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When you’re booking a flight overseas or across the country, a red-eye flight can often be the cheapest option. During the moment of purchase, it always seems like a great idea. You’ll save money, and you’ll get an early start once you get to your destination. Then the time comes to head out on the trip. By the time you land, you’re exhausted and in need of a place to freshen up. Unfortunately, your hotel check-in isn’t until the late afternoon. Instantly, you're filled with regret at the choice to save money over a comfy place to crash.
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AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R14ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R24ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframeWhether or not you traveled a long way to get to your destination, waiting for your check-in time at the hotel can be an absolute pain. Many hotels don’t allow their guests to check in until 3 p.m., and by then, most of the day is already gone. As someone who travels often as a freelance travel writer, I’ve come across this issue quite a lot. There have been times that I’ve politely asked the staff to let me know if my room becomes available earlier, but only on occasion have I been given access to my room just by asking. It wasn’t until I heard this genius tip on TikTok that the game changed for me.
The Trick To Getting An Earlier Check-In Time
On TikTok, user @rejeanlevell, whose bio shares that they are “full of miscellaneous knowledge” and who boasts almost 94,000 followers, shared a sneaky hack to get an earlier check-in time at a hotel. ReJean says the key is to call the hotel beforehand and ask for an unrealistic check-in time. For example, if the check-in is at 3 p.m., ask for a noon check-in. They will most likely say no to this reach of a request. Then, you counter-offer that request with a more realistic time, like 1 p.m. The staff isn’t going to want to tell you no twice, so as not to inconvenience or upset you before you’ve even started your stay. The odds of them saying yes to this request now are much higher!
ReJean then shares that this trick worked when he himself was an employee at a hotel, and it’s also worked when he’s been the guest in the situation. He says that the only time this absolutely wouldn’t work is if the hotel was sold out the night before; if that was the case, they wouldn’t have time to clean and prepare a room for you in time. However, if the hotel wasn’t sold out the night before, there’s no reason they shouldn’t let you check in early at a reasonable time.
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Other Ways To Seal the Deal for That Early Check-In
While I haven’t tried ReJean’s genius hack myself yet, I have figured out a few other tips along the way that have helped me get into my room a bit earlier. The biggest tip is to become a chain hotel rewards member, specifically one that has international properties. My family has always been loyal to Marriott, and growing up, we always stayed at Marriott properties. As an adult, I’ve chosen to do the same, and it brings many perks along with it.
Not only can you rack up points with a hotel chain, getting you discounted rooms in the future, but the staff wants to go the extra mile for you as well. This includes early check-in times. When I’ve stayed at a Marriott, I would say about 80% of the time I’ve been given access to my room much earlier than the stated check-in time. This is most likely because, as a repeat hotel guest, the staff wants to keep me satisfied in any way that they can. My loyalty is important to them, and they want to make sure it continues.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R1fekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2fekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframeThe last tip that I have is to simply be kind to the staff at the check-in desk. To some, this might seem like an obvious thing, but until you’ve worked in customer service yourself, you don’t realize how rude the average guest can be. By going the extra mile—like addressing the staff by their name, asking them how their day was or simply saying please and thank you–they will appreciate it. When you really need to rest after a long flight, be extra kind to the staff, and see what they can do for you in terms of check-in time. This has worked for me many times, especially at smaller boutique hotels. I’ve been vulnerable and honest with them while remaining kind, and I have gotten an early check-in time because of it.
If you combine the trick of asking for an unrealistic check-in time at first and then counter-offering with something more doable with a touch of kindness and loyalty to the hotel brand, you’ll most likely be able to score that early check-in time.
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The Genius Hotel Check-in Trick I Wish I Knew Before My Last Trip first appeared on Parade on Jun 27, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
