Dream vacations, business trips, or multi-day family excursions involve the necessity of booking appropriate accommodation. And here arises a problem faced by many guests, namely adapting to the so-called hotel day. Before traveling, it is worth checking exactly how long the hotel day lasts and what rules related to it are adopted in the hotel you are going to. Proper preparation will definitely affect the comfort of the entire trip. So what should you know about hotel days and how to count them? Check it out!
The hotel day is the period during which guests have access to their accommodation and all the amenities offered by the hotel, such as a swimming pool, relaxation zone, or SPA services. This time is included in the accommodation fee and allows guests to freely use the hotel's infrastructure during their stay.
The hotel day, i.e., the period during which guests use the hotel room, is usually slightly shorter than a standard 24-hour day. This is related to the need to prepare the room for the next arrivals. The shorter hotel day is meant to provide time for cleaning — however, it should usually not be shorter than 20 hours. The difference between the check-out and check-in time may vary depending on the size of the hotel, leaving some margin for unforeseen situations.
In most cases, this does not directly affect the price of accommodation. Despite the shorter stay, the fee usually covers the full amount for the entire daily reservation, which is standard practice in the hotel industry.
Are there exceptions to the established hotel day? Owners of accommodation facilities can be quite flexible, but much depends on the hotel's individual policy and its current occupancy. If there are no subsequent reservations or new guests arrive later, a slight extension of the stay might be possible, but this is neither a rule nor an owner's obligation. When further arrivals are planned, it is possible to expect luggage storage after check-out.
Many guests wonder what time the hotel day begins. In most cases, the hotel day starts around 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM on the given day. Upon arrival at the hotel, guests have the right to access their reserved room.
However, in case of early arrival, it may happen that guests have to wait until the hotel day starts. Only then can the hotel staff issue keys, and guests can begin to enjoy the hotel amenities.
Not every hotel follows the same guidelines. Some properties require check-out as early as 10:00 AM. Before traveling, it’s worth verifying such information in advance, especially for short stays.
As already mentioned, it typically starts between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM, although in some places it may begin earlier. And what about check-out? Until what time does the hotel day last? Usually, it ends at 12:00 PM or 1:00 PM the next day. At Hotel St. Bruno, the hotel day starts at 4:00 PM and ends at 12:00 PM the following day.
This means that our stay and the possibility to use the room and other hotel amenities is limited to that time. If we do not plan to leave the hotel by the specified time, an extension of the stay is necessary.
Many hotels strictly enforce check-out times, as regulations impose penalties for delayed room release. In exceptional situations, it is worth contacting the reception or customer service. The staff usually tries to accommodate unusual guest requests.
The costs of extending a hotel stay vary depending on hotel policy. A slight extension of the day by an hour or two can sometimes be obtained without additional charges. However, longer delayed check-outs may incur high extra costs, even up to half the rate for another hotel day. Typically, an extension of the day after 8:00 PM requires payment of the full rate for the next day.
It is worth noting that extending the stay by a few hours does not automatically grant access to additional amenities, such as the pool or sauna. Use of these facilities after the designated hours usually involves extra charges.
Counting hotel days can be somewhat tricky. The easiest way is to count from the standard check-in time to the same time the next day and subtract the difference resulting from a different check-out time.
So two hotel days simply mean the passage of two full hotel days. If we assume the hotel day lasts from 2:00 PM to 12:00 PM the next day, then two hotel days amount to 46 hours.