Automatic Check-in Apartment: a simple and safe access in 2023

Automatic check-in apartment: what it is, when do we use it and how does it work?

We could define the automatic check-in for apartments or vacation rental as the series of softwares and processes which enable the guest to access the booked accommodation without the need of the personal presence of someone of the staff to welcome the customers, give the keys of the room/apartment, ask their papers, give them the information about the accommodations and the facilities.

How does an automatic check-in work?

Among the possibilities on the market, we could imagine a box, specifically placed near the entrance door of the accommodation, which contains the keys to open the door, this door could be opened thanks to a security code previously communicated to the guest. In fact the customer, having already received the access code by phone, will only have to enter it to get the keys.

A self check-in? Somehow yes.

Let’s put aside for a moment all the objections about the loss of humanity of all the reception processes linked to the field of Hospitality, the moment of highlighting the positive and the negative side of the self check-in still hasn’t come. For the moment we could limit ourselves to see it as an opportunity which, in some cases, could simplify the access of the guests to the accommodation.

In which cases do we use an automatic check-in apartment?

Often it is associated to accommodations like vacation rentals which don’t have a real reception opened 24/7 or a staff member available 24/7 to reach the place and open the apartment to the guests.

However, cases of hotel self check-in apartment are not uncommon for all the hotels which haven’t got a reception opened all day long but still want to find a way to welcome the guests even after the reception time.

Advantages and disadvantages of an automatic check-in for apartments

Going back for a moment to the previous objection: a self check-in process brings to loose the human trait typical of the world of Hospitality. Not by chance, the words of this field remind to the main concept of welcome/ hospitality ( the word Reception means in fact to welcome somebody).

The risk and the disadvantage of the self check-in is that the customer doesn’t have at all the feeling of being welcomed.

It is obvious that everything that is automatic, can’t be customized.
Therefore the guest could receive a series of messages or preset emails that could give him the feeling of being one of many.

In which cases do we use a self check-in?

However, the technology enables us to keep in constant touch with the customer to make him feeling still welcomed and attended.
Furthermore, in some cases the guest can’t wait to accelerate the check-in operations and access to the room as soon as possible.

Let’s think, for example, to an employee on a business trip, he spent all the day out and the only thing he wants is a hot shower and a bed to sleep on.

And again, let’s think about all the time a plane is late: the customers who were supposed to arrive at 4 pm, are suddenly obliged to check-in after midnight. In this case, having the possibility to turn a classic check-in into an automatic operation could only be an advantage, for the hotel and for the guest!

Of course, having already done all the check-in operations and received the access code on the smartphone will make him feeling happy!

Furthermore, given the pandemic situation we are living now, the self check-in operations contribute to limit the contact with people and to guarantee more safety during a difficult historical period which has brought down entire industries, including the Hospitality.

How can Octorate help you with the automatic check-in for apartments?

Going back to the example described before, the specific box near the entrance door of the apartment, containing the keys to open the door; it could be opened with a security code previously sent to the guest.

Octorate plays a key role because it enables you to customize the communication process with your guest. Well, the box and the safety code are words related to the provider chosen to manage the self check-in (in the next point you’ll find the list of softwares integrated with Octorate).

Thanks to the Web Concierge in fact you’ll be able to create templates to send to your guests, containing the access code to the accommodation, the general rules of the apartment and even a customized message for the guest. We agree, it isn’t like being at the reception face to face, but anyway it will make the communication less impersonal!

In addition, thanks to Octorate fast check-in (be careful, Fast, not Smart) your guests can fill out the registration form and upload their papers, accelerating the operations of registration and sending guest cards.

Best providers of automatic check-in for apartments

As we said, to take advantage of an automatic check-in in your apartment you only need to activate the service with a third party company which deals exclusively with this. Inside Octorate you’ll find a list of integrated partners which represent some of the best solutions of 2022 for the smart locks of your apartment. Thanks to them you can start to organize everything to activate the automatic check-in.

•  Chekin
•  OK Home
•  Vikey
•  Keesy
•  Nuki
• Chiavistello.it
• Ok Home

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