotel at night, but the hotel reception closes at 22:00, for example, you can’t check out and leave until the reception desk opens the next day.

Here’s what we are going to talk about:

Checking out the same day you arrived – any problems?
Why may you want to check out on the same day?
What are the problems with morning arrivals in hotels?
Can you have a fine or something if you check out on a different day than you planned?

Let’s get started!

Checking-out rules you may need to know

If you want to stay in a hotel and get the pleasure of your time there, you should know some rules. For example, you have to check the time when the hotel offers to check in. In some hotels, it may be 13:00 while in others it will be 14:00. If you don’t know this and come at 7 a.m., you will have to wait and this will lead to problems with your plans.

Checking out of the hotel also has some rules. It’s not only about whether you can check out on the same day as you check in. It’s about some other usual and individual rules you will need to know for a comfortable stay.

Here are some of the most important rules:

Checking out of the hotel is only possible when the hotel reception works. If it’s closed, you can’t check out and leave the hotel until the receptionist comes and opens the desk. The timetable of the reception desk you should learn before you book a hotel. Although in most hotels the reception desk works 24/7, in some hotels it closes at night.
You can check out and pay all the money you have to pay. Only after that, the hotel can let you go. Also, during checking out, you will get back your deposit, or the credit card hold will be deactivated.
Some hotels check the room before you check out. It’s not a common thing in the US or in Europe, but in many developing countries the hotel staff will check your room and see that you didn’t take something as a souvenir (like a robe or some equipment).
Checking out of the hotel is possible up until some time. In most cases, hotels ask guests to check out until 11:00 or 12:00. You should also check this before you book a room because this can be an unpleasant surprise.
In most hotels, you can ask for a late check-out. They will agree if the room wasn’t booked for the same day by some other client. And you will most likely have to pay at least half of the usual daily fee.

So, hotels have some rules and you should know these rules. Otherwise, you can get into some bad situations. For example, you will not know that the check-out time is 11 a.m. and you will be far away from your hotel at this time. You will pay a fine and you will probably have an unpleasant conversation with a hotel manager.

Make sure you know and obey the rules of the hotel you are staying in. This will guarantee you a good stay and a wonderful experience. Did you know that the majority of negative reviews of hotels are caused by the simple fact: clients just don’t know the rules and have to pay fines or at least change their plans because of that.

Can you check out the same day as you check in?

We’ve heard about such a myth as the early check-out fee. This is the main reason why people keep asking us if they can check out the same day from a hotel. This is just a myth – we haven’t seen any early check-out fees in any hotel we have already stayed in. And the list includes hundreds of absolutely different hotels all over the world.

So, if you need to check out earlier than it was planned, here’s what you should do:

come to a receptionist or call the reception of your hotel;
explain that you will need to check out at a certain time that is comfortable for you;
ask them to prepare for a quick check-out if you need this;
if they ask you why you are changing your plans, you may not answer;
don’t try to get a refund if you don’t have any full days left in this hotel.

This is quite easy and predictable. All hotels will be glad to know that a guest is checking out early because they will have more time to prepare the room for the next guest.

If you ever have a situation when a hotel asks you to pay an early check-out fee, please ask them to show where they have these rules that regulate this fee. If they can’t show you, call the police. If they show you, just read the rules and decide if they are applicable in your situation.

Checking out early and getting a refund

Here, we have to make some examples so that you could get it right.

The first situation: you have only a 1-night booking and you planned to check out in the morning. But suddenly you decided to check out in the evening and relocate to some other place. You will naturally want to get some money back because you didn’t sleep in the room. But this is not possible – even if you stayed only 1 hour in your room, you will have to pay for one night.

The second situation: you have 7 nights booked and paid for in this hotel. And you decide to check out the same day when you arrive because you don’t like this place or your plans just change. In this case, you may get a refund for 6 nights but you will still need to pay for one night. Of course, it still depends on the hotel and the refund may be only partial.

Please read the rules of the hotel you are staying in and decide whether you can get a refund.

Morning arrivals problems

One more situation when you may need to check out of the hotel on the same day as you arrive is the morning arrival. For example, your plane arrives at 3 a.m. and then you need 2 hours to get to the hotel. So, you’ll basically arrive in the morning. And then, at 11 a.m. you will need to check out because you actually booked a room for one night. It’s ridiculous, but you need to understand these rules to know what to do.

In this case, we have two possible decisions for you: you can prolong your stay and ask for a late check-out. Sometimes, it will just cost you a couple of dollars and you will be able to sleep well. And the other decision is to book a room for two nights and then sleep there as long as you want.

But don’t forget about one important thing: when you arrive in the morning, you should book a hotel room for the previous day because otherwise, you will need to wait until check-in time, and usually it’s about 1 p.m. or even later.

Reasons for an early check-out

Well, if you still have some problems with an early check-out, you may trick the hotel a little. For example, you are in some hotel that wants to fine you for your early check-out or doesn’t want to give you a refund for the unused nights.

Here are some reasons we think you should use:

Problems with the room decoration. Find some bad things you may use as the reason for check-out.
Lie in the booking websites. For example, some resort hotels write “300 meters to the beach” while it turns to 3 miles when you arrive.
Poor service. You may find some problems with the service quality and just leave the hotel.
Noisy environment. You may say that you can’t sleep because the street traffic is too noisy for you and you want to relocate to a different area.

Why do you need to make up some reasons? Because in this case, you are more likely to get a refund or not pay any fines for early check-outs. When you say that you just changed your plans, the fines are more possible.