The unpredictable nature of post-pandemic travel has prompted the hotel industry to adapt quickly to meet the changing needs of its customers. Demand for contactless check-in options exploded as travel began to rebound from a near-standstill in 2020, and the trend doesn’t appear to be slowing.

Beyond the need for social distancing, contactless check-in has proven to have a host of benefits for hotel guests and staff alike. Guests appreciate the option to skip the line for check-in upon arrival, and for hotels struggling with staffing, an automated check-in process is crucial to keeping the reception desk running smoothly.

Nearly 40% of hotels surveyed by Oracle Hospitality say that implementing contactless services is a top priority, but many hotels are missing an essential step in their contactless strategy to create a guest experience that’s frictionless, not frustrating.

Considerations for a contactless check-in strategy

When hoteliers consider implementing a contactless check-in strategy, they’re usually presented with two channels: check-in via guest’s personal mobile devices or adding self-service check-in kiosks to the hotel lobby.

While kiosk and mobile check-in are often presented as an either/or choice, embracing an omnichannel contactless check-in strategy that includes mobile and kiosk check-in options ensures that guests have the best possible experience upon arrival and throughout their hotel stay.  

Mobile check-in can lead to a frustrating experience

Hotels implementing new guest-facing technology must be certain that it will improve the guest experience. While a mobile-only check-in strategy has less initial cost, it also has far more potential to start a guest’s trip off on the wrong foot with a frustrating check-in experience.

A guest who begins their check-in process before arriving at the hotel would expect to be able to complete the process without joining a line at the reception desk. But if they used the last of their mobile charge to call an Uber or Lyft at the airport, they may have to do just that.

Even if a guest arrives with a fully charged phone, mobile keys are notoriously finnicky to use. Guests have reported trouble opening hotel room doors if their phone case is too thick, being locked out of their room after too many failed attempts with a mobile key, and problems accessing elevators. All of which leads to an inconvenient and time-consuming trip to the front desk.

Mobile check-in is most used by frequent business travelers, but vacationers may not want the hassle of adding another app to their phone for only a few days of use. More than 80 percent of domestic trips in the U.S. are for leisure, so hotels that choose mobile-only strategies could be losing out on a huge portion of contactless check-in users.

While the concept of mobile hotel check-in sounds good on paper, the realities of modern travel mean that hotels using mobile-only contactless check-in strategies may be inadvertently leaving guests with a poor first impression.

Truly contactless hotel check-in

With all the hassle around mobile check-in, hotels may want to give up contactless check-in entirely. But a stretched-thin staff and long waits for help don’t make a five-star guest experience either.

Adding guest check-in kiosks as a stand-alone solution or in conjunction with mobile check-in provides the efficiency that guests expect from contactless check-in, while circumventing many of the problems with mobile keys and personal devices.

Self-service kiosks make contactless check-in an obvious and convenient choice for all travelers, and increasing the adoption of contactless check-in means hotel staff are more available to create a personalized guest experience.

The Guest Check-In Solution from KIOSK Information Systems offers an integrated system for encoding and dispensing key cards, so guests can skip the check-in line, even if their mobile key fails. Optional integration with facial-recognition technology can verify guest’s ID without staff intervention.

Beyond check-in, hotel kiosks give guests the option to book additional services – like parking or spa treatments–  extend their stay, and easily retrieve their invoice upon checkout. 

KIOSK offers state-of-the-art remote monitoring services to maximize kiosk uptime, ensuring your kiosk deployment is there for your guests 24 hours a day.

Ready to integrate truly contactless check-in into your hotel’s strategy? Contact KIOSK to get started.