According to a new study by British consumer magazine Which?, many hotel chains are offering their guests a more limited amount of time inside their rooms than before. And some are even using the time between check-outs and check-ins to double-book their rooms.
In a new survey, Which? looked at 10 different hotel chains in the UK to determine which budget and mid-range chains give their guests the most (and least) time in their room. Although for a long time, noon and 3 pm were seen as almost standard check-out and check-in times, this is no longer true. As it turns out, there are indeed large discrepancies and hotels charge a lot for those who want a personalised option.
According to the study, five of the chains that were looked at still apply the noon and 3 pm schedule: Holiday Inn, Travelodge, Hilton, Marriott and Premier Inn. This allows one-night guests a maximum of 21 hours in their room.
Others, however, have reduced that amount of time. The worst offender seemed to be Macdonald Hotels and Resorts, which applies a 5 pm check-in and 10 am check-out to some of its independent accommodations. According to the company, these are often bigger units, requiring more time for cleaning and preparation altogether. Britannia and easyHotel both ask guests to check out at 10 am, while allowing check-ins from 3 pm onwards, giving them a maximum of 19 hours in their rooms.
Of course, there are ways to make sure you’ll get to spend more time in your room but these will most probably cost you quite a bit of money. Macdonald Hotels and Resorts, for example, charges £29 for a checkout at noon or a check-in at 3 pm. Early check-ins at the Sofitel Heathrow Airport hotel will cost you £90 and a late check-out will set you back a surprising £120. In order to avoid such fees, Which? suggests signing up for hotel loyalty schemes and not booking an early check-in or late check-out in advance but just asking for a favour at the hotel desk.
Just stayed at a hotel where check IN was 4pm. And check OUT was 11am. (Notice how hotels are taking an hour at each end). That means my stay was only allowed 19 hours. Add on the amenity fee for non existing amenities and one’s left feeling “rip off” where does this end!?
— Richard Quest (@richardquest) February 27, 2025
Less time, more money
“Hotel guests by no means expect a full 24 hours in their room but it’s no wonder an increasing number of us feel short changed when some hotel chains are not just shortening our stay, but then trying to upsell early check-in or later check-out back to us,” said Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel. “If you are paying for a special night away, there are some ways you can access your room early, like accessing loyalty schemes. Some hotels might also let you use facilities like the pool or spa before you check in, so make sure to try and utilise this as much as you can.”
Still, according to the study, one property in London St Pancras even manages to rent its rooms twice per day, offering rooms for rent between 10.30 am and 3.30 pm for £70. As ‘normal’ guests can check out at 10 am and check-in starting at 4 pm, this leaves 30 minutes to clean the room.
As far as why hotels have decided to allow their guests less time inside their rooms, financial reasons seem to be their biggest motivator. The less time a guest spends in their hotel room, the less energy they consume. Moreover, as some hotels opt to rent their rooms during the daytime as well, this can be a big source of extra income. Finally, some hotels seem to struggle with personnel issues, meaning the extra hours are very welcome in order to be able to clean the premises.
