A walk-in is a guest who arrives at the hotel without a reservation and asks for a room on the spot. Walk-ins are sold at the desk, typically at the current best available rate.
Walk-in volume varies wildly by location, airport and roadside hotels see steady flow while destination resorts see little. For the front desk it is a pricing moment, quoting confidently at the day's rate rather than improvising discounts under pressure.
Walk-ins carry slightly higher payment risk, no booking history and no guarantee, so standard practice is securing payment or authorization upfront. On sold-out nights, the desk's real skill is saying no gracefully and redirecting, protecting rooms held for arriving reservations.
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