In one of my past lives I was a hotel trainer, if the room is clean and ready, why hold the guest back from checking in? I always tell guest 3pm, but if the room is ready earlier, you may go to the room, if not, you can use the public areas.
Same with late check out requests, we can't clean all the rooms at once, and if it's a reasonable time, and makes the guest happy, then do it. But be clear on your policies when they ask, ex: I would be happy to extend your check out time until 2pm, however please note that anytime after that I would need to charge you a 1/2 day rate until 6pm.
Now I am not saying you are always able to do this, but it truly amazes me that we sometimes forget what it's like to be a customer, and just think about "our policy".
Here's the deal in my case...there are 2 of us here doing all of the work from 5 AM to 11 PM. If I say 3 PM it is because I am worn out and need to be able to SIT and eat my breakfast before check in starts at 3. Answering the door sweaty, with arms filled with dirty sheets is not how I want to greet a guest. Having the dining room covered with laundry is not how I want the guest to see the inn for the first time.
When I get a housekeeper I will be happy to take guests whenever they show up because I will be fresh as a daisy and someone else will be seeing to the laundry. Until then, 'Policy' rules.
Late check-outs can stay until 11:30. That's the extent of what I can do for them. 2 PM is too close to check-in. After 1 PM you're paying for a full day because I will not be able to turn that room fast enough to accommodate everyone who shows up at noon for that same room. (Altho, this afternoon I did turn a room in 20 minutes, but I had had my breakfast, lunch and a walk by the time that guest left. And they DID pay full freight for the additional 5 hours they had the room.)
I do not want guests sitting in the common areas waiting for me to clean. Watching the dirty laundry going thru, the mops and buckets is not the image I want. I have made a LOT of concessions on what guests HAVE to see because there is not space to hide it from them, but to invite them in to watch is not on my game plan.
Obviously for a B&B that is well laid out with everything behind the scenes allowing guest to sit in the common areas and have tea and cookies (oh, right, I haven't had time to make those yet) is lovely. If a guest absolutely MUST check-in before hours, and they let me know this at booking, I will refer them to my comp, who have fulltime help. THEY can be gracious and dewy-fresh at noon, whereas I cannot.
Heck, they can even go out for lunch, something I haven't done since April.
