Guest wants to check in early and check out late

[David-and-Annie0]

We have a guest requesting to book that wants to check in 4 hours early and check out 4 hours later than our check-in and check-out times. I’m annoyed by this request and my first reaction is to just say no. He’d get a total of 8 extra free hours at our place. But was wondering what you guys recommend out there. Should I entertain it for an extra fee? Or not even go there b/c it will lead to further bending or breaking of the rules? 

[Debra300]

@Catherine2458,

I agree with @Helen3, she should hang out with her friend during those additional hours.  The times and amount of time that she's requesting would be inconvenient for many hosts.  Early check-ins and late checkouts can shorten the buffer time between bookings and to turnover a space.  I normally charge 50% of a nightly rate for up to eight hours.  Sometimes guests pay it, or they choose to leave their luggage for free, and spend their time and money elsewhere until they are ready to leave.

[Emilia42]

In addition to @Debra300 and @Helen3 advice to just say no, I will also add, that in my experience, those who are adamant about an early check-in or late check-out are the ones who, when granted, don't actually use it.

[Alexandra316]

@Emilia42 especially the early check in! So many people ask for it and so few ever use it. 

[James2566]

Probably. I’ve had single women ask me for a discount based on the fact they are single females and both even said in so many words they are small or they “don’t take up much space”, which stumped me. I mean we have skinny female discounts now? 

[Sarah977]

@James2566  That is bizarre. Maybe you should have offered to rent them the closet.

[Laura2592]

Every host has their pet peeves. Mine is extra guests. Late or early check in/out does not bother me. We don't do back-to-back bookings with COVID cleaning so it really doesn't matter. The cleaners are typically there on the evening of the check out so as long as our guests are gone before they arrive, there is no issue. 

Having said this, ONE, and I repeat ONE guest, in 120 odd stays has  said "we appreciated the late checkout." That guest had a medical protocol that made it difficult to wake in the morning and we had no issue allowing him some extra time. He was thankful and mentioned that other hosts had been less generous with their check-out.  Beyond that, we get asked fairly often and say "yes" a lot, but it is not anything that people seem to be grateful for. It's almost as if there is a feeling of entitlement around check-in/check-out times no matter what you have posted.

[Debra300]

When we added a buffer before and after each booking, we changed checkout to a later time that matches the check-in time.  This has significantly reduced requests for early check-ins and late checkouts.  I may be wrong in my assessment, but it seems that guests are more satisfied and unlikely to ask for a time exception when they feel they're getting a full night's stay on their last final night.

[James2566]

This has been an issue for me and a lesson learned that the act of kindness is rarely rewarded, usually a sign of trouble ahead such as entitlement and never mentioned in reviews so not worth it for us. So now I send this as soon as they book and it works for me right now. It seems to maintain a balance. Addressing it before being asked is always a great way to avoid saying no. 

Early check-in or late check-out

We offer a flat US$— pass for early arrivals or late departures, if our guest schedule allows it. An early pass allows you to arrive as early as 8am and a late pass to depart as late as 6pm. This is ideal for those wishing to maximize beach time.

Otherwise, we recommend La Cabane as a great place to spend a couple hours on your way in or out of the island (@la_cabane_barbados).

Luggage Drop-Off or Storage

We don’t offer luggage storage for insurance reasons so we recommend purchasing an early or late pass to extend your access to the studio (and the safe). You’ll also have space to freshen up, squeezing in maximum beach time. 

[Dave52]

@David-and-Annie0  I try to accommodate early check-in and late checkout whenever possible, 4 hours is fine with me if it's available.  I am amused when guests announce they'll be arriving at 8am or something like that.  Have a standard reply.