The modern traveller will not endure a 15-minute wait to check in at the front desk. They like to come on their own terms, which contactless check-in allows them to do. Aside from satisfying your customers, digitising and automating your procedures assists you in combating the hotel industry’s rising scarcity of competent labour.
In this article, we evaluate the most popular contactless check-in methods on the market today and provide you with all the information you need to convert your hotel to digital self-check-in.
What exactly is contactless check-in?
Contactless check-in allows hotel customers to come and check in to their room without having to visit a check-in desk, pick up a room key, visit a check-in desk, or otherwise interact with personnel.
You may offer contactless check-in by providing your visitors’ arrival and room access information through email, text, or an app. This gives them a platform to independently enter all of the information you’d normally have to acquire at the front desk.
The Advantages of Contactless Check-in Technology
Contactless check-in is more than a band-aid solution: customers appreciate the speed and ease of handling their own arrival procedure. In addition, hotels may save time and money by incorporating technology into their check-in process.
Even before the epidemic, keyless entry was becoming increasingly popular among tourists. According to Openkey poll results,
- Keyless entry results in an average 7% boost in visitor satisfaction.
- When there is a 5-minute delay at check-in, guest satisfaction drops by 50%.
- 46 percent of visitors feel a mobile key solution is an important on-property amenity for them.
- 49% of passengers think “high-tech amenities in the hotel room, such as a mobile key, impact their hotel pick.”
Similarly, hotels can function more effectively thanks to smartphone check-in and keyless access technologies. Mobile check-in saves time and effort for employees because paperwork, terms and conditions, and on-site incentives may be emailed to visitors before their arrival. Mobile check-in solutions assist hotels in gathering consumer insights about their customers, such as learning what their preferences are through a pre-arrival questionnaire and seeing the offers and services a guest chooses to learn about before their stay. It’s also a quick method to convey upsell offers, promote on-site features, and collect auxiliary income without having to meet in person.
Six simple steps to establishing contactless check-in
Contactless check-in installation and onboarding do not have to be difficult or time-consuming. Consider the following six steps for adopting contactless check-in at your hotel:
1. Replace or upgrade your hotel’s locks.
You’ll need smart locks to provide contactless check-in. You have the option of replacing your locks or simply updating them with Operto Boost. As a result, you can retrofit your current locks with strong BLE capabilities in minutes.
2. Decide on a check-in paradigm and tool.
Next, pick how you want to provide contactless check-in to your guests. This may be accomplished by utilising a kiosk in your lobby, forcing visitors to download an app to their phone, or utilising a mobile-optimized web app that guests can access via their smart device.
3. Align check-in with operations
Connect a centralised operating system to your check-in platform and smart locks. You now have total insight into room status, can automate guest access codes, and can manage operations in accordance with up-to-date booking information from your PMS.
4. Get your employees on board.
Employees will readily accept contactless check-in if they realise it will make their lives simpler. Outline the benefits of the technology and schedule a training session so that your team is prepared to assist visitors if they encounter issues with digital check-in.
5. Provide visitors with an alternative.
Some visitors may want to enter their accommodations using a classic keycard rather than their phone. You can provide customers with this option with Operto Boost since your locks retain their RFID or magstripe capabilities, allowing you to accommodate any guest.
6. Reimagine your lobby and front desk.
Once you’ve implemented contactless check-in throughout your hotel, be creative in transforming your lobby. You may convert your front desk into a coffee shop or set up collaborative workspaces for business visitors. This is where you can set your hotel apart from the competition and provide a completely unique guest experience.
Tools for contactless hotel check-in
With so many contactless tools available today, it can be difficult to determine which are dependable or would work best for your hotel and your existing hotel management software. Here are three differentiating contactless check-in solutions for hotels.
#1. Virdee
Virdee allows you to offer check-in to your guests in a variety of ways. It provides both mobile check-in and kiosk formats, which are frequently used in tandem to provide visitors with a variety of alternatives upon arrival.
Guests may check in, verify their ID, make credit card payments, request a room upgrade, and print keys using a Virdee kiosk. They will obtain a digital key for contactless entry to their room when they use the smartphone version of Virdee.
Features
- Use the smartphone or kiosk version for contactless check-in.
- Options for mobile and physical keys
- ID verification, payment, and room upgrading possibilities are all available.
- Remote help is available 24/7.
#2. Canary Technologies
Canary Technologies enables you to provide your visitors with contactless check-in via their mobile device. Guests are instantly sent an email or text message with a link that includes all of the information they need to check in.
Then, guests provide personal information for ID verification, and if everything is in order, they are given their mobile key. You can also supply physical keys to guests who prefer them or if you aren’t yet using smart locks.
- The check-in URL is automatically shared with guests.
- Capabilities for fraud detection and ID verification
- Options for upselling upon arrival
- also supports contactless check-out.
#3. Operto
Operto is the whole package, with a slew of sophisticated features designed specifically for hotel operations.
It provides a truly “hands-off” experience for the hotelier and integrates with a wide range of property management systems and smart devices, going well beyond simple contactless entry.
You may also give your visitors a better digital check-in with the Operto Guest web app, which includes ID verification and guest screening. You may also supply your visitors with useful digital guidebooks, making them more self-sufficient and reducing the number of calls and inquiries you receive from them.
Furthermore, Operto enables you to implement contactless access without replacing all your existing locks. Operto Boost can convert almost any keycard lock on the market into a Bluetooth device with mobile key capabilities.
So, whether you want to enhance your existing keycard locks, replace them, or need a software solution that can link to your existing smart locks, Operto is the answer.
Features
- True contactless—sends unique access codes automatically via the guest portal.
- Managers can manage their entire organisation from a single, easy-to-use platform.
- Guest portals are completely personalised for your business and do not necessitate any special development effort.
- There is no requirement for a native mobile app, which is a significant benefit for visitors who do not want to download another app.
- Improved digital check-in with integrated guest screening
- To improve the guest experience, use digital guidebooks and two-way communications.
FAQs
How can I make my hotel check-in procedure more efficient?
You may optimise your hotel check-in procedure by making your visitors’ arrival experience smoother and faster. Contactless check-in for hotels is one of the finest methods to do this. This helps your customers bypass long lines upon arrival and take advantage of the convenience of digital check-in.
Should my hotel provide mobile check-in?
Mobile check-in at your hotel is convenient for guests and reduces the workload on your front desk. The good news is that switching to mobile check-in doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming, even if your locks are decades old. With Operto Boost, for example, you can upgrade your old locks in minutes and begin delivering mobile check-in to your visitors using hotel-specific software.
What are the benefits of self-check-in?
Hotel self-check-in allows your visitors the freedom and flexibility to check in on their own terms. Furthermore, customers no longer have to wait in huge lines at your reception desk when they arrive. Furthermore, mobile check-in decreases your staffing requirements, allowing your team to focus on duties that greatly influence the guest experience.
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