Can you skip your hotel checkout?

Is there a right or wrong way to check out of a hotel? Photo / Getty Images

Hotels are offering more checkout methods than ever. Experts say the “right” one is mostly up to you.

To check out of the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans in August, Cameron Sperance planned to leave the key in the room and bolt. His mother preferred a more genteel exit strategy.

“She’s definitely of the generation that goes to the desk and does a line-item review,” said Sperance, 35, a senior hotels reporter at the Points Guy. “I’ll forget to check out and make my way to the airport as quickly as possible.”

Today’s hotel checkout practices are shaped by personal and generational preference as well as the pandemic, which accelerated the industry’s move towards a more contactless experience.

Depending on your accommodations, you might check out by informing the front desk, using a mobile device or the guest room TV, depositing the key in an express checkout box, or just departing with the key in your room or forgotten in your pocket.

For some travellers, the abundance of options might cause confusion: Is there a right or wrong way to check out of a hotel?

“There’s no real wrong way,” said David Eisen, vice-president and editor in chief of Hotels Magazine. “It’s up to the kind of person you are.”

Here’s what to know now at checkout time.

Here's what to know when it's time to pack up and go. Photo / 123rf

Is there still a reason to stop by the front desk?

In-person checkout is almost a prerequisite at smaller, intimate properties, where the hosts and guests often foster a close relationship. Even at bigger hotels, stopping by the front desk on your way out can personalise the experience.

“By the time we left, my mum had made friends with everyone who worked at the hotel,” Sperance said. “So she was also doing her goodbyes.”

Regardless of the hotel’s size or style, you should go to the front desk if you need a paper receipt or want to review the breakdown of expenses. It is always easier to dispute a charge in person.

Keep in mind that lines can be shorter during breakfast time. If possible, avoid the run-up to the standard checkout hour, when many departing guests make a mad dash to the lobby.

Whether or not you stop by the front desk to check out, Eisen recommends reviewing your credit card statement for any errant charges or discrepancies. Also, don’t bring your room key home with you.

“I feel like there’s enough plastic floating around in this world,” said Pauline Frommer, co-president of Frommer guidebooks and Frommers.com, “so I tend to return it in the hope that it will be recycled”.

How should I check out digitally?

Digital checkout options are slowly becoming an industry standard in North America and beyond.

The technology can take a number of formats - kiosk, tablet, TV, website, phone app - and comes with several basic features, such as the ability to review your bill on screen. The complimentary tools typically are available to all guests, not just loyalty programme members.

“On the mobile app, you can look at your folio when you are just lounging in the room as opposed to doing it in person where there’s an expectation to hurry along because people are waiting behind you,” Eisen said.

Some hotel chains (CitizenM and Yotel, for example) and individual properties (like Park MGM in Vegas) have eliminated their front desks altogether or relegated front-desk employees to a supporting role.

The major brands have been ramping up their check-in and -out technology. In July, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts released an enhanced version of its mobile app that allows users to upload their ID, receive a digital key (when available) and request a late checkout.

Wyndham spokesman Rob Myers said more than 700,000 guests have taken advantage of these perks, which are available at 3000 hotels and counting.

Today's accommodation providers are moving towards a more contactless checkout experience using phones, tablets, kiosks, and other digital technologies. Photo / 123rf

Elaine Swann, a San Diego-based lifestyle etiquette expert, went digital for the first time during a May stay at the Luxor in Las Vegas. Alarmed by the crowds at the front desk, she scanned a QR code posted in the lobby and used her phone to check in and out.

“I thought, ‘Thank goodness this company is using that darn app’,” she said, “because I am not standing in that outrageous line.”

Can I just drop the key and go?

Leaving the key in the room or a drop box is best for people who want to slip out quickly and quietly. They do not have any complicated charges or urgent expense account needs.

“Unless they have outstanding room charges that must be paid before departure or need a physical receipt, guests who check out on their scheduled day of departure can simply leave without stopping at the front desk,” said Pete Kasperowicz, senior director of media relations at the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

Swann said to remove the “do not disturb” sign from the door so that housekeeping knows the room is unoccupied. She advises guests to place the key in a visible area, such as on the desk by the gratuity. “Seeing the keys will be a clear indication that you have, in fact, checked out,” she said.

If you plan on departing early, Swann said to inform an employee on your way out. That way, housekeeping can get a jump on cleaning your room.

Mehmet Erdem, a professor of hotel operations and technology at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, said he will call the front desk before heading out. If the property has a direct-messaging system, you can also text.

Erdem said not to worry that the hotel will fail to see your key and charge you for an extra day. Housekeeping follows a strict cleaning schedule and will know you’re gone, he explained.

Once the front desk has closed out your stay, you should receive a receipt by email. Some properties will send a folio in advance. If you make any purchases on your departure day, remember to note the changes on your final bill.

“They have your credit card information,” Eisen said, “so they will charge you for those incidentals”.