So if you were booking a holiday would you book the hotel from after you land or the day you fly out?

[mulledwineshine]

I have always booked it the day I fly out but we land after 12am.

Does this knock us in to the next day?

Check in is stated between 3pm - 5pm.

So if I book as I normally do we will lose a whole day but the room will be ready.

If I book in for when we actually arrive at hotel it saves us nearly £1000 but it means being at hotel way earlier than check in.

What do you do?

I would pay for the night if I was landing before 7am.

@OpalOwl

I would pay for the night if I was landing before 7am.

Yes I normally do this but staggered at how much money one night makes difference

It’s depends when between 12am and 3pm you are arriving.

Anytime after 8/9am then:

You ask for early check in.

Or a lot of hotels will let you use the facilities and store luggage.

Or will just store luggage so you can go explore the local area before coming back to check in at 3.

If you’re arriving pre 7am I’d probably look at getting a cheap airport hotel to crash in the night you land and then do all of the above.

Surely you will want to go to the hotel and sleep after landing just after midnight so you will have to book that day for the hotel otherwise you won't have a room until the afternoon and will be knackered.

How much will you want a room/bed between landing and 3pm?

Trouble is, will they sell the room to someone else if you don't turn up til much later?! (Can happen with Travelodge!!!) If you let them know in advance that you're doing this, it should be okay ;-)

Speak directly to hotel, but you will likely pay for that night
Otherwise you will be up all night and all day awaiting p m check in
And where do you plan to do that?

You’d need to contact them and tell them you’d be checking in at say 7am, otherwise they would probably assume no show.

£1000 is a lot for one night…. Depends on where it was and what time I landed. 7am beach type resort I’d suck it up and not book, and hope for an earlier check in… go for a swim, lunch etc.

If city break/tiny kids/somewhere cold is possibly book room… I guess it depends on whether you’d actually use it, or just dump bags, quick shower and head out.

Sorry not much help

How much are airport hotels? How far is it from the airport to your hotel. Do you have DC?
I'd be tempted to land & then go to an airport hotel, sleep there for a few hours and then travel to then hotel.

Can you get a better flight time?

How long is your transfer from the airport to the hotel? Presumably you are going to arrive at the hotel in the early hours of the morning so you will have to book a room or where would you go at 3am or whatever time it is?

We will get to hotel around 1am ( I think) Cant get an earlier flight

I agree I am paying for a bed ready and waiting but its a lot of money for using the facilities/room/food when I am not actually even there and dont actually check in till the day (past 12am) after.

We are going in Feb half term so imagine its going to be very busy

I book a hotel at the airport. That way I get a good night sleep and shower and get to the main hotel relaxed and able to enjoy the day.

If you don't need the room until 3pm, you don't have to pay for it.

If you need it from 12am until next morning, you pay for the full night.

It doesn't matter to the hotel that you're checking in at 1am. Their room rental is from check-in (3pm onwards) til check-out (11am/noon usually). If you want a room between 1am and 3pm, you need to pay. If you can manage without, fine, go for it!

But you're paying for those 24 hours between 3pm check in on for example Friday and 3pm check in on Saturday.

By arriving at 1am Saturday, you are using some of the facilities between those hours, you are using the room, heating, water, electricity. And you can use other facilities prior to 3pm when you get up. Buffet, or whatever is there.

Unless you are planning on spending every moment in the hotel, there'll be lots of hours over your holiday that you'll be paying for but not using.

That all said, £1000 is insane for one night. Does it have to be that hotel?

Did you actually mean £1000?! For a night?!

From hotel p o v it makes no difference they need to make up the room have it ready they cannot rent it to someone else up to midnight

You either pay,
pay a cheaper hotel that night e g at air port,

or don't pay hotel and go hang out in all night cafe with your luggage /drop luggage at hotel and go sightseeing....

I ve travelled overnight train arriving 07.00 at hotel and having to then wait few hours for room to be ready, not great. Unless you re a young backpacker going to lie on a beach or maybe go straight out skiing ...

@CrumpledCrumpet

Did you actually mean £1000?! For a night?!

Nearly - £865. Its for 4 people so not that expensive considering.

Yep get an airport hotel to crawl into at a fraction of the price

I wouldn’t do it from 1am. No way.

Airport hotel or suck up £1000 I’m afraid. Hanging round for 14 hours as free potentially travelling for7+‘would be torture

865 for how many rooms? Four rooms? One each? Is that full board?

Clearly it s not the local premier inn....

@Embracelife

865 for how many rooms? Four rooms? One each? Is that full board? Clearly it s not the local premier inn....

Its for one room ( suit) and in the Middle East. There are hotels that are much much more expensive!

and yes, full board.

What about an airport hotel or very cheap alternative self catering hotel near your expensive one!

So would the full board element include dinner on the night before you arrive? If so then I’d definitely try and get the first night on a room only basis as you’ll miss dinner and potentially breakfast too if you’re tired from the late flight. Might save a couple of hundred that way.