If you simply walk out of your hotel without formally checking out, a few different things could happen:
– You get charged for an extra night: Hotels will likely assume you wanted to extend your stay and charge you room rates for another 24 hours. Ouch!
– Your room stays listed as occupied: This causes confusion for the housekeeping staff who may not service that room thinking you’re still there.
– The hotel puts a hold on your credit card: As a precaution, they’ll likely put a hold on your card for any potential charges like the extra night fee, damages, etc.
– They try contacting you about left belongings: If you accidentally left any items behind, the staff will make efforts to get them back to you.
While not the absolute worst-case scenario, it’s definitely an easily avoidable headache. The sooner you realize the mistake and take action, the better.
Who to Contact Right Away
As soon as you have that “oh no!” moment and remember you forgot to check out properly, your first step is to quickly get in touch with the hotel staff. Depending on the situation, you have a few contact options:
Call the Front Desk
If you’re still nearby, simply call down to the front desk right away. Explain calmly and politely that you made it out of the hotel without officially checking out. Give them your room number, name on the reservation, and approximate check-out date. The front desk agents deal with this frequently so they’ll know the proper procedures to sort it out.
Hotel’s Customer Service Line
Many larger hotel chains have a general customer service number you can call from anywhere. Find this number on their website or by searching “[hotel name] customer service.” Let them know you’re a guest who needs to get your bill properly closed out after leaving without checking out.
Send an Email or Message
If you don’t need an immediate resolution, you can also send an email or message through the hotel’s website or app. Clearly explain you left without properly checking out, give your room details, and request they process your check-out properly from their end. Having all your specifics makes this easier for the staff.
No matter which contact method you choose, the key is acting quickly before any additional charges occur. As long as you get the ball rolling right away, there’s typically a simple fix.
Important Next Steps to Take
While you wait to hear back from the hotel staff, there are some other precautionary steps you’ll want to take:
1. Don’t panic! Yes, you made a mistake but it’s a totally understandable and common one. The hotel has protocols to handle it, so stay calm.
2. Halt any new room charges: Call to have them notate your checking out time so any additional room charges are avoided.
3. Check your credit card activity: Keep an eye on your card statement and be ready to dispute any incorrect charges that show up related to the extra night or holds.
4. Update your hotel account profile: If you have an online profile with the hotel, log in and note that you’ve now checked out so it’s properly reflected.
5. Check if you left anything behind: Scan your memory and the room one last time to make sure you didn’t leave any valuables or belongings behind that need shipping back.
6. Leave an honest review of how it was handled: Once resolved, leave a review calling out the staff who helped promptly. Or provide constructive feedback if it wasn’t handled well.
By taking these steps right after realizing your mistake, you’ll minimize any hassle or fees associated with forgetting to check out. The hotel staff is accustomed to this happening and should be able to sort it relatively quickly.
Of course, avoiding the whole situation is ideal so let’s look at some tips for that…
Tips to Never Forget Hotel Check-Out Again
We’re all human and an occasional lapse in memory is bound to happen when we travel. But you can take some simple steps to prevent forgetting that all-important hotel check-out:
– **Set phone reminders**: Program a reminder or alarm on your phone for checkout time so you have a buffer.
– Use hotel check-out door hangers: These fold over your door handle to remind you to check out. Use them!
– Pack all but the clothes you’re wearing: Only leave out the clothes you’ll wear for your next destination so you don’t forget anything else.
– Put all belongings by the door: Stack your suitcases, keys, wallet, and anything else right by the door so you have to grab them on the way out.
– Take a photo of your room number: Snap a quick pic of the room number plate when you check in. Later, seeing that pic can jog your memory to check out.
– Check out via the hotel app or TV: If the hotel has an app or room TV system that allows mobile check-out, use it!
– Tell the front desk your departure time: Let them know an approximate check-out time so they can follow up if you haven’t checked out by then.
With just a few simple tricks like these, you’ll Train your brain to never forget about that ever-important check-out step when leaving a hotel again. Make it a habit and you’re golden!
Conclusion
There you have it, my tips for that forgetful moment when you space on checking out of a hotel room. While a momentary lapse, it’s really not the end of the world as long as you take quick action.
The main things to remember are:
– Contact the hotel immediately to explain and get the check-out processed
– Take steps to avoid additional charges or holding fees on your card
– Prevent it from happening again with reminders and tricks
We’re all human and things slip our mind sometimes when we travel, despite our best efforts. Shit happens, as they say. 🤷♀️
Rather than beating yourself up over it, just learn from the experience. Keep this blog post’s tips in mind for your next hotel stay. With some adjustments, checking out properly will become an effortless habit.
So there you go! Let me know if you have any epic forgot to check out stories of your own to share. I’ll leave you with one last tip – maybe create a custom phone alarm entitled “Hey you, check out of that room!”
Safe and stress-free travels, friends! Thanks for reading.