“But I Requested an Early Check-In!”: The Wild World of Entitled Hotel Guests
Picture this: It’s 7:45 AM, the sun is barely up, the lobby is humming with the sound of departing guests, and the poor front desk agent is already bracing for impact. In walks a guest, suitcase in tow, expecting to be ushered immediately into a pristine room—despite check-in being hours away and the hotel having been sold out the night before. The plot twist? He’s an “elite member,” and he’s not taking no for an answer.
If you’ve never worked a hotel front desk, buckle up. If you have, you might want to pour yourself a stiff coffee, because this is the kind of story that’ll have you nodding (or face-palming) in sympathy.
The Myth of the Magical Early Check-In
Let’s be honest: We’ve all wished we could check in early after a red-eye flight or long drive. But somewhere along the line, a curious myth has taken hold—one that suggests a simple “request” for early check-in instantly conjures up a freshly made room, no matter the hour or occupancy. The reality, as this Reddit tale from u/Mimi_Nectarine_842 so perfectly illustrates, is that hotels are not Hogwarts. There’s no Roomus Appearus spell.
When the guest in question arrived at 7:45 AM (with check-in hours away), he was told the hotel had been sold out and housekeeping hadn’t even clocked in yet. Still, this didn’t stop him from repeating, mantra-like, “But I requested an early check-in!” As the OP patiently explained (again and again), requests are not guarantees—they’re subject to availability. And availability is, you know, a finite thing.
As u/EVRider81 dryly observed, “Imagine having to explain to a grown adult the difference between a request and a guarantee.” Another commenter, u/Supersnow845, pointed out the root of the problem: “That would imply they actually read the word ‘request’ in the first place. Because as we know, when a guest doesn’t read something, it’s the staff’s fault.”
“What Am I Supposed to Do Until Check-In?” (A Guide for the Lost and Entitled)
This is the question that echoes through lobbies everywhere, usually delivered with a tragic sense of personal injustice: “But what am I supposed to do until check-in?” The answer, as many in the Reddit community gleefully pointed out, is simple: literally anything else.
u/Z4-Driver summed it up with a straight-faced practicality: “What’s the reason for your stay? Holiday? Then go out and walk around the place. Maybe have breakfast. Visit a museum or the beach. You’re an adult. Surely you can keep yourself occupied for a while.”
Other seasoned travelers in the thread shared their own coping strategies, like u/mikeg5417: “The most I would ask is if the hotel could hold my luggage while I go keep myself occupied. And that would just be a request.” In fact, the consensus among both hotel workers and guests is that hotels are usually happy to hold your bags, freeing you up to explore until your room is ready—provided you ask politely and don’t treat the staff like your personal butlers.
But then there are the guests who go above and beyond in their quest for instant gratification. In the original story, the elite guest actually sat in the lobby, staring daggers at the front desk agent while waiting for the manager to arrive—then, in a glorious display of audacity, made a second reservation on the spot just to try to get a room faster. When that didn’t work, he canceled it. As u/arjaydan35 put it, “He thought he was gonna get some incentives for his inconvenience and made the 2nd reservation to double up on it.”
Loyalty Tiers and the “Elite” Entitlement Epidemic
Let’s talk loyalty programs. In theory, they’re a reward for frequent travelers. In practice, they sometimes seem to breed an entirely new species of guest: the High Elite Member Who Has Never Been Disrespected in His Life™. Just ask u/Lost_Ad533, who recounted a grown man “literally thumping his chest” after being told his top-floor room would take another hour. “This type of guest has drained me,” the commenter admitted. “He is a bottom-level member.”
Several commenters pointed out the irony: elite guests, who should know better than anyone how hotels operate, are often the ones most flabbergasted when reality doesn’t bend to their will. u/Practical_Cobbler165 nailed it: “Once you said, ‘I’m a high elite member!’ I cringed. It says that all those fun little perks ARE BASED ON AVAILABILITY. It also tells me they travel quite a bit and SHOULD KNOW BETTER.”
Others fantasized about a world where hotels could rate guests, not just the other way around. “Sort of a Yelp/TripAdvisor/Google review for stupid/rude/offensive guests,” mused u/FCCSWF. In fact, as u/Thisisurcaptspeaking revealed, some brands do allow staff to report egregiously rude behavior to loyalty groups, with the potential for privileges to be suspended—or revoked entirely. Karma, as they say, is real.
Sympathy for the Front Desk—and How to Be a Star Guest
If all this makes you want to send flowers to your local hotel staff, you’re not alone. u/ResourceEarly7310 saluted hospitality workers: “You folks are the stars, and I salute you and your ability to stay sane in the job.” The patience, diplomacy, and Zen-like calm required to deal with entitled guests is nothing short of heroic.
So what should you do if you arrive early? Communicate. Be polite. Ask if your bags can be stored, then go grab a coffee or explore the local scene. As u/SethIRich shared, “When I arrive crazy early, I ask whether I can dump my luggage and come back on time. Is that inappropriate? I never thought about it…” The resounding answer: not only is it appropriate, it’s appreciated.
And if all else fails? Take a deep breath, remember you’re not the main character in the lobby, and channel u/Morri___: “Want the room at 7am? Book it the night before. Otherwise, you need to wait till the person literally asleep in your bed to wake up and leave.”
Conclusion: Early Birds, Beware—And Be Kind
The next time you roll up to your hotel before the crack of dawn, remember: the staff want to help you, but they’re not magicians. Requests are not guarantees, and being an “elite” doesn’t grant you superpowers. Be nice, go explore, and maybe—just maybe—bring your front desk agent a coffee. You’ll be amazed how far kindness (and a little patience) will get you.
Have your own hotel horror story or words of wisdom for weary travelers? Share them in the comments below. The hospitality trenches are always open for new tales—and a good laugh.
Original Reddit Post: Well what am I supposed to do until check-in?