Late check out

happy2rv wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:
I need to bookmark this thread and show it to anyone who wants a late check out or an early arrival. They both have a way of not working out for anyone. Hence they aren't on the menu at our parks.

If you have back to back reservations for the site(s), I can see not accommodating early arrivals / late exits. If 3/4 of your campground is empty, including the spot I'm vacating and you aren't willing to work with me, maybe I don't need to camp there. Just saying, this statement is kind of ridiculous. I'm sure if the OP asked and were told that someone else was booked in that spot and their arrival time wasn't known, they would've offered to move or abide by the advertised check out time.

The park owner agreed to allow late check out and then allowed the arriving party to check in. It's the park owner's problem period!!!! The park owner could have told the OP that the site was reserved and offered another spot or overflow parking or simply said we don't have anything available. They SHOULD have explained to the arriving party that check in isn't until 3 and their spot isn't yet available but we have another spot or overflow parking available until then. Perhaps they did, but it doesn't sound like it. Either way, it's not the arriving parties place to be telling another camper anything. If they had an issue, they should have taken it up with the camp office, not the OP.

Pretty much every hotel I've ever been to allows for early arrival / late checkout unless there are extenuating circumstances. Some charge a fee for this service and others don't. I realize that I don't generally book a specific room at a hotel, but even so, it's not an unreasonable request to make. Key word being request. I perfectly understand if there is a reason the request can't be accommodated. I don't think it's reasonable to book an extra night for 1-3 hours and leave a site empty after I pull out. By the way, I'm sure there are park owners and definitely potential patrons who will have issues with that practice. I realize it might be extra work to track early arrivals and/or late exits and I don't expect a free ride. I'd be willing to pay a reasonable fee for such services. I don't expect "extra" services like these, but I do appreciate them.

As someone who has worked with the general public for many years, sometimes you create policies based on past experiences.
I'm sure WRVPO has seen the scenario described by the OP many times.
I'm sure late/early arrival have caused headaches for one reason or another. Lots of he said she said, I was told or promised etc etc.
At some point you end the confusion and headaches by simply eliminating or banning early or late arrivals across the board. Problem Solved!
As a camper/consumer, pay for the extra day if you want to leave late or arrive early. Problem Solved.