How to handle a guest who wants an early check-in?

Category: Guest Communication

By: James Wu

Posted: 2026-02-21T23:22:27.147Z

Get this request at least once a week: "Our flight arrives at 10am, can we check in early?" My standard check-in is 3pm because my cleaner needs time between 11am checkout and the next guest. But I feel bad saying no because the guest is traveling and doesn't want to wait around for 5 hours. How do you guys handle this gracefully? Is it worth offering early check-in for extra money?

Reply by Jake Anderson:

My exact response template for early check-in requests: "Hi [Name]! Thanks for reaching out. Our standard check-in is 3:00 PM, which gives our team time to prepare the space perfectly for you. If no one is checking out the night before your stay, I'm happy to offer early check-in as early as 11:00 AM at no extra charge! I'll confirm the night before your arrival. If the prior guest IS checking out that day, the earliest I could do is 1:00 PM. I'll let you know as soon as check-out is confirmed. In the meantime, there are some great spots nearby to grab lunch and kill time: [restaurant recs]" This approach works because: 1. You set expectations (3pm is standard) 2. You show flexibility (I'll try to accommodate) 3. You give them something actionable (nearby recommendations) 4. You don't over-promise (you'll "confirm the night before") I automate this using Hospitable (https://hospitable.com). It detects the "early check-in" keyword and either auto-responds or flags it for me to confirm.

Reply by Emily Chen:

I started charging $25 for guaranteed early check-in (before 1pm). It's totally reasonable and surprisingly, most guests are happy to pay it because they VALUE certainty over saving $25. The fee also covers the small bonus I give my cleaner for the rushed turnover when she needs to finish by noon instead of 3pm. On Airbnb, you can add this as a "special offer" or just handle it informally through messages.

Reply by Tyler Jackson:

Luggage storage is the underrated answer here. I have a lockbox outside my unit where I tell early-arriving guests: "You're welcome to drop your bags in the lockbox outside. The combo is [code]. Check-in is at 3pm — in the meantime, here's my list of favorite brunch spots within walking distance!" Most guests who ask for early check-in really just want to dump their luggage and go explore. They don't actually need the full property at 10am. This solves 90% of the requests without any schedule disruption.