Online check-in for hotels: 6 advantages for your business.

Online check-in for hotels has become an industry standard. What began as a way to reduce contact at reception now answers deeper needs: operational pressure in peak season, staff shortages, increasingly digital guest expectations and the chance to capture data from every guest from the very first touchpoint.

Technology is no longer an extra but an essential part of hotel operations, and automated check-in is one of the pieces with the greatest impact: it improves the guest experience, frees up reception time and feeds reliable data into the rest of your marketing and loyalty strategy.

What is online check-in for hotels?

Online check-in for hotels in is an alternative to simplify the guests’ check-in process and increase the front desk’s productivity. In this case, it is not the receptionist but guests themselves who complete the check-in form (name, ID, reservation details, mainly) from a website or online application through any device before arriving at the hotel. Once at the property, guests only have to worry about identifying themselves if they have not done so previously by providing their personal documentation* and collecting the key from their room. More sophisticated systems allow you to choose the room in advance and even receive the key on your mobile using a code.

What are the benefits of implementing online check-in software in a hotel?

1. Adapts to your operation: self-service or assisted hybrid mode

Not every hotel or every guest wants the same thing. Some prefer to check in from their phone, others value a personal welcome at the desk; some arrivals are quiet, others are large groups in peak season.

A good online check-in system does not force you to choose: it allows guest self-registration and, at the same time, a hybrid mode where staff handle check-in in an assisted way. You get the efficiency without giving up the warm welcome, adapting to every type of hotel and guest.

2. Streamlines reception work and reduces queues

The check-in process at reception is usually a manual and under-digitised process that usually generates queues and discomfort for guests. Data collection, passport validation and document signing usually take longer than desired since there are many standards that the receptionist must meet as accurately and in the shortest time possible. Kiosks or totems only solve part of the problem, but they still generate queues and do not allow multiple check-ins simultaneously. In contrast, an online check-in app integrated with your PMS will cause your guests’ information to reach your reception staff in an automated manner, eliminating queues and waits, drastically reducing manual work and even paper consumption. By significantly alleviating the workload of the reception, eliminating tasks that do not add value, it is easier to maintain adequate and quality service, offering a quick check-in and without contacting the receptionist. Even without a digital door opening system, wait times will be reduced, even if guests have to pick up the key at reception.

3. Improves guest experience and service

Arrival at the hotel and the check-in process is one of the most critical aspects of hotel service because it is the first point of contact in the property and gives an idea of its quality. Giving guests the option to pre-check-in and do so whenever they want, avoiding queues and waits that can be very annoying, will improve their satisfaction: remember that when they arrive at the hotel they only feel like entering the room and resting. On the other hand, the time staff spend at check-in is wasted because, by digitising this process, their efforts can focus on offering a better service to guests. Human interaction remains key to creating a great experience.

4. It increases customer awareness

If you have a check-in software integrated with the PMS that allows you to perform the process, regardless of the booking channel (direct, OTAs or TT. OO.), you will capture the data of all guests. This will enable you to increase your verified contact base and create more detailed customer profiles that allow greater knowledge of the target audience. Simultaneously, this allows more precise segmentation when conducting marketing campaigns and ultimately improving opening and conversion ratios. Having your own customer base is an excellent opportunity to really know who they are and their preferences to improve hotel products and services and get more loyal customers.

5. Promotes upselling and cross-selling

The hotel’s check-in system can also act as a new sales channel, offering additional services that enhance the guest experience and provide an additional source of revenues for the hotel. The check-in is an excellent opportunity to start building a direct relationship between the brand and guests and suggest improvements such as a superior room or spa treatment. This is a win-win situation because guests are offered something that meets their needs and increases their satisfaction, and the hotel increases customer loyalty while obtaining higher revenue and a better brand image. By offering additional upgrades and services, you can make a simple hotel stay an unforgettable memory.

6. Helps to avoid cancellation of reservations

Another advantage of offering online check-in for hotels is that it helps to avoid cancellation of reservations. Guests who check-in before arriving at the establishment are showing a clear intention to keep their stay. The mere fact of completing the online check-in process guarantees that the guest will not cancel the reservation. A very valuable piece of information and a way to know the guests’ intention.

Hybrid mode: automation with a human touch (what many chains choose)

Many chains do not jump straight to a 100% self-service check-in, and for good reason: they want to go digital without losing the personal touch that sets them apart. Hybrid mode solves exactly that. Reception staff run assisted check-in from tablets —in the lobby, in private areas or even in the room— with no reliance on fixed kiosks.

Documents are scanned via OCR, the guest signs on the tablet and everything syncs automatically to the PMS; between guests, the process resets with a single click. It is especially useful for high-demand receptions and group arrivals, where it speeds things up without giving up the personal welcome. In short, it combines the efficiency of automation with the human touch that most hotel groups are looking for.

More on hybrid mode.

Technology for a hotel’s online check-in

A fundamental aspect when implementing an online check-in for hotels is that it can integrate with the other management systems. Mainly with the PMS to ensure that the data is appropriately and accurately registered, complying with current GDPR.

Moreover, it should be noted that precheck in systems only allow online registration for guests who have booked through the hotel’s website. Travellers with reservations made on other channels (TT. OO., OTA) do not have the possibility to check-in online.

At Hotelinking, we have developed DeskForce, an online check-in software that is integrated with the leading hotel management solutions on the market and allows any guest to check-in regardless of the channel where they have made the reservation (direct, OTA or TT. OO.). Therefore, every time they check-in, you will collect everyone’s data, even those that come through an intermediary:

1. If the guest has booked through the hotel’s website, they will receive an email with a link where they can check-in.
2. Should they have booked through intermediaries (OTAs, TTOO), they can also check-in before their stay on the hotel’s website, in a section specially enabled for this purpose.
3.  If they have not checked in prior to arrival at the hotel, they can do so at the property itself. They will simply have to select the WiFi network and they will be redirected to a page where they can check-in online, without the need to install an app or connect to the network.

In a few seconds, in a fully automated and online way, the data will be dumped to the PMS without the need for the staff, kiosks or apps that the customer has to download.

The first stage of our online check-in system allows the customer to complete the process in a few simple steps:

• Enter the booking reference
• Fill in each guest’s data
• Scanning documents
• Confirmation of rooms
• Digital signature
• SMS alarm when room is ready

At a more advanced stage, the system will allow:

• Guest choice of room
• Possibility of upgrades and cross-selling
• Digital opening of the room
• Payment of the reservation
• Credit card authorisation for consumptions
• Folio and automatic check-out

Regulation supports digital check-in

Digital check-in is fully backed by regulation: traveller entry forms can be completed digitally and the traveller’s signature can be captured on a digital device. DeskForce makes this compliance easier by capturing the digital signature of the entry form and automatically sending the signed document to the hotel’s PMS guest record, with an email copy to each guest.

In addition, with Spain’s new digital ID (MiDNI), domestic guests can identify themselves by scanning the official QR code during check-in, without presenting the physical document, which speeds up registration further and strengthens the security of the process.

* In Spain, organic law 4/2015 of March 30 regarding the protection of citizen security, in article 25, obliges hotels, hostels, campsites, guest houses…, to register the ID documents of all over 14-year-old guests.