How to use the hotel cancellation deadline calculator
- Enter the check-in date and time and choose the time zone of the hotel.
- Enter the free cancellation window and choose hours or calendar days.
- Choose your own time zone.
- Read the deadline in the hotel zone and in your zone, and check the table for the details.
Formula
Deadline = check-in minus the window
Hours: subtract elapsed hours from the check-in instant
Calendar days: go back that many days at the same clock time in the hotel zone
Display each instant in the time zone chosen
A window in hours counts elapsed time. A window in calendar days keeps the same wall-clock time at the hotel, and the two can differ by an hour when the clocks change in between.
A Paris hotel booked from New York
Check-in is Friday 20 November 2026 at 3:00 PM in Paris, and free cancellation ends 48 hours before. The deadline is Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 3:00 PM in Paris.
New York is 6 hours behind Paris on those dates, so the same moment is Wednesday 18 November at 9:00 AM Eastern, an offset of UTC-05:00. Setting an alarm for the New York morning would avoid missing it.
Why time zones matter for a deadline
A booking site often states a deadline as a date and a time at the hotel, such as "free cancellation until 3 PM local time two days before arrival". If you book from another country, that time is earlier or later on your own clock, and the date can differ too. A hotel in Asia can have a deadline that falls on the previous evening for someone in the Americas.
The tool turns the check-in into an exact instant and counts back from it, so the answer is correct in both zones. It uses the time zone rules in your browser, so daylight saving changes are included for each place and each date.
Hours or days
Terms are written both ways. "48 hours" counts elapsed time, while "2 days before arrival" often means the same time of day two calendar days earlier. They agree except when the clocks change between the deadline and check-in. In that case the page shows a note, because the two readings are an hour apart.
Your booking confirmation is the final word. Some hotels count from the start of the check-in day, from midnight or from a fixed cutoff such as 6 PM, so treat the result as a check and keep a margin of a few hours.
Assumptions and limits
- Check-in is a wall-clock time in the hotel zone. A time that does not exist because of a clock change is rejected.
- A repeated hour at a clock change uses the earlier of the two.
- Zones are the ones in the list. If yours is missing, choose one with the same rules.
- Nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
What if the clocks change before check-in?
The page notes it. Hours count elapsed time, so the clock time at the deadline can differ from the usual offset by an hour.
Does it know my current time?
No. It does not read the clock. It gives the deadline and you compare it with your own time.
Which option matches my booking?
Choose hours if the terms say hours, and calendar days if they say days or give a date. If unsure, check both and use the earlier.
Is the result a guarantee?
No. The hotel's terms and clock decide. Use the result as a check and leave a margin.