Manage to return, reaching hotel in time (5)
I believe the answer is:
epoch
'time' is the definition.
(epoch is a kind of time)
'manage to return reaching hotel' is the wordplay.
'manage' becomes 'cope' (synonyms).
'to return' says the letters should be written backwards.
'reaching' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'hotel' becomes 'h' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'cope' back-to-front is 'epoc'.
'epoc'+'h'='EPOCH'
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for epoch that I've seen before include "Period of time in history" , "Point in time fixed by some great event" , "years" , "remarkable time" , "Age, time span" .)