Is it normal for hotels to charge a deposit?

Yes.

It’s normal for hotels to charge a deposit — even if it wasn’t obvious when you booked.

This page explains why deposits are common, what they usually cover, and when you should be concerned.

First: a deposit isn’t the same as an extra charge

Most hotel deposits are:

• temporary authorisations
• held, not taken
• automatically released

They are not additional fees unless something goes wrong.

The confusion comes from how banks display them.

Why hotels ask for deposits

Hotels use deposits to cover:

• potential damage
• minibar charges
• unpaid services
• smoking penalties

They’re a risk-control tool, not a revenue source.

Even budget hotels use them because:

• rooms are expensive to repair
• disputes are costly
• deposits reduce post-stay problems

Why the amount can feel high

Deposits often seem disproportionate because:

• they’re set per stay, not per night
• they’re standardised across room types
• they include buffer for incidentals

The amount isn’t a prediction.

It’s a ceiling.

Why deposits sometimes appear as charges

This is the most common source of worry.

A deposit may look like a charge because:

• banks show authorisations as pending transactions
• some apps don’t label them clearly
• currency conversion exaggerates the number

In most cases:

• the amount is never settled
• it disappears after release

This can take several days.

How long deposits usually take to release

Typical release times:

• 1–3 days for domestic cards
• 3–10 days for international cards

The delay depends more on your bank than the hotel.

Hotels release deposits quickly.

Banks release them slowly.

When a deposit is actually a problem

A deposit deserves attention if:

• it was taken as a completed charge, not pending
• it wasn’t mentioned at all during booking or check-in
• it remains after checkout plus the bank’s normal release window

In those cases, it’s reasonable to ask for clarification.

Why this isn’t always explained upfront

Deposits are often:

• buried in terms
• standard practice in some regions
• assumed knowledge by hotels

Hotels don’t highlight them because:

• they’re routine
• they aren’t optional
• they usually resolve automatically

That doesn’t make them obvious — just normal.

The takeaway

A hotel deposit doesn’t mean you’re being overcharged.

It means the hotel is protecting itself against uncertain costs.

Once you understand how deposits work and how banks display them, they stop being alarming — even when the number looks high.