Early Arrival 24 Hour Check-in = One Free Night?

[Renato1]

In our forthcoming trip,we'll be arriving in Dubai at 12.15am 5th November, checking in at around 2 to 2.30am and checking out on 9 November. So when I looked at Booking.com, I saw it as having to book the night of 4th November, if I wanted a room on arrival, and checking out on the 9th - a 5 night stay. The price was $2000 for the five nights, and I decided to give it a miss - though I mentioned it and another cheaper option to my Travel Agent.

So today, my Travel Agent comes back to me offering the room, breakfast and pick-up to and from the airport at the expensive hotel for $962. Scratching my head, I checked Booking.com again, and for the same room with breakfast, and excluding airport pick-up, the cost is $1646 for 5 nights. But then I noticed that she had only booked a 4-night stay for us at the hotel.

So I contacted her and asked if this was right - surely I'd have to book the night 4th November if I wanted to sleep on arrival? Her answer was that yes, that would have been correct if the hotel wasn't offering a 24 hour check-in. But that as her suppliers offer her a 24 hour check-in, that I need not stress as i would be checked in on arrival and get the room.

So effectively, we get a free room for one night.

After 10 years of overseas travel - this was news to me. Has anybody else come across this?

Also, it makes me wonder the merits of using Booking.com. On this trip she has twice come up with prices considerably cheaper than what Booking.com was showing.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[wjohn]

I'd be confirming that with the hotel - a "24hr check in" only tells me that you are able to check in at any time. Let us know how you go though.

 

[juddles]

wow! is this normal? checking in just after midnight without cost for that first night sounds too good to be true

 

[CMA222]

On that basis if you have rolling 24 hour usage, if you check in at say 1.00 am on arrival would you not have to check out by 1.00 am on the day or departure?? I am booked into a large hotel in Dubai in August and arrive in Dubai at 11.45 pm so will get to the hotel about 12.45 am. The hotel has 24 hour check in but the day runs from (say) 2.00pm (or earlier if rooms are ready) till 11.00 am the following day, so I pay for the night I arrive and that day finishes at 11.00 am the same day. I will be interested to see how you go but I would be verifying the arrangements with the hotel.

 

[Hvr]

I guess it comes down to how much you trust your travel agent. If they're a Flight Centre type operation then be prepared to wait until normal check in time, i.e. 1400 hours.

If they're a boutique operation who have previously booked difficult trips according to your instructions then hopefully you'll be fine.

What ever the outcome please do let us know.

 

[kpc]

I reckon the TA is (unsurprisingly) wrong!

 

[Renato1]

wow! is this normal? checking in just after midnight without cost for that first night sounds too good to be true

I should have been clearer, the plane gets there at 12.15am, we'd be checking in around 2am to 2.30am. I've amended the original post to make it clearer.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

I'd be confirming that with the hotel - a "24hr check in" only tells me that you are able to check in at any time. Let us know how you go though.

I'd rather see how it pans out. If they do slug me for the extra night at the fairly low rate - I still wouldn't be complaining - as it would still be cheaper than the other "cheaper" option I'd picked.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

wow! is this normal? checking in just after midnight without cost for that first night sounds too good to be true

That's why I posted this (though we're actually checking in at around 2am or later).

I also get "Meet and Greet Prior to Immigration" at Dubai airport - which I've never come across before either.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

On that basis if you have rolling 24 hour usage, if you check in at say 1.00 am on arrival would you not have to check out by 1.00 am on the day or departure?? I am booked into a large hotel in Dubai in August and arrive in Dubai at 11.45 pm so will get to the hotel about 12.45 am. The hotel has 24 hour check in but the day runs from (say) 2.00pm (or earlier if rooms are ready) till 11.00 am the following day, so I pay for the night I arrive and that day finishes at 11.00 am the same day. I will be interested to see how you go but I would be verifying the arrangements with the hotel.

That's how I always thought it worked too. I was really scratching my head about this earlier today before I contacted her again.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[JessicaTam]

Hmm, curious. I look forward to hearing how you get on as well.

