In a move that promises to eliminate one of the most persistent pain points in travel, online travel major MakeMyTrip has launched a new feature allowing travellers to secure guaranteed early check-in and late check-out slots at the time of booking.
Available across more than 10,000 hotels, villas, and homestays in India, and over 1,000 properties across 20 international destinations, including , Bangkok, Pattaya, Bali, and Kuala Lumpur, the feature marks India’s first early check-in and late check-out offering at this scale on an online travel agency (OTA).
Resolving the travel timeline mismatch
According to an MMT statement, the feature targets a widespread friction point caused by the mismatch between transportation schedules and standard hospitality timelines.
MakeMyTrip’s booking data across flights, buses, and trains revealed that 53% of travellers arrive at their destinations before 9 AM, while 54% depart after 3 PM.
With standard hotel check-in times typically set at 2 PM and check-out mandated by noon, travellers are often left navigating unfamiliar cities while half-asleep or waiting in lobbies.
This pattern is equally pronounced on international routes; more than half of travellers on short-haul flights to Singapore, Bangkok, and , as well as long-haul flights to New York, land before 8 AM.
With international check-ins fixed at 2 PM or 3 PM, the wait can stretch to 8 hours, forcing many to resort to expensive measures, such as paying for an extra night to guarantee immediate room access.
How the feature works
To bridge this gap, MakeMyTrip now allows users to pre-book and confirm early or late room slots in three, six, or nine-hour windows. Instead of leaving travellers to make uncertain, informal front-desk requests, the platform said it integrates logistics data to automatically surface the most relevant window based on the user’s flight, train, or bus arrival and departure times.
This creates a confirmed, pre-paid commitment that reduces the operational burden on hotel front desks, MMT said.
According to the statement, the feature has already witnessed strong early adoption. Early check-in slots account for 77% of all bookings to date, while late check-outs comprise the remaining 23%.
Win-Win for travellers and hoteliers
According to company executives, the solution addresses evolving consumer behaviour while unlocking new revenue streams for partners.
Abhishek Logani, Chief Business Officer – Hotels at MakeMyTrip, noted that while price and location remain vital, flexibility and confirmed access are becoming core to booking decisions.
“Partners have recognised this shift,” Logani said. “Early-morning and late-evening inventory that previously went unmonetized now has a structured, revenue-generating use. The positive response to the feature reflects that.” He added that MakeMyTrip plans to extend the feature to additional properties and international markets over the coming quarters.
By turning an unpredictable operational hurdle into a structured product, the feature aims to fundamentally alter how consumers plan their itineraries.
Ankit Khanna, Chief Product Officer, Hotels, Growth and Emerging Businesses at MakeMyTrip, emphasised that the initiative is ultimately about removing anxiety from the travel experience.
“The traveller wants to know, before they leave home, that the things they are counting on will hold,” Khanna said. “Early check-in and late check-out are one of the most persistent of those uncertainties, and arguably the hardest to crack. Making it a guaranteed slot turns a problem travellers had learned to live with into one they can settle before they leave home.”