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Early Check In Fee. Huh?

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by Big Tip, Mar 7, 2020.

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  1. Big Tip

    Big Tip VIP Whale

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    I was suppose to check in at Bally's for their blackjack tournament offer. It was 9 am. The desk guy says, "and by the way, there is a $30 early check in fee."

    This was the first I had heard of an early check in fee. It must have been discussed here but I haven't seen it.

    This, to me, is even more outrageous than a resort fee. And I am pretty outraged by how stupid and deceptive resort fees are.

    I can understand LATE check out fees. That makes sense as you staying denies somehow else getting in. Or maybe making the maids work harder or out of order or something. But when a room has been cleaned in the morning and is just sitting there it costs the hotel NOTHING to let you in earlier. It's probably even beneficial to them for a couple of reasons. You get to their casino sooner and you don't cause a huge line at check in at 4 pm. It's just dumb.

    It's a amazing that I can constantly be disgusted about a new change to the worse every time I go to Las Vegas. And I've been going five to six times a year for a few years. Simply amazing.

    When did this practice start? After resort fees started? Did the suits say, "they're not balking at resort fees. What else can we come up with?"
     
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  2. Frankr163

    Frankr163 High-Roller

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    Early check in fees have been around even longer than resort fees.
    I've had about a 50/50 incidence of them being imposed. I usually get in from the east coast around 9/10 am vegas time. I always try and check in right away. If they let me in the room right away, so much the better. I will NOT pay anything extra though. If the room isn't ready, I just check my bags and come back later.
    On the back end I've always been granted a later check out (2pm) without any fees.
     
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  3. vsop

    vsop VIP Whale

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    I agree with with your logic....the room's already been cleaned, just waiting for the next guest... regarding when did the up-charge start?...probably when they (the suits) figured out they could up-charge for this when the published check in time was established...
     
  4. gr8whitenorth

    gr8whitenorth VIP Whale

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    While I do agree that this is annoying it isn't only Vegas that has this practice. I travel often for work and it is common practice all over the US and Canada for early check in fees to apply. More often than not they can be waived especially if you have status at the chain in question.
     
  5. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    Been around for years. I have never paid it and been in my room well before noon many times. If they do not just GIVE it to me, I check my bags and go do what we go to Vegas to do - eat, drink play, etc.

    As to why would they charge when the room is just sitting there?

    Easy money.

    And the reality is they often run out of clean rooms during the day - so it makes sense to give clean room to higher level players or charge others.
     
  6. NotFromConcentrate

    NotFromConcentrate It’s a Cassowary :)

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    As others have said, this has been around far longer than resort fees.

    I actually don't disagree with early check-in fees, whereas I do disagree with resort fees. Resort fees are inherently deceptive in the sense that they're a way of de-coupling the actual cost of your stay to make it seem cheaper, in terms of what you MUST pay (i.e. "Your stay will cost $x + $y", instead of "Your stay will cost "$z").

    On the other hand, there is nothing at all that's deceptive about an early check-in. Hotels have standard check-in and check-out times that you agree to at the time of booking. If check-in is at 4:00 pm, your room is guaranteed to be ready at 4:00 pm. Assuming check-out is at 11:00 am, a one-night stay is guaranteed to give you 19 hours of occupancy (and a two-night stay is guaranteed 43 hours, and so forth). If you paid the same rate for your room as another person, is it necessarily fair that you should get your room seven hours early, and getting seven extra hours in the room, whereas the other guy has to wait until 4:00 pm and gets the room for a shorter period of time?

    Now, I'm pretty sure I understand the "why not?" element of your question. You seem to be saying "The rooms are ready to occupy, why must you make me wait until 4:00 pm when the room would just sit empty until then anyhow?". I believe that incorrectly assumes that any guest who wants to check in early in the day is entitled to the next available room. You don't necessarily know how many rooms are ready at that time. There could be only one room that's ready. As you probably know, hotel loyalty programs often offer complimentary early check-in (when available). So if they give that room to you early, and a high-tier guest arrives a few minutes later and wants to check-in early, they don't have a room to give them anymore. In virtually all cases, they'll prioritize these types of privileges for the highest-tier guests... so if anybody is getting in early for free, it's those in the highest tier.

    So then why charge at all? It's only fair. Nobody actually wants to wait until 4:00 pm to check-in to a hotel, if they've arrived before then. So if they allow you to do it at no charge, they have to allow everybody to do it at no charge. Obviously, that would be nearly impossible to offer... since there would be no time to clean all the rooms after the other guests have checked out. So in this way of thinking, the $30 early check-in charge is more of a deterrent. That is, if they freely allowed just anyone to check in before 4:00 pm if they had the option, everybody would do it. Make it cost an extra $30, and fewer people will do it which will maintain balance in the day-to-day supply of rooms available early.

    Of course, in some cases where there's an abundance of available rooms, this isn't an issue at all and they'll just let you check-in for free (which it seems we've all done many times). But in cases where the supply is more limited, I think that it's far more of a deterrent than it is a high-handed cash grab.

    Interestingly, Marriott's highest loyalty tier level, "Ambassador" provides a benefit called Your24... they describe that as "Get the flexibility to choose the 24 hours of your stay. Check in at 9 p.m., check out at 9 p.m. — it’s up to you.". In this case, check-in time is never, ever an issue. But at the same time... you need $20k annual qualifying spend to get to this tier, so these are the types of guests hotels will be bending over for anyhow.
     
