The case of Nguyen Y Quyen, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City who was refused a room by Royal Hostel in Hanoi because she arrived late to check in on Nov. 9 despite having paid in full for stay between Nov. 7 and 10, has prompted widespread interest and debate.

A representative of a high-end hotel in Hanoi said that hotels must hold the room for a paid guest. However, this depends on the hotel’s terms, cancellation policy and check-in/check-out times that the guest agreed to when booking.

One common reason paid reservations are cancelled is the “no-show” policy.

Many small and mid-size hotels only guarantee a room until a set hour, often 6 p.m. or 10 p.m. on the first day. If a guest neither arrives nor contacts the hotel by that time, the reservation may be treated as a no-show and the room reallocated to another guest, particularly during busy periods when revenue optimisation is a priority.

Large hotel groups typically offer stronger consumer protections.

For example, Accor’s policy requires that paid bookings be honoured even if the guest arrives late.

Accor properties commit to holding a paid reservation until noon the following day. If a hotel cannot provide the reserved room, Accor treats this as a breach of contract and the property must provide an alternative room of equivalent or higher standard, covering any extra cost.

Generally, a guest is guaranteed a room if they book in advance and receive confirmation via email, text or invoice.

Paying or depositing in advance almost always helps ensure the room is held; the hotel must keep the room at least until the booked day’s standard check-in time (usually 2 p.m.).

If a guest fails to notify the hotel of a late arrival, many properties will resell the room (especially on peak days). In cases of overbooking, if a paid guest is left without a room, the hotel must provide an equivalent or better room and cover additional cost.

Guests arriving late should contact the hotel if they are unsure about its policy.

On Vietnamese and international travel forums, guests say they have kept their rooms by notifying the hotel of their late check-in. Many travelers who only need 4–5 hours’ rest still book the night before and inform the hotel of a late arrival to ensure a place to stay until noon the next day.