Check in and check out times: what applies

The times look arbitrary until you count the rooms one housekeeper has to prepare between one departure and the next arrival.

Why the gap exists

A room needs preparing between guests: full clean, linen change, bathroom, restocking and a check of everything in it. On a hotel with 200 rooms and 60 per cent turnover on a Saturday, that is 120 rooms to prepare in a window of a few hours. The gap between check out and check in is what makes that possible, and it is why arriving at 11:00 rarely produces a ready room.

Arriving early or leaving late

Both are usually possible for a supplement, and both depend on availability, which in high season is limited. Early check in from 09:00 or 10:00 runs 20 € to 60 €. Late check out to 14:00 runs 20 € to 40 €, and to 18:00 can reach half a night's rate. Requesting either at the time of booking gives a far better chance than asking at reception on the day.

What to do with the gap

Luggage storage is free at almost every establishment on both arrival and departure days, so the day is usable either way. Many hotels also allow use of the pool, terraces and, in some cases, the changing rooms after check out, which turns a departure at midday with an evening flight into a usable day rather than a wasted one. It is worth asking, since it is rarely offered unprompted.

At Palma airport in high season, allow 2 hours before the flight plus the journey, which shapes how the last day can be used.

Arriving very late

Tell the hotel if arrival will be after 20:00 or 22:00, because some smaller establishments do not staff reception around the clock and a booking can be released without notice of a late arrival. Confirming it in writing when booking, and again the day before, is a two minute step that prevents arriving at midnight to a closed door with the booking already paid.