This Luxury Hotel Brand Is Scrapping Check-in and Check-out Times so You Can Come and Go When You Please

Peninsula Hotels around the world will scrap the idea of check-in and check-out times as of January, the brand announced today. Starting in the new year, that means guests can show up whenever they like, with no additional charges or fees. The same goes for departure, reps for Peninsula say.

“When [guests] book a room, suite, or villa, it is theirs for one night — even if they check in at 6 a.m. on their arrival date and check out at 10 p.m. on their departure date,” according to a statement from the hotel brand.

“Especially now that travel has become somewhat more challenging, we understand that extra time is one of the most meaningful gifts we can provide to our guests,” says Gareth Roberts, an executive with The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, the company that owns and operates the Peninsula Hotels, in a statement. “By letting guests arrive earlier and stay longer, we hope to provide them with greater peace of mind and an even more personalized experience.”

The global program will roll out at all 10 of the Peninsula properties, after a successful trial at the Peninsula Beverly Hills. Among those adopting the new system is the Peninsula Shanghai, which ranked as the No. 34 hotel in the world in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2020.

It’s not the only positive change announced today. Peninsula is also making cancellation policies more flexible and consistent, a critical change in the pandemic era. Also set to start in January, the new rules will mandate that guests cancel by “3 p.m. one day prior to arrival” and that they can “change reservations without penalty for up to 12 months from booking date.”

Hotels worldwide have rapidly made changes to many policies in response to the pandemic, including updating cancellation rules, improving cleaning protocols, and making rooms more available to remote workers rather than overnight guests.