After midnight, tonight still belongs to yesterday. Hotwire says a same-day booking has to be finished before midnight local time. Booking.com and Expedia generally will not sell a check-in date that has already passed, so a search at 1 a.m. offers a room for this afternoon, not a bed right now.

HotelTonight still sells the night in progress until 2:00 a.m. local hotel time. After that, the reliable move is a phone call. The night clerk can sell the rest of tonight if a room is empty. Checkout is still this morning, usually 11 a.m. or noon, and the rate is often a full night.

• Motel 6 — their policy says check-in is anytime when a room is open, and a credit-card reservation is held all night. Studio 6 is left off because many of those offices are not open overnight.
• Wyndham brands (La Quinta, Super 8, Days Inn, Microtel, Baymont, Ramada, Wingate, AmericInn, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Knights Inn) — Wyndham’s FAQ says a credit-card reservation is held for a late arrival, and if that arrival is the next day you should contact the hotel.
• Red Roof — many locations advertise a 24-hour desk, but Red Roof says check-in times vary and some buildings stop listed check-in at midnight. Call.
• Comfort, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Econo Lodge, Rodeway, Best Western, Hampton, Holiday Inn, Drury, Country Inn & Suites — a staffed overnight desk is normal. The individual building still has to confirm a room.
• ibis, Premier Inn, Motel One, citizenM, YOTEL — overnight reception or a 24-hour kiosk is normal. Call or use the lobby kiosk, and confirm the stay is for tonight.
• MEININGER — reception is open 24/7, and they ask you to contact them if you will arrive after midnight.

Hilton Garden Inn, DoubleTree, and Embassy Suites are included because a night auditor is usual there. Select-service Marriott brands, Candlewood, Extended Stay America, Studio 6, and independent inns are not. A lot of them will not sell a new room after midnight, or nobody is at the door.

This page cannot see live vacancy. Distance comes from OpenStreetMap. A room is real only after the hotel says yes. Bring a government photo ID. Most desks want a card for the room and a deposit. Motel 6 takes cash at many locations. You usually need to be 18, and some buildings require 21.