Delivery to Hotels and Temporary Addresses

Receiving a parcel at a hotel, serviced apartment or short-term rental is possible, but it needs a bit of coordination. The parcel must arrive while you are staying and be handed to you rather than lost in a back office.

Before you order

1. Ask the hotel. Confirm that they accept deliveries and how long they hold them.
2. Ask about size and type. Large or perishable items may be refused.
3. Get the exact receiving details. Name of the department, such as front desk or concierge, and the correct street address.
4. Check the dates. Delivery should fall inside your stay, with a margin.

What to write on the order

• Your name exactly as it appears on the reservation.
• "c/o" the hotel name, if the hotel asks for it.
• Check-in and check-out dates, or booking reference.
• Your phone number, which is yours, not the hotel's.
• A short note: "Please hold at front desk for guest arriving on [date]."

Details on writing the note are in how to write delivery instructions that work.

Risks

• The parcel arrives before check-in and is stored or refused.
• Staff do not recognise the name.
• Hotel returns it to the sender after the holding period.
• You leave before it arrives.

Rentals and temporary homes

Short-term rentals may have no staff. Ask the host about the safest way to receive parcels, or use a pickup point nearby. See pickup points vs doorstep delivery. For the unit and building details, see delivering to apartment blocks and flats.

If you change plans

If your trip changes, contact the seller or carrier early. See changing a delivery address after you order.

Location help

Hotels and resorts can be large, with several entrances and buildings. If the courier needs to find the right one, a specific point is more useful than the street address. A UPCS code for the reception entrance is an option where the shop supports it; it complements the hotel's address and is not an official postcode.

Tip

Keep the delivery confirmation and the hotel's contact number handy. If the parcel does not appear, the front desk can usually check against the delivery log.