Arriving too early to check in

First, ask your hotel if they could accomodate your request for a shower - otherwise, perhaps the airport you fly into has some facilities...some have public (non-airline club) facilities. Some health clubs will allow non-members to use their showers...You hotel might have some info on that. As a last resort, there's always Wet-Ones or bring a dry washcloth in a ziploc...

If your hotel cannot accomodate you the airport may have showers or at least you could get a sponge bath at the airport restrooms.

Ask if the hotel can keep you luggage for you. As far as hygiene goes, buy a travel packet of baby wipes, go into the washroom at the airport and wash up using a couple baby wipes. Believe me, you'll feel much cleaner without much fuss. You can get one of those one use tooth brushes with the tooth paste already on it and use that to freshen up as well. If you think the baby wipes might not be enough and you want to change your shirt, take a plastic baggie with a zip lock to put the "dirty" shirt in until you can wash it.

I, too, have OCD issued regarding showering and I do manage to hang in there until I can have one. You can always do what you can to freshen up. You can get Tresamme Dry shampoo and bring some face cleaning wipes to remove makeup, and wash your face with a face scrub. The baby wipe thing doesnt really work for people with OCD, it feels like it leaves a film and its better just to do a real wash and bring a bit of toner to give you that clean tingly feel. It makes you feel extra clean. I usually try to freshen up in the restroom after I get my luggage, etc. I dont care if I look like a dork. I change clothes and do the best I can with my hair and I always put my makeup on. Then I usually have to hang around for a few hours until I can check into my hotel. I dont do any sightseeing until I have showered. Instead, I get into town and buy any toiletries and snacks, drink, etc that I will be taking into my room. Then I have a coffee and relax and that usually kills a bit of time before I can check into my room.

I have generally found that hotels go out of their way to help if I turn up at their door- if possible- cleaning my room early- putting me into an empty room- etc etc. At least they will hold your luggage for you. If appropriate I am prepared to pay for a half day. If it is really important to you, reserve the room for the night before, and let them know when you will arrive

Unless you're beholden to that hotel, just shop around and see who will accept making early check-in a prerequisite of your booking.

Go to the local swimming pool. Most open early, and then you can not only have a shower, but a refreshing swim and perhaps a lounge chair to lay down for an hour or so to relax. The price to get into a pool shouldn't be that much.

You could always reserve the room for the night before.

Bath Wipes....they are made for people who are camping and are much stronger than baby wipes. Here are two different brands.........http://www.rei.com/product/708776..........http://www.rei.com/product/730067.....And I agree that you should check with your hotel. They may be able to let you check in early.

I'm not sure that a hotel which can't guarantee a room at 6 or 7 in the morning is "unreasonable". Surely people realise that in order for a room to be ready at that hour it will have had to have been unoccupied the previous night. Surely no reasonable profit making concern will want to guarantee that. There may be one if they are not full, but if it were me I wouldn't guarantee it. Somebody turns up at 8 o'clock at night and you turn them away because somebody needs the room tomorrow?

In a perfect world, our flights would always be exactly on time and we could levitate ourselves to our hotels to arrive five minutes later. This has never happened to me. Delays are inevitable. No, the hotel probably won't have a room available at 6 am. But what about ten am? That seems like a reasonable compromise. It doesn't hurt to ask.

I would definetely contact the hotel and explain your dilemma. There could be flight delays or transportation snags of one sort or another so the time that actually arrive at the hotel could be later than you think anyway. But the hotel could probably hold your bags, or let you check in early if the rooms ready. If they're that inflexible and unhelpful, maybe think about staying somewhere else.

We were asked to wait on one occassion until 10am when they would know what rooms were available- didnt seem unreasonable to me

You might wait until very late - a day or two before your departure - and see if the hotel would make a deal on an extra night at the beginning of your stay (because I'm guessing it might be a bit pricey for you to pay for yet another night). It never hurts to ask...Good idea, Jeff!

Thank you all for your great advice! Before I even posted here I contacted my hotel and they weren't able to "guarantee" the room to be available that early in the morning and honestly I don't blaim them. Sadly I booked one of those hotel, airfare, car combos so there's no way I can change hotels or even book the night before. It's preset dates and hotel so I'm staying where I am. My hotel doesn't have a fitness center but I will look into local pools or fitness centers or use one some of the recommended suggestions here. Thanks again!

In many hotels the breakfast crew is also the room-cleaning crew. So, if a room has been occupied the previous night, cleaning won't start until after breakfast has been finished.....I always arrive at the airport around 7 am and get to my hotel's neighborhood an hour or two later. About half the time I'm able to get into my room early.......I figure on dropping off my luggage and spending a few hours lingering over breakfast, shopping, checking my e-mail at a library (Britain), reading the newspaper, and otherwise occupying myself until I can hit the sheets.....I do sleep some on the plane; so I usually arrive fairly alert......