Arriving
Reception keeps its doors open all day; the rooms do not. The familiar two-to-three o'clock window marks the moment housekeeping has finished the last turnover in your category, and nothing more. Bring a photo identification that matches the reservation, the confirmation itself, and a card against which a hold may be placed.
There is no harm in appearing early. Should nothing be ready, leave your cases with reception and let the afternoon take care of itself — storage is offered freely and almost universally.
Carry with you
- Photo identification issued by a government
- The booking reference, or the email carrying it
- A payment card that will accept a hold
- Any request you made, in written form
Leaving
Rooms are ordinarily due back at eleven or at noon. A further hour or two is frequently given without charge when the house is not full — and the request lands far better the evening before, when tomorrow's occupancy is already visible, than during the morning rush.
Returning the key does not turn you out with your luggage. Storage resumes the moment you have settled, so an evening departure and a midday deadline live together perfectly well.
Before the door closes
- The safe, the bathroom hook, the back of the door
- Read the account through before agreeing to it
- Return every key card you were issued
- Ask when the hold on your card will lift
The house rules
Quiet hours
Broadly ten at night until seven in the morning. A corridor carries conversation far better than the room suggests, so late calls are best taken downstairs.
No smoking
The most expensive rule in the building to break. A cigarette or a vape in a non-smoking room brings a fixed deep-cleaning charge, applied without discussion.
Occupancy
Each room states a maximum. One more guest is usually accommodated for a supplement, provided it is declared at the time of booking rather than at the desk.
Pets
Welcome only where the house says so, generally on nominated floors and for a nightly fee. Settle the question before you travel, never on arrival.
Safety
Read the escape notice on the back of the door once, keep the corridor clear of cases, and never hang anything from a smoke detector.
Extras
Minibar, parking, dining and laundry are posted to the room and settled on departure rather than paid for at the moment of use.
Reading the room names
Single
One single bed and the smallest footprint on the corridor. Entirely sensible for one traveller and one night.
Double
A single larger bed shared between two. The category most widely stocked, and therefore the easiest to secure late.
Twin
Two separate single beds, often listed alongside doubles under one heading — so confirm which of the two you hold.
Deluxe
More floor space, a higher storey, or a better outlook. The word promises one of the three; ask which applies here.
Suite
A bedroom with a separate sitting room attached, which earns its premium when the room must serve as a study.
Family
Arranged for three to five guests. The point worth clarifying is whether the additional bed is proper or a fold-out.
Before you book
- Weigh the total, not the nightly rate Taxes, city levies, resort fees and parking can lift a final figure by a fifth.
- Record the cancellation hour Note the exact date, the hour, and the time zone in which free cancellation ends.
- Settle the beds in writing Twin and double frequently share one listing; an email removes all doubt.
- Consult the hotel's own site Direct rates often sit lower, and a direct booking is far easier to amend later.
- Attach requests to the reservation A high floor, a quiet aspect, a cot, an accessible bathroom, a very late arrival.
- Keep the confirmation offline A single screenshot of the reference and address survives a dead connection.
Questions the desk hears
May I arrive before the stated hour?
Only where a cleaned room of your category already stands free, which makes early arrival a kindness rather than a right. Mention it when booking and enquire again on the morning itself.
Is identification always requested?
Very nearly always. Reception compares a government photo ID with the name on the reservation before a key changes hands.
Why does my card show a pending amount?
It is an authorisation rather than a charge, covering possible extras such as parking or room service. It falls away after departure, though a bank may take several days to show it.
Must I pay to leave later?
An hour or two is often granted at no cost, particularly midweek. Longer usually carries a fee, though luggage may be stored free of charge in either case.