Originally posted: June 6, 2019. Updated: April 15, 2021.
Today’s travelers prefer to use self-service technology to streamline their travels—86% say other things being equal, they would choose one hotel over another if one offered the option of a fully contactless mobile check-in, concierge, check-out, and facility reservation app. It’s no surprise that guests are more satisfied with hotels that are mobile-friendly, especially as many consumers remain cautious about their safety during travel. But more than that, mobile hospitality tech’s true power is in its long term benefit: delivering the level of digital convenience travelers are used to in every other aspect of their lives.
As early as 2018, a study conducted by Oracle showed that 90 percent of hotel executives believed that the guest experience could be improved by giving guests the ability to use mobile devices to manage the check-in and check-out processes.
That’s because travelers have been reliant upon their mobile devices to check-in for a flight, catch a ride, and order from their favorite restaurants for years.
They want to have this same convenience when checking into their hotel. Rather than waiting in line at the front desk, today’s travelers want a simple process that allows them to go directly to their room.
Providing mobile check-in services not only benefits your guests, but it is also good for your daily operations. It streamlines your check-in process, reduces front desk friction, and allows front desk employees to spend more time assisting guests, which leads to more personalized guest experiences. Providing a streamlined, easy check-in process not only enhances the guest experience but it also frees up staff time to focus on delivering the next level of service.
There are additional functions that can be implemented along with mobile check-in to further streamline the check-in process.
Incorporating features like mobile ID authentication and mobile payment allows guests to have a completely digital, “Uber-like,” experience with your property and give them the opportunity to engage through the channel they’re more comfortable with.
Being able to scan and verify a guest’s ID remotely means you have all the information you need to confirm a reservation or process payment and eliminates the risk of incorrect manual keystroke entries. These features can also assist in bridging language barriers between your hotel staff and foreign travelers and providing those travelers with the same easy check-in Incorporating mobile key functionality at your property is the next step in creating a completely mobile check-in process. Using a smartphone to unlock the guest room door is quick, easy, and efficient. By offering keyless entry at your property, you eliminate the need for guests to spend time at the front desk picking up their room key, which can be lost or fail and require them to backtrack to the front desk.
Now, what about costs? There’s a perception that mobile check-in for hotels must come with an exorbitant price tag, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Creating a property app that can facilitate mobile check-in and check-out—in addition to other critical services like mobile dining and contactless service requests—is incredibly affordable for properties of all sizes, as the cost should scale. For many properties, it’s a cheaper monthly cost than laundry.
Offering a streamlined mobile check-in process immediately gives your guests the ease and convenience they’ve come to expect from other sectors of the travel industry and automatically elevates their experience at your property.
Interested in learning more about how you can help guests skip the front desk? Read more about mobile check-in now.
