While technology is vital to make hotels more operationally efficient, there is currently a push and pull between tech-enabled contactless check-in and having a personal connection at the front desk.
Across the hotel industry, hotel brands are leveraging their apps as a tool for contactless check-in and to provide information about the hotel, its services and the surrounding area. Apps save some time for guests and hotel employees, but they haven't resulted in the full bypassing of the front desk either.
It comes down to knowing your guest profile, establishing the functions your front desk serves and anticipating guest preferences, experts said.
Contactless check-in today typically means having a digital room key delivered to your phone via the hotel app, but it's evolving.
“New trends in check-ins include more options for contactless check-in through a mobile app, kiosk and some experimental offerings which use an AI agent — like a smartbot — to check in guests. In addition, there is more choice and optionality for upsell at the time of check-in," said Kevin Carl, a managing director with consultancy Alvarez & Marsal's AI-powered digital agency.
However, digital key is the main driver of contactless check-in. It's proven useful for specific traveler types and audiences.
"Contactless check-in is very positive for a large hotel where there may be long lines of people trying to check in at the same time during busy conventions," said David Sangree, president of Hotel & Leisure Advisors. "However, there are many people who still prefer to stop by the front desk and be greeted by a front-desk agent and receive a physical key," he said.
Digital key check-in has been in the Hilton portfolio for some time, said Spencer Atkinson, financial planning and analysis manager at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida. Guests also can choose upgrades during the digital check-in process. This feature helps generate additional revenue that might otherwise be missed.
"The digital advancements in check-ins have significantly improved both the efficiency and convenience of the process," Atkinson said. "Guests appreciate these enhancements because they offer greater control over their stay, allowing them to curate and manage their experience in a more personalized way."
Resorts and other full-service hotels typically see more guests who want to interact with human employees during the actual check-in process, but use contactless options for other elements of the stay.
Eliska Hesova, vice president of revenue and business development at Sonesta Resorts St. Maarten, said that there is an importance to the personal touch at check-in, particularly at a resort, but that online check-in is still an option and new choices for contactless check-in are available.
"Although we offer the convenience of online check-in, most of our guests still prefer the traditional experience at the front desk or lobby area," she said.
But even guests who prefer chatting with employees at check-in still use the app for other services — and that benefits employees as well.
The benefit for the properties is that they can provide guests with up-to-date data at their fingertips, streamline communication through a single point of distribution, and help the environment by going paperless, she said. New applications also help to remove the need to store printed registration cards or manually enter guest information.
"This technology streamlines the check-in process by eliminating these manual tasks, allowing us to focus more on providing personalized attention to our guests. The wristband not only identifies them as hotel guests but also replaces the traditional key card, allowing them to enjoy pool and beach activities without the hassle of keeping track of a key," Hesova said.
Monte Gardiner, vice president of business intelligence and ecommerce at BWH Hotels, said mobile check-in has been a mixed bag.
“Many hotel chains are making strides toward implementing mobile check-in, but success has been mixed, and overall adoption remains low," he said.
Hardware limitations play a significant role, as not all hotels are equipped with Bluetooth-enabled door locks, which are essential for facilitating mobile check-in. Additionally, the industry's fragmented door lock systems, with numerous providers and varying standards, make it difficult to enable this functionality consistently across all properties.
“Moreover, customer preferences remain a hurdle; many guests still favor the traditional keycard, though this preference is expected to shift with younger, more tech-savvy guests," he added.
The mobile app is just part of the total picture when it comes to aiding contactless check-in. It must work in harmony with various systems to create a seamless experience for guests, Gardiner added. In most cases, the mobile app itself is not the primary obstacle to implementation.
BWH Hotels is launching a program in early 2025 in partnership with one of its approved door lock vendors to address the hurdles Gardiner sees among its guests and hotels.
Josh Dow, vice president of hotel technology strategy and services at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said more adoption of mobile check-in means hotel staff can focus on other guest-facing tasks. And apps are evolving to benefit hotel owners as well, he said.
As part of the mobile check-in technology, guest information can be verified in advance, which also helps protect hotels from chargebacks. Guests are happier, and there is a more streamlined and operationally-efficient hotel.
"Digital keys are another area of opportunity within mobile apps, and I think we’ll continue to see more and more of this," he said.