When is a confirmed hotel reservation not confirmed? (part 4)The flight doesn't leave until evening, but the hotel check-out time is noon. What does a guest do with those aimless hours? Many hotels accommodate late check-outs based upon availability. The best course of action is to inform the hotel of your requirement for a late checkout at the time you are making your room reservation with the hotel. Should the hotel agree to accommodate your request, you may be asked to pay extra for the extended hours of stay in the room and the norm is to charge 50% of the daily room rate. If your late departure goes beyond 6.00pm, then there is the likelihood of the hotel charging you a full night‘s room rate – unless you are a regular guest or a member of the hotel‘s loyalty club. In which event you may not be charged anything extra at all, provided rooms are available on that particular night. If you had forgotten to ask for a late check out, at the time of making your room booking and do so whilst staying in the hotel, you may be requested to check with the Front Desk in the evening before or on the morning of departure. It all depends on whether the hotel is having full occupancy or not on the day of your departure. Pleading your own case for a free early check-in or late check-out can sometimes work, especially if the hotel isn't full.
What happens if I don’t check out on the day of departure?
By law ’Any guest who continues to occupy an assigned hotel bedroom beyond the scheduled departure without the prior approval of the innkeeper shall be deemed a trespasser‘. So beware, hotels can evict you if you stay past the agreed date. Ofcourse the majority of hotels will understand short delays but the hotel is entitled to evict you, double-lock your room or change the locks (done easily for electronic key cards) and move your things out. When guest belongings are moved out in the absence of the guest (occupant), the hotel will assign this task to a Housekeeper and a responsible member of security, so that it is carried out under supervision in a neat and orderly manner including inventorying the guest belongings.
Hotelier’s right to withdraw privileges and evict a guest.
Under certain circumstances a hotel operator has the right to withdraw hotel privileges and evict a guest. Evict means to remove someone from the property. A hotel can evict a guest for nonpayment of a bill, overstaying, disorderly conduct, serious or contagious illness, or of objectionable character including obnoxious behaviour. In addition to those conditions a hotel may also evict business competitors seeking to solicit customers under certain circumstances including those who rent a room for conducting illegal / immoral activities. Minors accompanied by an adult who is not an immediate member of family should not be allowed to check-in. In some countries minors cannot rent a hotel room, whilst in some other countries failure to allow a minor as a registered guest in your property may be grounds for an unfair discrimination charge against the innkeeper. Guests sometimes need to be reminded that disturbing noise, illegal drugs and underage drinking will not be permitted anywhere on the hotel property. As for intolerable noise levels, the hotel rules may provide for an initial warning prior to any unregistered guests being escorted off property. Subsequent warnings will be grounds for the removal of the registered guests without a refund of the advance payment for room charges. What does one do, when the hotel is a party to permitting disturbingly late noise levels that prevent proper sleep? Make sure that you register your complaint – not merely with the receptionist but with the manager and ask – nay demand for some form of compensation.
Right to Privacy
You have a limited right to privacy in your room. You have the right, unless the hotel management has a reason to believe you are engaged in an illegal activity or are disturbing other tenants. If, however, management would believe you were doing something illegal, like using or selling drugs, then someone would have the right to enter your room, even without your permission. Under any circumstances, however, the police would not have a right to enter your room without a warrant- unless it is the scene of a crime. Someone from the hotel may also enter your room, if it is believed you are destroying hotel property. Your room may also be entered if you are disturbing other guests. Hotel staff cannot disclose your room number to an outside person. On the other hand they can tell someone if you are a guest and connect a phone call to your room. You do have the right, however, to instruct management not to inform anyone you are at the hotel or to connect calls.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Ex-Hotelier |
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