Traditional check-in desks are slowly becoming part of the past. Transitive check-in stations are revolutionizing the way guests are welcomed to a hotel or resort, providing a unique twist on classic hotel culture. Eventually, as hotels continue to look for additional ways of revenue generation, eliminating their regular check-in station altogether is beginning to look appealing and attainable with today’s technology.
“We want to be careful about where we draw the line between a great digital experience and the benefits of real human interaction,” Meg Prendergast, principal of The Gettys Group said.
Check-in stations that remain can accommodate a hotel’s atmosphere by transforming into other entities that can be used by guests to improve their stay, digitally or otherwise. The abilities of the check-in station depend on the need and aesthetic of the hotel setting.
“A transitive check-in station becomes much more part of the guest experience equation rather than just a process equation,” says Prendergast.
For guests who are traveling for economical, casual travel or simply are handheld savvy, a fully digitalized experience might be the preferred option. Attention to detail is very important to make these check-ins both easy, and positively memorable. Changing from a non-digital to a fully digitalized experience is getting simpler: With proper technology and tablets, guests can wirelessly check-in to an establishment with little to no assistance.
Keeping the branding of the hotel in mind is the key to having a successful transition. Guest interaction—or lack thereof—is the key for any transitive check-in. In a luxury level hotel where guests pay for the experience they receive, many expect that little something extra, such as someone to help craft their stay, or simply receiving a refreshment upon arrival. If a restful and roomy hotel hosts a more elegant transition, it might be off-putting for a guest who was expecting a more comfortable, richly layered experience.
The Gettys Group designed a hotel that showcased its main bar as the focal point in the lobby. Gettys thinks eventually, the current check-in areas will eventually be repositioned for better revenue producing areas such as meeting space, or communal work lounges. The bartenders will be able to both serve drinks, yet also serve as the primary center of the hotel for guest services.
Gettys is currently in design for a hotel where the brand story is that of southern hospitality; guests are checked in at a gracious front parlor table. It will be easily viable to put the tablets away and convert this area into a communal workspace for guest usage in less interactive times of the day. “Hotel brands and owners can determine the level of interaction that suits their guest profile; either at a centralized location, such as what is formally known as a front desk, or it can be pushed further out as part the guest experience in other areas,” Prendergast said.
Guests want a customized experience that caters to not only their needs but to their stay. Having a transitive or digital check-in helps the guest really feel, as Prendergast says, “that you start your experience at moment one of walking through the front doors.”
