By John B Monteiro
Mangaluru, Oct 2: Travellers for business or pleasure had to adhere to a rigid hotel code of practice and to adjust their arrival/departure time to suit the Check-In/Check-Out time of the hospitality industry.
Most hotels in India usually have Check-In and Check-Out timings set at 12 Noon. Though there are some hotels that may allow an early Check-In or late Check-Out, it depends on the availability of the rooms that the hotel might have at its disposal at that time. Further, there are also chances that a hotel may charge the guest for one day extra in the case of an early Check-In or late Check-Out. Now the scene is changing in favour of hotel guests. But, let us start with the latest facts on this.
OYO rises to challenge
According to an exclusive report in The Times of India/ The Economic Times dated 24/9/16 by Shalina Pillai titled 'Oyo allows even 6 am Check-in', an early check-in is now available in 2000 hotels on Oyo and some global hotel chains, including Marriott.
According to the Bengaluru date-lined report, a long established practice in the global hospitality industry has been to have check-in times no earlier than 2-3 pm and check-out times no later than 11 am-12 noon. It's an irritating practice for travellers who arrive early in the morning, especially after tiring journeys. Now, Oyo is trying to change that. The Gurgaon-based hotel aggregator has introduced an early check-in feature which is has been operational from September 24 in 2,000 of the 6,500 properties listed on Oyo site.
The move allows users to check into hotel rooms as early as 6 AM. The feature will be complimentary in some 500 properties. The rest may charge between Rs 50 and Rs 300, depending on the location. “We received feedback from almost 50,000 users that the check-in time was an issue. Inter-city travellers typically arrive early in the morning or late evening, and then they have to request the hotel staff to make the check-in flexible," Oyo founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal told TOI. He also said a similar feature for check-outs will be introduced soon.
Agarwal noted that most hotels' occupancy rate is no more than 70%. "We will take the 30% non-occupancy and enable it for consumers. There are properties, like in Shimla, that run at higher occupancies. In such cases, if consumers ask for a 6 am check-in, then the hotels might need to block the room a day in advance. So the price could be higher," he said.
Standard International challenges status quo
Globally, too, the practice is beginning to change. Standard International, which operates hotels in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, The Sheraton Four Points at Los Angeles International Airport, and chains like Marriott allow for flexible check-in and or check-out times. The traditional hotel industry is under new pressure to please guests, particularly high-paying business travellers, as corporate travel agencies are warming to homestay aggregator Airbnb, where guests can easily customise their arrival time with their host.
“Usually hotels utilize the time after a check-out to prepare the room before the next check-in. That is why hotels usually have a fixed check-in time. But, hotels generally do not refuse a room if available at any time”, said Chintan Patel, partner, Hospitality, at Ernst & Young.
Back in the day from Greece to India
Today’s hotels, from the most basic to multi-stars, have their roots in ancient inns along the roads on which travellers rode on their mules and horses and halted for meals and rest, even overnight, before resuming their journey. This goes back to ancient Greek civilisation as reflected in a quote by Alexander Pope alluding to Homer (Circa 800-701 BCE):
“For I, who hold sage Homer’s rule the best,
Welcome the coming, speed the going guest”.
One of the oldest references to inns is in the New Testament of the Bible – in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke10: 33-35):
“But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was (lying wounded by robbers); and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denari and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have (incurred).'”
Coming back to India, pilgrim routes to holy places and rivers were dotted with inns. In one case, a Sadhu was going to Banaras for a holy dip in the Ganges. He stayed overnight in a roadside inn. The inn-owner asked the Sadhu where he was going and why. The Sadhu said that he was going to Banaras to kill 50 people by plague.
On the Sadhu’s return journey, he went to the same inn for overnight rest. The inn-owner asked the Sadhu if his mission of killing 50 was accomplished. The Sadhu replied: “Yes, I killed 50 by plague and 450 more died of fear of plague.”
Modern hotels need not fear about plagues and can look forward to Acche din with travel agents and aggregators like Oyo setting the scene for flexible Check-in/Check-out.
Finally, for the reader's delight, there is hotel in Kolkata named Check In and Check Out Hotel; and Mumbai hosts The Wayside Inn – though ,not for stay but fine dining.