When a hotel stay ends, it's tempting to just stroll out and get on with your next journey. Don't. Go through this list of simple checks to make sure you're actually squared away and ready to roll.
For most guests, checking out of a hotel may only involve a quick glance at the room folio—whether at the front desk or on the hotel room TV—before hopping into a cab headed for the airport. Other guests may not even do that much, choosing instead to just pack their bags, slink out unnoticed, and deal with the final charges when they get back home. But whatever kind of checker-outer you are, here are five things you should remember when leaving your hotel room for good.
Do a final sweep of the room.
Whether it’s five in the morning or five minutes past check-out time, make sure to give your hotel room one last good look for your belongings. Look under the bed, shake out those bedsheets, peep into the shower, and double-check the closet and the safe. If you leave something behind in a hotel room, it can be surprisingly hard to track it down once you’ve checked out.
Grab some “souvenirs.”
One way to remember your hotel stay, especially a good one, is by grabbing a few of the freebies that are included like the little toiletry bottles, notepads and pens, slippers, or room key cards. (But not the towels or hotel robes, as the hotel will charge you for those.) And no, this is not a cheap move or even stealing: Housekeeping will throw toiletry bottles away as soon as you leave, so you might as well save them for when you run out of body wash at home.
Tip the housekeeper.
Increasingly, gratuities are seen as a way to overcome poor wages paid by the hotels. If housekeeping has come by during your stay and made the bed, fluffed the pillows, replaced your towels, and straightened out the clothes you haphazardly tossed from your suitcase, leaving a small tip is seen as a nice gesture of appreciation. The general rule of thumb is a couple of dollars for each day. You should leave the tip out in the open, like the nightstand, and with a note so the housekeeper doesn’t confuse it with cash you’ve just left out (which you should never do, by the way). Renaissance Hotels actually has a special tip envelope that it places on the bed at turndown service to facilitate the tip-giving. One problem with tipping is the person you tip may not have been the one who tidied your room yesterfday, but one thing is true: Housekeepers definitely aren't getting rich cleaning your room, so tips help.
Let the hotel know of any problems.
If something bothered you about your hotel stay, whether it be a noisy neighbor, a leaky faucet, or a shower that never seemed to heat up, make sure the hotel knows about it. Not only will it fix the problem (hopefully), it may even take off a few charges on your room bill to make up for the hassle. Hotels are hyper-concerned about online guest reviews, so they will do what they can to make you happy during your stay rather than have you leave unhappy, ready to rant on a review site. Similarly, if a hotel is doing a good job, let staff know that too.
Closely review the final charges.
If you purchased something during your stay—Wi-Fi, an in-room movie, minibar snacks, or room service—make sure these charges are correct on your check-out folio. Hotels make "mistakes" all the time and it’s common to find that they’ve charged you twice for something you bought—"accidentally," of course. If you’re leaving the hotel early in the morning, review the charges the night before. It can be a pain on your last night, but resolving mistakes after check-out with your credit card company is far more annoying.
FAQs
- Hotel Checkout Mistake #1: Failing to Double-Check Your Bill.
- Hotel Checkout Mistake #2: Leaving Something Behind.
- Hotel Checkout Mistake #3: Forgetting to Leave a Tip.
- Hotel Checkout Mistake #4: Not Allowing Enough Time.
- Hotel Checkout Mistake #5: Letting the Hotel Call You a Cab.
Visit the front desk in person
After leaving your room, head to the front desk and inform them that you're checking out. They'll likely request your room key, confirm the card on file is correct, confirm your loyalty number, and provide you with an itemized bill that you can settle in person.
What do you say when checking out of a hotel? ›
With your baggage in tow, go to the front desk worker, give them your keys, and settle payment for your stay. When you arrive at the front desk, say something like, “Hi, I've been staying in room 222 and I'd like to check out.” Ask for an itemized receipt for your total bill. Fraud is relatively common at hotels.
What is the rule of check-in and check-out in a hotel? ›
Most hotels do not allow you to CHECK IN before sometime in the afternoon, say 2:00 PM. This allows them time to clean the rooms that were used the previous night, and make them ready for the next visitors. Conversely, hotels also have a mandatory CHECK OUT TIME, 10:00 AM or Noon are common.
Do you tip when you leave a hotel room? ›
When to tip your hotel room cleaners. Some travelers like to leave one tip for hotel housekeeping at the end of their stay. But most experts say it's better to leave a tip every day of your trip. “We recommend tipping nightly, as your room may be serviced by different people,” said Ten Eyck.
Do hotels care if you check-out? ›
No, you don't technically have to, but physically checking out of a hotel allows you to double-check your bill and make sure your receipt looks okay. It also gives hotel staff a clear heads-up that your room is ready to be cleaned for a new guest.
Do I need to return hotel key cards? ›
Many hotels do recycle keycards, as they can often be reprogrammed over and over again.
How do hotels know if you checked out? ›
Most times you can just stop by the front desk to let the receptionist know you're leaving. They'll review your charges and ask if you'd like a receipt of the final bill. If you don't have time for an in-person checkout, some hotels have a mobile app that notifies the hotel with a single tap.
Do I have to check out of a hotel or can I just leave? ›
In most cases, you can just leave your room. The hotel will then check you out and send you the bill. You'll want to make sure that they have your correct email address. The charges should also be available on the hotel's website or app.
What is the check out process in hotel? ›
The steps involved in a check-out include: Bill Review and Payment: Reviewing and setting any outstanding bills, like additional services and amenities. After reviewing the outstanding bills, the staff can process the guest's payment and issue the receipt. Key Return: Collecting room keys and access cards.
The check in time of 12pm and the check out time of 12pm is a standard practice for hotels to ensure that they have enough time to prepare rooms for incoming guests. This allows them to clean, restock amenities, and make any necessary repairs or maintenance before the next guest arrives.
What can I say instead of checking out? ›
check out
- depart.
- leave.
- pay one's bill.
- settle up.
While some hotel guests simply walk out without properly checking out, hotels prefer for their guests to notify them when they leave their rooms. This allows the housekeeping staff to enter earlier, giving them more time to clean the room.
Why do hotels check out at 11? ›
The standard 11 AM checkout time is deeply ingrained in the hotel industry. This timing allows hotels to efficiently manage the turnover of rooms.
Can a hotel tell you if someone checked in? ›
A hotel cannot disclose what room an individual is staying in. This would be considered a violation of the individual's right to privacy. A hotel, however, may disclose whether or not an individual is a guest at the hotel unless the guest expressly instructed the hotel staff not to do so.
What does "check-out at 11" mean? ›
The check-out time at a hotel is the time by which guests are expected to leave. If you require a later check-out time, please inform reception before 10am. Check-out times are usually between 11am and 12 noon on the day of departure. Some city hotels offer a later check-out time to guests who want to sleep late.
Should you clean your hotel room before checking out? ›
In short, explains Meier, “It's important to leave your hotel room in a tidy and respectful manner, similar to the condition you found it.” While these actions may seem trivial or unnecessary, they can make a big difference for the housekeeping staff so that they can “easily clean and prepare for the next guest.”
Do you tip housekeeping on check-out day? ›
When to tip your hotel housekeeper. Some guests leave a lump-sum tip on the last day of their stay, but a better practice is doling out incremental tips daily, as hotel housekeepers might have different day-to-day room assignments.
