Major hotel chains in the UK are asking guests to check-in as late as 5pm and leave as early as 10am giving them just 17 hours in the room, a new study by Which? has found.
The consumer rights champion studied check-in times across 10 major hotel chains operating in the UK, including Hilton, Mercure and easyHotel and found the worst offender to be the luxury chain Macdonald Hotels and Resorts.
The company, which owns the five-star Bath Spa Hotel, instructs guests at some properties to check-in as late as 5pm and check-out at 10am, which allows just 17 hours to enjoy their room and the hotel’s facilities.
Macdonald Hotels told Which? that their 5pm check-in is reserved for its self-catering apartments, where larger spaces and longer stays require more thorough cleaning.
Which? notes that “nowhere on its website is this made sufficiently clear”.
It continues: “What is clear, is that if guests want to check in at 3pm or sleep until midday, Macdonald, known for its four and five-star resorts, charges an extra £29.”
Guests at Britannia Hotels, which was rated the worst hotel chain in the UK for the 11th year in a row in 2023 in Which?’s annual survey, and easyHotel get 19 hours, with a 3pm check-in time and a 10am departure.
Premier Inn, Travelodge and Holiday Inn were all found to be the best options, with a 3pm arrival and a more generous midday check-out, allowing 21 hours of room-time.
Which? also notes that several hotels are introducing heavy fees for early or late check-in.
Guests seeking an early check-in at the Sofitel Heathrow Airport hotel can expect to pay an additional £90, while extending room time beyond the official check-out time costs an eye-watering £120.
It added that guests can contact Sofitel directly “to negotiate”, however.
The Independent has contacted Sofitel for comment.
Which?’s investigations also found that some hotels are selling rooms twice within a 24 hour period.
It found one property in London St Pancras offering day-only bookings between 10.30am and 3.30pm for £70, with a standard check-in and check-out time of 4pm and 10am respectively, leaving 30 minutes to clean the room.
The listing is advertised on Dayuse, which is a Booking.com style website for guests who want to book a room for a few hours in order to make the most of the hotel’s amenities…
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