Self check-in done well
Self check-in gives guests freedom to arrive when they like. It only feels welcoming if it works the first time, every time, and someone answers when it does not.
Directions that start before the door
Most self check-in problems happen before the guest touches the lock: the wrong entrance, an unmarked gate, a building with several doors, parking that is not obvious. Describe the last few hundred metres of the journey with photos — the street, the entrance, the key box or keypad — taken from where the guest will actually be standing.
Choose access you can rely on
Key boxes, keypads and smart locks all work when they are maintained. Whatever you use:
- Change codes regularly, and ideally for every stay.
- Check batteries on a schedule, not when they run out.
- Make sure the lock can be used in the dark and in the rain.
- Keep a second way in that someone local can use.
Send instructions at the right time
Send the full arrival instructions a few days before the stay, and a short reminder on the day with the code and the contact number. Guests travelling often check messages on their phone in a car park or a station; keep the reminder short enough to read there.
A human who answers
Self check-in does not mean no host. Guests should have one number to call or message, and someone should answer quickly during the arrival window. A lockout at night, with no answer, is the kind of experience that ends up in the first line of a review.
Still welcome them
A short message after arrival — "Hope you found everything; let us know if you need anything" — and the welcome touches inside the home make up for the absence of a face at the door. See creating a warm welcome.