If necessary, they will hold your luggage before your arrival and after your departure. Most hotels follow this rule, and if they do not, find a motel that will or will help you accommodate your needs.
There are often circumstances that require dropping luggage off early and picking it up after you have checked out. Any reputable hotel will accommodate your needs regarding your luggage. However, never assume that they adhere to these practices. Before booking with a motel, call them and be sure they can accommodate your needs, whatever those needs might be.
Holding Luggage Before Check-in
You may arrive at your destination before check-in, but you need to be at a meeting and do not want to take your luggage with you. In this instance, the hotel will gladly hold your bags until your room is ready or upon your return. If your hotel has one, you can make these arrangements with the concierge or at the front desk.
You can also ship your luggage to your hotel destination and travel light. Baggage check-in and retrieval are two of the most challenging parts of flying across the country or the globe. Sending your luggage ahead can take some of the stress from your adventures, and if you choose, you can send it back home the same way.
Is your trip business-related? If so, do you have cumbersome items that you will need for the meeting? Or, can the hotel provide them for you? Of course, if the thing you need to send is a miniature mock-up of your newest architectural feat, you may need to ship it.
Hotels allow for these instances, and they will be glad to accept your packages before your arrival. First, however, be sure to call them to let them know it is on its way. This way, the hotel staff will see that you and the package will reunite at some point.
Holding Luggage After You Have Checked Out
You may find yourself needing to leave your luggage at a motel, even after you have checked out. This can occur because you are not leaving the city just yet. You need your luggage stored in a secure location for a few hours or even days if necessary.
There are also many reasons you may need a motel to help you ship luggage to or from their location. Acquisitions of large items or a side trip that does not require your entire luggage set are a couple of reasons you may need to leave luggage behind.
Some hotels are large enough to have lockers to store your luggage. However, boutique hotels and smaller establishments may not have the space to store your luggage. If that is the case, you may be able to have it held at a more prominent hotel in the area. Most hotels are very accommodating to their competitors and customers’ needs, hoping to win you over as a guest, which is good business.
Will a Hotel Charge a Fee to Hold My Luggage?
They generally will not unless you are using rental lockers. If that is the case, then there may be a fee involved. However, a smaller establishment may charge a fee for the inconvenience of storing your belongings. The same is true for luggage you are sending before your arrival and for items you leave behind, to pick up later, or that you have shipped.
Even if there is no fee for storage or early arrival of your belongings, tipping the concierge or bellhop will ensure your luggage gets extra attention. The standard rate of one to two dollars per bag is a small price to pay to know your valuables are safe.
Shipping items to and from your destination is the best way to deal with a trip, especially if you are traveling by air. Enough is going on at an airport without worrying whether your Louis Vuitton ended up in Atlanta, but your destination is Denver; oh, my!
Hotels Will Hold Your Luggage and Ship It!
Moreover, they will do so before your arrival or at your departure. The business of hotels is you, and the goal of most of them is to make your stay as pleasurable as possible.
Business trips and vacations take you away from home for many days, and it’s nice to have the things with you that you need and that require luggage. However, there are limits to what you can take on a plane. So, shipping your luggage to and from your destination is ideal for simplifying your travels.
Whether you ship it ahead, drop it off before check-in time or leave it behind for shipping or pickup, most hotels will accommodate your needs. If they cannot, they often know someone in the vicinity who can. So, call ahead and let the hotel staff help you with your luggage long before arrival or departure. The experience will help you enjoy your excursions that much more, and your long wait at baggage claim will be history.