Not every guest likes talking to people and waiting in lines to check-in. A lot of travellers want to be in and out of check-in as quickly as possible.
Self-check-in kiosks are advantageous as the machines cut down on waiting times. The technology isn’t widely adopted in New Zealand hotels yet, however, some destinations like the Christchurch and Queenstown Jucy Snooze hotels operate the service. The Jucy hotels use Liverton’s SmartCheck kiosks which fully automate the check-in process. There is no front desk, and guests check in at kiosks at a time of their choosing without human interaction. The room keys are dispensed from the kiosk.
OpenKey is a provider of mobile check-in technology that gives guests the ability to check-in through the internet. It also gives hotels the choice of checking in guests automatically and issuing them a secure mobile key or the guests can still check-in where a mobile key is then sent to the guest.
“Hotels best suited for this type of mobile keyless entry are those with repeat business-related guests that don’t want to have to stand in the check-in line,” said Brian Shedd, VP of sales and marketing, OpenKey.
Shedd sees front desks evolving in the near future, changing from a place to check-in, to a place where guests can get personalised added value.
“I think what we’ll see in the next five to ten years is a shift from the hotel front desk as a tollgate for wayward travellers trying to get to their room, into a value-added customer service location that looks much more like a concierge desk than the front desk we recognise today. With the security and convenience of mobile keyless entry from OpenKey and other solutions like hotel reception kiosks, the need to have people who verify ID, take credit cards, and select room types for guests is already becoming passé.”
