Late Check-In for Priceline Hotel

[Sproketz]

My flight is arriving after midnight (Nashville). If I bid on a 2.5* or 3* hotel in the airport or south zones, can I be assured that I will be able to check-in at around 1am? I can't find anything specific on the Priceline site that addresses this question, and I don't want to bid without knowing before hand.

If I bid (and win), then call the hotel and find out I CAN'T check in after midnight, will Priceline offer me alternatives?

Thanks everyone for the great info on this site!

[AaronJB]

Welcome to the site.

I would strongly suggest calling ahead to the hotel so that they are aware you are coming in after Midnight.

[GM Mike]

Since your room would be "pre-paid", it would implicitly be guaranteed for late arrival. However, as is the case with any hotel reservation, you should always call and inform them you will be late. This will reduce the chance that you are assumed to be a no-show, a situation where the hotel might re-sell your room. It is also easier for the overnight front desk, as most hotels close out the business day around 2am and unexpected overnight arrivals take longer to check-in during that audit.

Although there are times you might not want to tell them. If you have a high risk tolerance, are booked into a high star level hotel that has sold out, and want to save as much money as possible, you could gamble that the hotel will give your room away. In most situations, the hotel would find you a room somewhere else and refund your room charges. You take your chances that the hotel is reputable and that there is another room nearby, though.

[dahammer]

copied from PRICELINE's terms and conditions:

Late Arrival and Failure to Check-in on First Night: If you are going to be delayed or find that you cannot check in to your hotel on the date you requested, you should contact the hotel to let them know. If you fail to check in to your hotel on the day of your reservation and do not alert the hotel, the remaining portion of your reservation may be canceled and you may not be entitled to a refund, depending on the terms and conditions of the applicable hotel.

[Sproketz]

Thanks for the replies.

So, it sounds like I should be confident that I will be allowed to check in late even if the front desk closes at 11pm (for example), as long as I notify them of late arrival? (I will obviously call ahead to notify them. That was never a question.) As I was looking around, I saw that the front desk at Crossland, Studio Plus, Extended Stay and Homestead have 'limited' hours, so I was afraid that a late check in might not be possible.

[thereuare]

There type of properties usually have a lockbox type of set-up where you call a phone number with your name and they give you a code for the lockbox which has the key to your room... or security personel will come by with your key and take your information.