Do you bother to check out?

Here's my situation: I'm going to Vegas on a comp in a few months from a Thursday-Sunday. Because my flight out of Vegas is at 5 pm on a Sunday, I decided to make my check out date be MONDAY instead. After all, it's comped, so the tab is still $0.00 with resort fees waived by CET. This way, I can stay in the room until like 2:30 pm when I want to head to the airport, rather than being forced to check out on Sunday by noon or 1:00 pm (with late check out, if it's even available).

Have others done this? I mean, I don't literally HAVE to be there on Monday to check out, right? They'll just figure I had an early flight and bailed...correct? In the end, I kind of don't think you even have to check out formally, especially if you're not contesting charges/don't want to charge anything to your room, which leaves you with a $0 tab anyway.

 

No I did this just last week at Paris. I was on a comped room (but my resort fees were not waived). So the room was in my name and the charges on my card. My flight was earlier than my friends. I left the room around 9 am and he stayed until noon. I checked my bill before I left and he stayed for a few hours. When he left he didn't check out on the tv or at the desk. By the time I got home they emailed me a copy of my invoice.

 

See, in my case I'll be in the room alone, so no one else can really charge anything.

 

You can leave w/o checking out, however you will be charged a resort fee unless you are at or above Platinum level.

I've retained the room when a catching a red-eye flight just so I had a place to change and shower, but for afternoon flights I just check out and leave my bags with bell service.

 

If we don't have anything to take care of (credits, comps, etc.) at the desk, we usually just do the TV check out.

Maybe I'm missing something, but if your already booked to Monday, why not just check out early when you leave on Sunday? I agree that, generally, there is no reason to formally check out, though.

 

You are correct that you do not need to actually check-out. But I still always do it just for peace of mind and to avoid any confusion.

Nowadays even if you're not there you can check out over the phone, text, or internet. I had a comp room booked for a friend of ours last weekend at Paris and on the day she was leaving I received an email from the hotel with a link to check out. I clicked on that and it showed the folio balance ($0) and let me check out. At MGM I saw a bunch of signs on how to check out via text. And of course you can always just call and check out over the phone. So you definitely do not have to be there and check out on the TV or at the desk.

 

Yeah, it's true that I can just check out on Sunday. I guess I pictured long lines and thinking to my self, "Screw it," and just tossing the keys into that little "Express Checkout" box.

 

I always use the TV check out before we leave the room if I don't have anything to take care of at the desk.

 

THAT'S a solid call. I'll probably just use the TV and then walk away.

 

This might be worrying too much but...


I'd probably either do nothing (that is, not check out) or call/text/etc the next day (as opposed to checking out via TV the day before). I'd hate to have a computer "decide" that checking out a day early is the same as canceling the last day, potentially exposing me to cancellation fees.

Whenever I'm staying at a hotel with TV check out, I do that. Otherwise I never bother checking out. I've never had any issues.

 

Same here. I also almost always have stuff to get taken off the bill, which mLife handles in the first instance, but I've found that they can't always check me out, too (e.g., Mandalay Bay takes care of it all, whereas Aria always makes me head to the front desk afterwards). But really, I just like having the final folio in my hands and making sure there's nothing screwy going on.

 

Walk out = check out for me. Everywhere I travel.

 

We always officially check out. If it can be done through the tv, we takes advantage of it; if not, we go to the desk. We never charge anything to the room so that is not an issue. BTW, our flight home is always 7:00 - 7:30 pm. We just check out in the morning, get something to eat and do some last minute gambling until it's time to leave for the airport.

 

same here

 

If I have charges to settle up then I will go to the desk and check out. If I didn't charge anything and have no outstanding charges then I will just walk out.

I have done both while leaving on a red eye and having my room booked until the following day.

Once at Bally's I went to the desk at 11pm and told them I was leaving and there weren't any problems. She closed my folio out and I was all good. The other time when I had no charges I just left and it was fine.

But when I have charges, which is 99% of the time, I hate using the TV. I always feel its necessary to go to the desk to avoid any problems.

 

For me as well, can't even remember the last time I've actually checked out.

 

You dont need to check out. I just leave the keys in the room with a tip. I have once or twice when I have an early or red eye flight..I tend to think im helping the cleaning crew out, they can get to the room early and take their time. Thats my thought anyway hah

 

I check out via tv, but when i have a room for the night and check out in the evening. I just bail. No worries, nobody notices or cares.

 

In your specific situation, I wouldn't check out. If you check out the day before, you may end up getting charged for checking out early.

With that said - I always check out. I consider it a courtesy. I usually have an early flight so am out of the hotel by 6:30/7:00 a.m. If I check out, they can start cleaning the room earlier, and maybe the next person can check in earlier.

 

No, you do not have to checkout.

Why people go through all that effort for nothing is beyond me. Yes, there are times you need to do it to use points, change to cash vs card, etc. etc.

But if you have nothing to do, just leave. People do that all the time - in fact I would guess well over 50% never actually check out.

Interesting note - at Gold Strike in Tunica, they have one of those boxes to drop your keys. On busy days, they have a person standing there writing down the room numbers of people that are just leaving without checking out. That helps them with room cleaning when they need rooms for new guests.