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I am travelling to Vilnius, Lithuania and will arrive at the airport at around 9am. I will have more luggage than is comfortable to walk around with, so I plan on going to a hotel directly from the airport.

The problem is that I can't seem to find any hotels with 24h check-in options. Nearly all that I have come across have a check-in time starting from 2pm or 14:00.

Therefore, I am wondering if anyone knows of a hotel with a 24h check-in option?

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  • 38
    Why not just leave your luggage at reception without checking in? I've done that dozens of times
    – Richard Tingle
    Jan 17 at 23:09
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    Indeed, I almost always leave my bags with the front desk. If you've got a reservation I've never been to a hotel that has refused to hold them until I come back at check-in time.
    – Mark Henderson
    Jan 18 at 0:21
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    "Story Inn Self Check In Hotel" gives check in data via phone and you can check in when ever you like (maybe you need to point out you want to check in EARLY because they seem to have LATE guests most times). "Vilnius City Hotel" gives additional two hours for early check in and late check out for free.
    – Allerleirauh
    Jan 18 at 6:57
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    It's not so bad to leave your luggage at the desk especially if you've come from a North American time zone. Although it might be nice to have a hot shower after a long set of flights, it avoids the temptation to just lay down "for a minute" and wake up with a completely out-of-sync sleep cycle.
    – Spehro Pefhany
    Jan 18 at 19:49
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    I suggest you contact a few hotels and ask if you can do it. In Lithuania people in the tourist sector all speak good English.
    – RedSonja
    Jan 19 at 13:22

4 Answers 4

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Note that “24 hour check-in” is not actually what you are looking for.

“24 hours check-in” just means that the reception is staffed 24 hours, so you can arrive at any time, including at 2 in the morning if you want/need to (but your stay must be booked from the day before in that case).

With or without “24 hour check-in”, you can always check-in at any time while reception is available. If the room is already available (usually because it wasn’t used the night before) they will usually let you have it right away. Otherwise they’ll be able to take your luggage and hold if for you until the room is available some time later (depending on the hotel they may bring your luggage in your room before you come back, or you’ll have to pick it up from reception or the bell desk when you come back).

What you are looking for is “early check-in”, where you get access to your room before the official check-in time. As described above if the room is available most hotels will give you your key right away. There must be a cut-off time before which they consider you should have booked the night before, but 9am is definitely after that time (or at least it was in most hotels I have visited).

If you want to be sure to have your room early, you have the book the night before.

Note that in some hotels even if your room is not available, in addition to holding your luggage until it is, they may give you access to facilities to take a shower or freshen up. It can be a dedicated “shared room” for this purpose, or it can be access to the gym, it really depends.

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    Expecting to get into a room in the morning is quite optimistic, IME. Even if rooms are free. Leaving luggage with the reception is the way to bet.
    – StrangerToKindness
    Jan 18 at 14:56
  • @StrangerToKindness it really varies a lot, based mostly on how full the hotel is. Having a booking for a “generic” room helps because they have more of those. Of course during a big event, or peak season it’s a lot more difficult, I’ve often had to wait waaaaay past check-in time in some hotels. But you are right, I probably wouldn’t “expect” to get it. You may get it, but you can’t count on it.
    – jcaron
    Jan 18 at 15:35
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Almost all hotels have a check out between 10am-12pm and a check-in time between 2pm and 4pm and they use the time in between to clean and refit the rooms.

The only exception are so-called "day use" rooms where you book a room for a certain time in the day, but this is pretty rare and I didn't see anything in Vilnius.

Some options:

  1. Ask for an "early check in". Some hotels allow this but it's hit or miss and sometimes you have to pay extra. 9am is unlikely to fly though.
  2. Just pay for an extra day. You can certainly check in at 9am, you just need to pay for that arrival day.
  3. Ask the hotel to store your luggage until check in time. Most hotels will do this, some do charge for it.
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    Given Covid I’d say free early check in has a high chance of working compared to normal times as hotels have a lot of free rooms.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Jan 17 at 20:28
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    @JonathanReez that is not so obvious. Due to the lack of business, many hotels have reduced staff and are not offering all their rooms, or are closed completely for the winter season...
    – wimi
    Jan 18 at 8:35
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    Hotels are also looking for revenue opportunities: hidden charges and fees are very popular these days
    – Hilmar
    Jan 18 at 12:17
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    If you're planning to check in at 9 am when booking from the previous night, though, make sure to call the hotel and let them know that that's your plan, though. If you're not there by 9 am, many would consider you a no-show and give your room to someone else.
    – reirab
    Jan 19 at 4:30
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If you can consider dropping your standards, hostels regularily offer this kind of service.

I have been in quite a lot of hostels in eastern Europe over the years, and have yet to find one where 24-hour check in (and access to your room/bed) wasn't offered by default.

Yes, it's not the feel and calm of your own furnished room in a hotel, but better than wandering around at 2 am without a bed if need be.

Depending on the hostel it might be possible to get an entire room (some offer those, for others it might be in an ok price range for you to rent out an entire 4 bed room or so to have your peace).

Maybe for the first night after a flight it's an ok compromise for you. Do make sure they have lockers if you travel with any valuable equipment (laptops etc.)

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Vilnius City Hotel states on their site that you can check in for free two hour before normal check-in time, as long as you book directly with them. I believe that is at noon, since I made a test reservation, and it was stated that check-in is from 2 pm.

From https://www.vilniuscityhotel.com/reservation/

"4. Early check-in or late check-out.

Our direct customers can always ask for an extra two hours before check-in or check-out. It’s free."

Another option is Grand Hotel Kempinski. They have what you asked for - a 24-hour check-in option. Meaning check-in anytime, you can stay 24 hours. Valid Sunday to Thursday. Terms apply.

"Take advantage of our “24 – Like Never Before” offer, which allows flexible check-in and check-out times for stays from Sunday to Thursday. Choose any desired check-in time and check out at exactly the same hour the next day.*"

In case that doesn't work they have another option. The package "Weekends at Kempinski"

The offer includes:

"Early check in from 10:00 o'clock Late check out until 15:00 o'clock ...'

https://www.kempinski.com/en/vilnius/grand-hotel-kempinski/

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