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  7. Bowser

    Bowser Low-Roller

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    Early check in fees have been around for ages, but in my experience they were very rarely enforced. However, about 3-4 months ago it seems that all CET properties were told to enforce the fees unless you had status.
     
  8. MCann

    MCann I can't complain, but sometimes I still do...

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    I think it's strange you would have a level of play to get a tournament offer and a comp room and they would charge that, but it's normally waived by policy for diamond and seven star, so maybe you dont have much plrecent play history? If you are diamond or whatever (I'm pretty sure they normally waive for platinum as well and MOST tournaments are during weak times) it could be, you mentioned front desk, that you got an attendant that is used to dealing with non players and didnt realize it should be waived for you. That all depends on your play. But I inquired about both early check in and late checkout at Caesar's Palace as a platinum member and they said we cant promise the room will be ready but if it is we'll let you in early free (it was a suite they have a lot of, but they were full the night before). And when I went to platinum line to ask for the late checkout the lady told me "not sure you'll have to call on checkout day but I'll put a note that you asked so it will only be $30 instead of the $50 fee" but then as I was walking away she screamed at me "Oh wait, sir! Sir! Are you platinum?" "Uh yah, platinum line" "sorry sir ok I have you in for 1pm checkout no charge. I'm usually in the regular line and forgot"
     
  9. C0usineddie

    C0usineddie VIP Whale

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    They have to provide security for you and your belongings during that time plus the additional wear and tear on the room. The furnishings, the water and electricity all cost something to use.

    Not everyone just goes to the room and drops off their stuff and the room sits empty.
     
  10. Big Tip

    Big Tip VIP Whale

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    CET is NOT my favorite company, but they send me offers all the time. I don't know why. I assumed the desk clerk knew I was in the tournament but I did not tell him. That would be even more frustrating to have them get you in on a "free" offer then try to nickel and dime some cash out of you. Other than gambling I mean of course.

    I've been staying at Main Street Station for awhile now. I have checked in early lots of time. They never have even said, "and we are waiving the early check in fee." I'm not sure if they ever charge anyone this. Even paying customers. But free rooms mean free rooms there.

    To notfromconcentrate; I got a chuckle out of your post when you were talking about how many hours you are going to stay. Not about what you were saying, but what I was thinking. You made a good point and I agree but all I was thinking reading it was why were you talking about an hourly rate. What sort of hotel do you stay in, or use, that charges an hourly rate!! "And mister, here's your clean sheet" Sorry for sharing my sick mind thoughts. lol
     
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  11. NotFromConcentrate

    NotFromConcentrate It’s a Cassowary :)

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    The exact same thought ran through my mind as I was writing it, so you aren't alone :)

    What specifically came to mind is the term my grandparents use to refer to "those types" of hotels, that I will never forget... "Hot pillow joints".
     
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  12. Laugh

    Laugh VIP Whale

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    I'm starting to learn all these random things that CR does. And I have a trip to Bally's this summer. Having been an Mlife only Vegas go-er.
    If they try and pull this do I just tell them I'll wait until check-in time? Does this happen in the VIP lounges too?
     
  13. Big Tip

    Big Tip VIP Whale

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    Oh my, you haven't heard about the VIP Lounge fees?
     
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  14. NotFromConcentrate

    NotFromConcentrate It’s a Cassowary :)

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    From the experience MCann described, I suspect they're far more lenient about it for VIP players. Early check-in/late check-out also a listed benefit for the higher Caesars Rewards tiers, so that supports the idea that checking in at the VIP lounge could reduce your likelihood of getting hit with this fee.
     
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  15. Laugh

    Laugh VIP Whale

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    Lol. I'm not sure if you meant the check-in area (I shouldn't have called it lounge) lol. Either way it's funny cause the Laurel Lounge makes you pay if you're under 25k lol. Imagine if the VIP check-in had a charge, hahaha.
     
  16. Laugh

    Laugh VIP Whale

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    Gotcha. Still sucks they're doing it at all. ><
     
  17. NotFromConcentrate

    NotFromConcentrate It’s a Cassowary :)

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    I cringe at the very thought of validating or giving visibility to this notion... but I have seen VIP check-in as an optional extra at some properties during the booking process. Fairly certain it was the Mirage.

    Soooo, it may not exactly be as far-fetched as you think :eek:
     
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  18. Laugh

    Laugh VIP Whale

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    You're right! You have to be carded at Mirage to use the VIP check-in.
     
  19. EastCoastVegasFan!

    EastCoastVegasFan! VIP Whale

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    I get in at 9am, they’ve never imposed these on me. Never even heard of it
     
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  20. Basil

    Basil VIP Whale

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    Your 24 was a holdover from Starwood as part of the merger, and used to be given out as part of the platinum tier (or maybe the second tier, I forget). I had that level for a couple of years, and while it seems pretty useful, but in reality at that level you will not be charge for early check-in or late check-out either. At check in they would even proactively offer a late check out. That said, it was normally up to a 4pm check out they were offering, so if I ever actually needed a room from 9pm to 9lpm it would have been useful, but I don't recall ever needing it.

    On a side note, the guaranteed suite upgrade was very useful, as I took my wife and daughter on our grand Canadian vacation (Montreal, Toronto, Niagara) and only ever booked one basic room for the three of us, knowing that we would get a suite each time. The guaranteed room was also a nice perk. Most of this went away with the merger with Marriott, as now you had significantly more people qualifying for these stays, and they all wanted to use them at the higher end hotels. Although I did manage to make lifetime Gold under SPG right before the merger, and it was honored by Marriott, which I did appreciate.
     
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