Currently, most hotels have a check-in time of 2:00 PM or later and a check-out time before 12:00 PM. “In spite of not being a full 24 hours, hotels still use this time frame to calculate a full day of stay for guests.” This standard applies across the hotel industry, from budget inns to luxury resorts.

Why 2:00 PM check-in and 12:00 PM check-out? Midnight is often seen as the midpoint of a stay. Hotels typically advertise rates “per night rather than per day,” making this time frame practical for both guests and hotel operations.

For example, “if a guest checks in at 5:00 AM, the hotel cannot ask them to leave at 3:00 AM the following day.” Standardized times prevent these issues and allow hotels to manage bookings more efficiently.

When guests check out, staff inspect the room for any “damage, loss, or consumption of chargeable items like food or drinks.” They finalize payments, return documents, and refund deposits if applicable.

The two-hour gap between check-out and check-in lets staff clean and prepare rooms. “The fastest time to clean a room is roughly 15 minutes,” but thorough inspections and cleaning of appliances are also done to maintain standards.