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Self check-in for hostel guests

Front Desk Operations

Rucksack Brian started this discussion 11 years 4 months ago

St. Christopher’s Inns have implemented a self check-in process for guests.

Hostels come in from the dark ages – online check-in has arrived

…European hostel chain St Christopher’s Inn will allow customers to check-in to property before arrival.

The chain of hostels… will now offer a facility to manage a booking and check-in online (desktop or mobile) from within the customer’s booking registration.

Ancillary services are also kicking in as well, with guests able to book breakfast and other refreshments.

On arrival at the hostel, guests will no longer have to queue at the reception desk but will instead pick up their key and other materials from a kiosk.

What do you think of implementing self check-in in hostels? Would it be beneficial for streamlining hostel operations or would it reduce personal contact with the staff?

Would you implement self check-in in your hostel?

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uktrail

11 years

I'm all for automating as much as possible. But personal contact with the staff is one of the most important features of a hostel. After doing the check-in, the guest should be able immediately to speak to a staff member who will perhaps show them to their room, and answer diverse questions. In my opinion, the staff should be not just available but also evident around the hostel and socialising with the guests during the evening. And make sure that the automating is 100% reliable and 110% easy to use, or people could be greatly turned off.

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Hostellier

11 years

Seems kind of silly to me...Although I have been to a couple hostels where I had to wait like 45 minutes to finish checking in. I have no idea what the problem was because there was only a few people but they just seemed to have some kind of ridiculously time consuming check in process on their computer system. Didn't make much sense to me! We check in people in a matter of minutes... There is never much of a line up, certainly not enough to implement a self check in system like it's a busy supermarket.

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cmloechl

11 years

I think of a mix of both could be good, as uktrail is suggesting. If the admin side could be taken care of some automated way, you could still have the 2nd half of the check-in that many hostels do of 'Here's your key, not let me show you around and to your room'. Not all hostels do this part, but if the actual check in could be taken care of ahead of time, perhaps they would have more time to add this personalized approach.

I've seen several hostels in NZ and Oz that do self-check ins for late arrivals. It's usually some version of giving the guest the door code in a confirmation email/phone call, and then having an envelope waiting for them with the key and directions. In the morning they come in to fully check in. This isn't quite the same, but it doesn't seem to work. In which case, I don't see why some type of automation couldn't work for every check in, if combined with staff interaction.

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BananaDesk

11 years

I think some form of self-check for late arrives makes sense, depending on your security protocol. However, if efficiency is the issue to resolve during regular front desk check in, then work to be more efficient. Implement better front desk software; train your staff not to wait time and apologize for any delays; adjust how much interaction your staff use depending on how busy the front desk is. Don't give up staff interaction!

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Josh Hostels

11 years

I'd probably be okay with partial automation -- like being able to let the hostel know that I'm arriving -- but there should still be a lot of staff interaction.

The highest-rated hostel that I've ever stayed at intentionally had two receptionists checking us in, just so that we wouldn't feel ignored while the other person was typing the info into the computer.

I think that I'd have to see it in person before making up my mind. :)

Edit: maybe this kind of technology is more relevant to large hostels where the line at the front desk can stretch out the door for eight hours non-stop. Maybe one "floater" could personally welcome the guests in groups when they arrive. It would still have to be done well to avoid having the guests feeling like they are being "processed" in a dorm factory. Large hostels often feel like that anyway. A large hostel can have 50 people at the reception at once and it's pretty crazy. Maybe this would help reduce that problem in 200+ bed hostels.

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CraigD

11 years

I think with St Christopher's Hostels, their operations are that busy, anything that can be done to reduce the wait at reception to check in is a bonus.

The Self Check In / Pre Check In app they use is connected to their GuestCentrix PMS and GuestCentrix Hostel.Web software systems - the guest a few days before arrival gets a pre-arrival email prompting the user to complete as much information about themselves as possible, including the relevant id (passport / Euro ID etc etc).

When the guest arrives, instead of queuing to provide this information, the guest simply visits the Express Check In desk (still see's a real person on the desk)shows their ID and grabs the dorm or room key.

We have done development work to connect GuestCentrix PMS and Hostel.Web to several self check in kiosk solutions, however the seemingly prohibitive cost of the touch screen terminals themselves has so far prevented any of our hostel clients in taking that option.

The St Christopher's solution seems to be a more cost effective method to bypass the sometimes lengthy wait at the desk for check in.

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