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Is it just me, or are late check-in times at hotels incredibly annoying? Recently, there’s been a lot of chatter on social media and in articles about the frustration with late check-ins and early check-outs, particularly in Malaysian hotels. But let’s be fair, this is a common practice in hotels around the world too.
Personally, I can’t stand it. It feels like being robbed—paying for a full day's stay when you’re not really getting one.
A premium price, a subpar experience
A few years ago, my family and I had a less-than-stellar experience at a five-star beach resort in Penang. At over RM800 per night, you’d expect better service. We arrived at 2 pm, hopeful that we might check in early, even though we were told check-in was at 4 pm. Since our room wasn’t ready, we spent time in the lobby and hung out at the beach.
At 3:45 pm, I returned to the reception, only to be told the room still wasn’t ready. My agitation grew, especially with the staff’s lack of apology. It wasn’t until after 4:30 pm that check-in finally opened, leading to a long queue. By the time I received the room key, it was nearly 5 pm.
Feeling short-changed, I asked the staff for a late check-out, to which they gave a vague, “I cannot promise you anything.” I insisted on checking out at 2 pm the next day, assuming a few hours would be enough time to prepare the room for the next guest.
The next morning, I got an 11 am reminder call about check-out. Reasoning with the staff didn’t help—despite the late check-in the previous day, they stuck to their rigid policy. Adding insult to injury, housekeeping barged into our room before check-out without permission. When I called to complain, the front desk defended them, saying they assumed the room was empty since it was close to check-out time.
I sent a few complaint letters afterward, but unsurprisingly, I received no response.
Why such a small window for check-in?
I’ve stayed in many hotels across Malaysia and abroad, and most follow the same pattern: check-in at 3 or 4 pm, check-out at 11 am or noon. Early check-out is easy, just drop the keycard in a box, but try asking for an early check-in or a late check-out, and it’s like pulling teeth.
Hotels argue they need time to “make everything right.” Housekeeping needs to clean the room, change the linens, restock towels, clean the glassware, vacuum, scrub the bathroom, and fix anything that’s broken. A friend in the hotel business recently told me, “My hotel has 36 rooms to turn over with only 4 housekeepers. One housekeeper cannot get all 9 rooms ready in 4 hours.”
I find this hard to believe. Why not assign two housekeepers per room and cut the preparation time down to 15 minutes? It’s not rocket science. Of course, hotels will complain about the cost of hiring extra staff, but that’s not the guest’s problem.
Are we paying for the night or the experience?
Another friend tried to explain, “You’re paying for the night, not the entire day. As long as the room is ready by the afternoon, you can rest and sleep at night.”
This logic doesn’t sit well with me, especially in the case of resort hotels. If the room is just for sleeping, why offer perks like gyms, pools, spas, and arcades? As guests, we’re paying for a full experience, not just a bed to crash on.
Some hotels even charge extra for early check-ins, which I find outrageous. If a room is available and clean, there should be no charge. In fact, early arrivals could ease the check-in rush later in the day. Sadly, while hotels are quick to charge for early arrivals, they take no responsibility for delayed check-ins.
If this trend continues, hotels might just hand you the keys whenever it suits them and kick you out the next morning, even if you’re still in your pyjamas!
Time for a fairer system
Despite these frustrations, hotels still claim to offer excellent customer service. But honestly, it feels like empty promises. The industry needs to rethink its check-in and check-out practices. Here’s what I think would be a fair system:
- Charge for a 24-Hour Stay: Guests should pay based on a 24-hour stay, not just for the “night.”
- Flexible Check-In and Check-Out: Offer a wider window for check-ins and check-outs, and let guests choose their preferred times.
- Adjust Room Rates Accordingly: If a guest checks in at 2 pm and checks out at 11 am, the rate should reflect that reduced time.
For example, if a room is RM400 per night:
- 2 pm (Night 1) to 1:59 pm (Night 2) = RM400
- 2 pm (Night 2) to 1:59 pm (Night 3) = RM400
- 2 pm (Night 3) to 11 am (Check-out) = RM350
Don't you think this would create a fairer system for everyone involved? After all, it’s not like we lack the technology to implement this!
While this new system is entirely feasible, the real challenge is getting hoteliers to let go of their greed.
Fa Abdul is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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