MakeMyTrip announces the launch of Early Check-In & Late Check-Out, available across more than 10,000 hotels, villas and homestays in India and over 1,000 properties across 20 international destinations. Travellers can now confirm an early or late room slot, in three, six, or nine-hour windows, at the time of booking. The feature reduces burden on property front-desk and replaces an informal request with a confirmed, pre-paid commitment. It is India’s first early check-in and late check-out offering at this scale, available on an OTA at the time of booking.
The feature has received strong early traction: early check-in accounts for 77% of all slot bookings to date, against 23% for late check-out.
The problem is familiar to anyone who has taken an overnight bus, a late-night train reaching the destination early morning, or a red-eye flight: you reach your destination early in the morning, and the room is not ready until 2 PM. The hours in between mean navigating an unfamiliar city half-asleep with luggage or waiting in a hotel lobby hoping for early check-in. At the other end, a traveller with a 10 PM flight is asked to vacate by noon. Based on MakeMyTrip’s own booking data across flights, buses, and trains, 53% of travellers arrive before 9 AM and 54% depart after 3 PM. For families, senior travellers, or anyone on a tight itinerary, these are not minor inconveniences. They can derail a trip.
The pattern is equally pronounced abroad. On popular short-haul routes to Singapore, Bangkok, and Hanoi, and on long-haul routes including New York, more than half of travellers land before 8 AM, while hotel check-in across most international markets stays fixed at 2 to 3 PM. The wait can stretch to eight hours. Many resolve it the expensive way, by paying for an extra night just to guarantee early access for a few hours.
MakeMyTrip automatically surfaces the most relevant early check-in or late check-out window during booking based on the traveller’s arrival or departure time, drawing on available flight, train, or bus details. The result is a win for both sides. The traveller gains assurance and guaranteed access in place of an uncertain front-desk request. The hotelier unlocks a share of inventory that would otherwise have gone unsold.
Abhishek Logani, Chief Business Officer – Hotels, MakeMyTrip said “The criteria travellers use to choose stays are evolving. Price and location remain important, but flexibility and confirmed access are alsobecoming an active part of the booking decision. Partners have recognised this shift: 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. We will extend it to additional properties and international markets over the coming quarters.”
Ankit Khanna, Chief Product Officer, Hotels, Growth and Emerging Businesses, MakeMyTrip, said “Much of what we have built over the years has been about removing anxiety from travel. The traveller wants to know, before they leave home, that the things they are counting on will hold. 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.”
MakeMyTrip has partnered with more than 10,000 domestic hotels, villas and home-stays across India alongside more than 1,000 properties across 20 international destinations such as Dubai, Bangkok, Pattaya, Bali, and Kuala Lumpur.
