MakeMyTrip launches industry-first feature to guarantee early check-in and late check-out — Here’s how it works
In a move that promises to eliminate one of the most persistent problems in travel, online travel giant MakeMyTrip has launched a new feature that allows travelers to secure guaranteed early check-in and late check-out slots when booking.
Available in over 10,000 hotels, villas and lodges in India and over 1,000 properties in 20 international destinations, including Dubai, Bangkok, Pattaya, Bali and Kuala Lumpur, the feature represents India’s first early check-in and late check-out facility of this scale across an online travel agency (OTA).
Resolve travel timeline mismatch
According to MMT, the feature targets a common friction point caused by mismatch between transportation schedules and standard accommodation timelines.
MakeMyTrip’s flight, bus and train booking data revealed that 53% of passengers arrived at their destination before 9am, while 54% left after 3pm.
Given that standard hotel check-in times are usually set at 2pm and check-out is mandated at noon, travelers are often left wandering through foreign cities half-asleep or waiting in lobbies.
This pattern is equally evident on international routes; More than half of passengers on short-haul flights to Singapore, Bangkok and Hanoi, as well as long-haul flights to New York, land before 8 a.m.
With international check-ins fixed at 14:00 or 15:00, wait times can extend up to 8 hours, forcing many to resort to expensive measures such as paying for an extra night to guarantee immediate access to the room.
How does the feature work?
To fill this gap, MakeMyTrip now allows users to pre-book and confirm early or late room slots in three-, six- or nine-hour slots. Instead of sending travelers vague, informal front desk requests, the platform integrates logistics data to automatically surface the most relevant window based on the user’s flight, train or bus arrival and departure times, the platform said.
MMT said this creates a validated, pre-paid commitment that reduces the operational burden on hotel front offices.
According to the statement, the feature has already witnessed strong early adoption. 77% of all reservations made to date are early check-in slots, while the remaining 23% are late check-outs.
Win-Win for travelers and hoteliers
According to company executives, the solution addresses changing consumer behavior while unlocking new revenue streams for hospitality partners.
MakeMyTrip Hotels Business Director Abhishek Logani stated that price and location are vital, but flexibility and approved access form the basis of booking decisions.
“Partners have noticed this shift,” Logani said. “Early morning and late evening inventory, previously monetized, now has a structured, revenue-generating use. The positive response to this feature reflects that.” He added that MakeMyTrip plans to expand this feature to additional properties and international markets in the coming quarters.
This feature aims to fundamentally change the way consumers plan their travel itineraries by turning an unpredictable operational hurdle into a structured product.
Ankit Khanna, MakeMyTrip’s Product Officer for Hotels, Growth and Emerging Businesses, emphasized that the initiative is ultimately about removing anxiety from the travel experience.
“The traveler wants to know that the things he or she is counting on before leaving home will be valid,” Khanna said. “Early check-in and late check-out is one of the most persistent of these uncertainties and arguably the hardest to resolve. Making it a guaranteed time slot turns a problem travelers have learned to live with into one they can resolve before leaving home.”
