Type A
SingleOne single bed and the tightest floor plan on the corridor. Perfectly sensible for one person and one night.
01
Arrival
Doors open long before rooms do. The 2:00 to 3:00 PM window exists because that is when housekeeping has finished turning over the last of your category — not because the building was locked until then. Carry a photo ID that matches the reservation, the confirmation itself, and a card the desk can place a hold against.
Turning up at ten in the morning costs nothing. If no room is free, hand your bags over at reception and spend the afternoon elsewhere; storage is free and almost every property offers it without being asked.
Have ready
- Photo ID issued by a government
- The booking reference or its email
- A card that accepts a hold
- Any request you made, in writing
02
Departure
Most rooms are due back at 11:00 AM or twelve noon. An extra hour or two is frequently given away when the house is not full — and the person who asks the night before gets it, because by then tomorrow's occupancy is already on the screen. Asking at 10:55 AM rarely works.
Handing the key back does not put you on the street. Storage reopens the moment you check out, so an evening flight and a midday departure sit together comfortably.
Final sweep
- Safe, bathroom hook, back of the door
- Read the folio before signing
- Hand back every key card
- Ask when the hold drops off
03
House rules
- Quiet hours
- Broadly 10 PM until 7 AM. Corridors carry a conversation far better than the room suggests, so take a late call down to the lobby.
- No smoking
- The costliest rule in the building. A cigarette or a vape in a non-smoking room brings a flat deep-clean charge, no negotiation.
- Occupancy
- Every room carries a stated maximum. An extra body is normally fine for a supplement — declare it when you book, not at the door.
- Pets
- Permitted only where the property says so, usually on nominated floors and for a nightly fee. Confirm it before you set off.
- Safety
- Read the escape card on the back of the door once, keep corridors clear of luggage, and never hang anything from a detector.
- Extras
- Minibar, parking, restaurant and laundry post to the room and settle at departure rather than at the moment of purchase.
04
Room types
Type B
DoubleOne larger shared bed. The category hotels hold most of, which is why it survives longest on late availability.
Type C
TwinTwo separate single beds. Frequently filed under the same listing as a double, so confirm which you actually hold.
Type D
DeluxeExtra square metres, a higher floor, or a better outlook. The word alone tells you nothing — ask which of the three applies.
Type E
SuiteA bedroom with a separate sitting area attached. Worth the premium when the room has to double as a desk.
Type F
FamilySized for three to five guests. The question that matters is whether the extra sleeper is a real bed or a fold-out.
05
Before you book
- Read the total, never the headline Tax, city levies, resort fees and parking can shift a stay by a fifth once added.
- Pin down the cancellation hour Write down the date, the time and the time zone at which free cancellation stops.
- Get the beds in writing Twin and double often share one listing. A confirmation email settles the argument.
- Price the hotel's own site Direct rates frequently undercut the platforms, and direct bookings are easier to amend.
- Attach requests to the reservation High floor, quiet aspect, a cot, a roll-in shower, an arrival after midnight.
- Keep a copy that works offline One screenshot of the reference and the street address outlives a dead signal.
06
Questions the desk hears daily
Is early arrival possible?
Only when a cleaned room in your category happens to be free, which makes it a favour rather than a promise. Flag it at booking and ask again the morning you travel.
Will I be asked for ID?
Nearly always. The desk matches a government photo ID to the name on the reservation before a key is issued.
What is the hold on my card?
An authorisation, not a payment. It covers possible extras such as parking or room service and is released at departure, though banks can take days to clear it.
Does a late departure cost anything?
An extra hour or two is often waived midweek. Longer than that usually carries a fee, but bag storage after departure stays free regardless.