Hello,
Is it customary for European, esp. UK hotels, to ask for full payment of the hotel stay at check-in? I normally purchase a refundable rate (free cancellation until 24-hours before the stay commences) and I’m usually charged the full amount of the stay during check-out in US hotels.
But this time I was charged the full amount at check-in at a London hotel. Is this normal practice for most UK hotels?
I generally pre pay, but on the those instances I didn’t, it’s been a 50/50 mix of being charged at check-in or out. It really shouldn’t matter since by the time you check in, you’d be charged anyway. Had one hotel recently in Wales where we paid at check-in, and it had to be cash.
I don't know about normal practice as if there is one practice to fit all. From our experience is not uncommon -- maybe half ?? -- to pay upfront and sometimes in the US as well. If I am paying cash for the discount, that generally is the first day. Is there a problem with this practice in your mind?
If this is your first trip abroad, it helps to remember that just because something is done in a certain way in the US, it is not always done the same way in Europe. Business practices in Europe can be and will be different. Doesn't mean that it is wrong or a scam.
I guess I have had a mix. Some want at least a night up front, some the whole amount, some will run the credit card and finalize it the last day.
Myself, I prefer to be paid up the evening before I leave, especially if I have an early train or flight, nothing worse than a night clerk who normally does not process bills try to figure things out.
Not untypical, especially in business hotels. Minimum they block the amount on your credit card.
The Motel One chain charges 100% on checkin at all their European locations that I have stayed at, presumably also at their London/UK hotels though I haven't personally stayed there in the UK.
Fairly often, esp. with smaller inns.
Normal or not - you should be aware of what kind of rate you’re booking before you hit the OK button. Prepaying a hotel or a nonrefundable rate usually gets you a lower price. But if you’re not comfortable paying 100% ahead then either book a different rate or a different hotel.
If I choose a prepay or nonrefundable rate I make 100% sure that it’s a good hotel and a great rate. You have many choices of lodgings in London. Make sure before you pay.
I had this happen this past May in the city in Milan and also at the airport in Milan. Personally I do have a problem with it, and it has probably only happened to me five times total in nineteen trips to Europe. I think they are either afraid you will skip out on the bill or don’t want to make the effort to preauthoirize. You lose most of your leverage if something is not satisfactory, like bedbugs or undisclosed construction. If they don’t disclose this policy and then insist that you pay on arrival, to me that is a bit shady because it’s not standard practice. I guess worst case they could charge your card without permission even if you found the room unacceptable, but this pay up front thing just feels like they are accusing you of being a risk to skip out in the bill. I don’t have any issues with a hold at all. The place we stayed in Cesky Krumlov in 2011 actually did have a lot of construction noise that started very early as I recall. I think that might have been why they insisted on prepayment, and they were not nice about it. At an airport hotel it’s a bit more understandable but it still should be optional. The one at the airport in Milan backed down when I complained but after checking the room I paid anyway.
It happened to me for small guesthouse-like places, and for one-night stays. Sometimes, I offer to do it, if I'm just staying the night and leaving early the next morning.
Full payment upon arrival seems to be the corporate policy for the Premier Inns--and that's booking the "flexible" rate. I've run into the same situation at a few other lodgings in the UK and on the continent. I agree that it's not great to have to cough up payment for a multi-night stay before you've even seen the room, much less confirmed that the plumbing, Wi-Fi and air conditioning are working.
I have been charged the full payment in London B&Bs at check-in.
The first few times I actually paid it especially if the B&B accepted a credit card without a surcharge percentage for this luxury. If it's one or two nights' stay, I paid in cash since I had the amount liquid. My rate is always the non-refundable rate.
If you ask at check-in, (which finally did occur to me), you may pay the full amount at check-out.
I haven’t had this happen but if a place asked me to pay in full at check-in, i would ask to see the room first and i’d check that everything is working properly.
No one way pay in hotels in the U.K. or Europe.
@emma: how do you mean this? I tend to disagree but want to be sure first what you mean by that.
My interpretation is that there is not a single method for paying hotel bills in UK. In other words, multi options or approaches. That is my experience also.
Thank you so much for all the helpful replies! The hotel was quite different than we expected and the first night was especially awful, so I started wondering if they were demanding full payment upfront for this reason. But based on your replies it didn’t sound like full payment at check-in is an uncommon practice. I simply need to do more research and read more reviews before deciding on a hotel. Thank you so much again!
How was it different than what you expected?
Most hotels in the US require a credit card and they put a hold for the total estimated amount expected to equal the amount you will owe on checkout. While this is not an actual charge, it is just a hold, you can say that US hotels require you to pay at checkin.
In Europe, it seems different because the hotels word it as you paying for the entire stay when you check in instead of asking for a credit card to authorize. This wording is more common at hotels which do not offer extra services you can pay for by charging to your room (in my experience the smaller ones and B&B types), so there is nothing more to pay when you leave. SomeEuropean hotels want to be paid in cash as well, this is quite a shock on your system if you pay cash and have to find the total amount quickly after arrival.
I’ve always thought this was to prevent the charge getting declined on your card due to one of those foreign suspicious charges alert. It’s one thing to have it happen when you’re checking in. it’s quite another to have it happen when you’re trying to leave and have a flight or a train to catch and get stuck on the phone with customer service
I stay in literally dozens of hotels in Europe every year. Some hotels want the payment when I check in, some when I leave. It really is up to the hotel. Nothing to do with quality in most cases.
Some actually say they expect payment on arrival on their websites. It's usually disguised as "payment upon arrival".
Either way they are going to take your credit card and make sure it is good before you get your room key.
