The day-to-day travel experience has changed rapidly in recent years. Health and safety have become a higher priority for guests across all markets. Today’s travelers also demand time savings and convenience more than ever. 

Helping hoteliers meet these expectations, contactless hotel check-in solutions improve the guest experience, increase direct bookings, create marketing opportunities, and boost operational efficiency.

The value of contactless check-in for hotels

There is a lot of value in incorporating contactless check-in for hotels. Key reasons to consider increasing the contactless options for your guests include: 

1. It creates streamlined guest experiences. Hotel guests use contactless check-in because it lets them check in on the go, minimize or even bypass the crowded lobby experience, and get to their rooms more quickly upon arrival.
2. Health- and hygiene-conscious travelers seek out contactless hotel check-in. Advertising its availability on your website can convince them to choose your property—and even book directly at the source. 
3. Contactless solutions present unique marketing opportunities. In a rush period, your front desk staff may not always be able to promote your on-site amenities, but contactless solutions can seamlessly present upsell information alongside the transaction. 
4. From an operational perspective, contactless solutions help you do more with limited resources. With more guests checking in virtually, your staff members have more time to provide exceptional service.

What is contactless hotel check-in? 

We’ve established that contactless hotel check-in is important, but let’s break down what it truly is. There are many different levels of “contactless.” At its core, contactless check-in for hotels means providing guests with a way to check in that doesn’t require the traditional interaction with front desk staff. 

There are many components to creating contactless options for guests. Think about everything that happens when a guest arrives at your hotel. They verify their personal information, provide financial data, and receive the key to their room. Each of these steps can be made contactless—and just as secure—with the right technology. Here are the most popular options: 

Lobby kiosks

Lobby kiosks allow guests to check themselves in once they physically arrive at your property. Some hotels use standalone kiosks similar to those found at airports, while others opt to provide tablets or computers. Guests are still required to check in at the property, but kiosks minimize face-to-face staff interaction.

Digital check-in

With a digital hotel self-check-in system, hotel guests complete most of the check-in process on their mobile devices. Digital check-in typically works like this:

1. A hotel messaging solution sends guests a link to a secure portal. 
2. Guests use the portal to check in, provide contact and financial information, and agree to terms. 
3. When guests arrive at the hotel, they visit the front desk to receive their room key. 

While this option reduces lobby time on arrival, it is not completely contactless. Guests still need to briefly interact with staff to claim their key.

Digital key boxes or lockers

Guests are sent a unique, self-expiring code via text message or email. They then use the code to retrieve their physical room keys from a digital key box or locker at the hotel upon arrival. This solution eliminates any need for guest interaction with front-desk staff before room access is granted.

Mobile app check-in

A truly contactless option is to set up mobile app check-in. Mobile hotel check-in offers a number of benefits for guests:

• Convenience: Guests are able to check in from anywhere, even before arrival.
• Efficiency: There is no need to visit the front desk or wait in line.
• Security: A digital, in-app room key is less likely to be lost than a traditional key.
• Safety: With a fully contactless experience, no in-person interactions are required for room access.
• Control: Guests can set stay-related preferences directly in the app.

A mobile app is the only way to provide a complete check-in experience with a hotel keyless entry system. A dedicated hotel mobile app for hoteliers also offers other benefits, including increased customer loyalty, more direct revenues, and memorable experiences for guests.

Create more contactless experiences with Fuel

Fuel’s contactless check-in app uses proprietary mobile software that integrates with major digital lock providers to support digital keys for hotels. This is just one of the ways Fuel helps hotels create contactless experiences that drive revenue and guest engagement. 

Whether you’re looking to set up contactless web check-in on mobile or launch a fully branded app and digital key, Fuel Travel can help. We have a:

• Web mobile check-in interface 
• White-label mobile app with a digital key interface
• Hotel messaging solution to send automated pre-stay and reminder messages

Contact us for a demo today.