I have checked in to a hotel about 8am before - but only because the room was ready and I was just expecting to drop off my bags. This goes way beyond that.

 

[Hvr]

I'd rather see how it pans out. If they do slug me for the extra night at the fairly low rate - I still wouldn't be complaining - as it would still be cheaper than the other "cheaper" option I'd picked.
Regards,
Renato

Do you have a plan if you're not allowed to check in until 1400 hours?

 

[Renato1]

I guess it comes down to how much you trust your travel agent. If they're a Flight Centre type operation then be prepared to wait until normal check in time, i.e. 1400 hours.

If they're a boutique operation who have previously booked difficult trips according to your instructions then hopefully you'll be fine.

What ever the outcome please do let us know.

It's not Flight Centre, just a family owned business. Anyhow I paid the money for the package - should be interesting whatever happens.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Do you have a plan if you're not allowed to check in until 1400 hours?

It'll either be to pay for a room or, if none are available, sleep in their luxurious lounges till morning - hand them the bags to hold onto, and go out on the town till check-in time. I sort of did the same thing in Hong Kong six years ago when we arrived at 6 in the morning - left my wife sleeping over the bags and went for a wander.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Hmm, curious. I look forward to hearing how you get on as well.

I have checked in to a hotel about 8am before - but only because the room was ready and I was just expecting to drop off my bags. This goes way beyond that.

Well, I'll either have a very good story to tell you in November if I can find this thread - or I'll have a sadish story to tell. Though not that sad, because whatever happens, we love staying in Dubai.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[JohnPhelan]

I'm aware of a small number of hotels in different cities that do indeed rent you the room in 24 hour blocks (the Four Points at LAX is one).

The issue will be making sure the hotel knows what your check-in time will be.

 

[Renato1]

I'm aware of a small number of hotels in different cities that do indeed rent you the room in 24 hour blocks (the Four Points at LAX is one).

The issue will be making sure the hotel knows what your check-in time will be.

Thanks. I guess they should know - because the package offered to us was "Meet and Greet Prior to Immigration" followed by a trip to the hotel in a limousine. On our last trip there we only got the limo trips to and from the hotel. Though exactly who is meeting and greeting us I don't know. It would seem kind of strange if after all that we get to the hotel and there is no room available.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[eric2011]

In my simple mind a 24 hour check-in mean that if you check-in at 2.30am you need to check out by 2.30am on departure day, ie you have the room for 24hour blocks

 

[Reggie78]

From my travels, 24 hour check-in means that you can check-in at any time of the day - that they will have someone to check you in 24 hrs a day.

Each hotel's policy is different, but there would be a cutoff time they would look at as to whether you are afforded the beginning of your stay for free (i.e. early check-in). 2am i doubt would be included as early check-in...

Never have I heard of a hotel offering you a room for 24 whole hours, when their standard policy for 1 night is in after a certain time, and out by a certain time, generally totaling no more than 19 full hours. Of course there are by arrangement options that can extend this, such as a request for late checkout, but I write this as standard Hotel practice.

Airport hotels that charge by the time block would be the only exception that I could think of, but they generally have a maximum of 6ish hours...

 

[Renato1]

From my travels, 24 hour check-in means that you can check-in at any time of the day - that they will have someone to check you in 24 hrs a day.

Each hotel's policy is different, but there would be a cutoff time they would look at as to whether you are afforded the beginning of your stay for free (i.e. early check-in). 2am i doubt would be included as early check-in...

Never have I heard of a hotel offering you a room for 24 whole hours, when their standard policy for 1 night is in after a certain time, and out by a certain time, generally totaling no more than 19 full hours. Of course there are by arrangement options that can extend this, such as a request for late checkout, but I write this as standard Hotel practice.

Airport hotels that charge by the time block would be the only exception that I could think of, but they generally have a maximum of 6ish hours...

Thanks - you are in full agreement with what I thought was the case till yesterday and - who knows - it may well still be the case. I'll find out come November.

I find it most interesting that after all the responses, no one has heard of such a thing - I had been expecting an "Of course it happens - are you a newbie or what?" type responses.

Cheers,
Renato