How to boost efficiency and guest happiness with hotel kiosks
As the hospitality industry continues to digitalize at pace, hotel owners and operators have increasing opportunities to enhance their guests' experience while optimizing operations.
Enter, stage left, hotel kiosks. Initially met with skepticism, the popularity of kiosks skyrocketed during the pandemic, when contact-free solutions became essential. Today, self-check-in and check-out kiosks are proving to be valuable tools, but they require careful planning and execution to maximize their potential.
This post was inspired by episode three of Matt Talks, a video series of hospitality insight and advice where Mews CEO, Matt Welle, explores the rise of hotel kiosks in detail.
The importance of check-in kiosks
Hotels have widely adopted online check-in via mobile phones, but self-check-in kiosks still have a crucial role to play in the guest journey. While one in three guests who book directly on hotel websites check in via their smartphones, only one in ten guests who booked through OTAs complete this process. Some travelers never receive email or SMS notifications, while others, especially in group bookings, may not be contactable via email at all.
Kiosks serve as a reliable solution for these gaps. Once a guest arrives at the hotel, a kiosk ensures that check-in can be completed efficiently – even issuing room keys or digital keys. For hotels without full digital key systems, kiosks can connect with key cutters to print key cards on the spot, offering a seamless, tech-enabled experience for guests. Kiosks can also reassign rooms in real time, ensuring that the guest receives a ready-to-use room, an advantage over pre-arrival online check-ins.
Ensuring successful kiosk implementation
While kiosks have proven their worth as a concept, not all real-world deployments are successful. Hoteliers need to avoid common pitfalls such as poor placement. For instance, if the kiosk is hidden away from the lobby's main flow, guests will naturally gravitate toward the reception desk, defeating the purpose of the kiosk.
To prevent this, hotels should make the kiosk highly visible, with clear signage and easy access. Kiosks should be integrated into the lobby design as a focal point, making them the primary check-in option. Zedwell in London provide the perfect example. With no reception desk, the entire lobby revolves around a bank of Mews Kiosks, and staff are present to assist if needed. Hey Lou, a German hotel group, is another leader here; it takes less than two minutes to check in via their bank of Mews Kiosks. Read more here.
Tailoring kiosk use to your hotel type
Not all hotels will deploy kiosks in the same way. Depending on the property type, the size of the investment and the level of automation can vary. Here are some examples of how different hotel segments can benefit from kiosks:
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Limited-service leisure hotels
For small, leisure-focused properties with fewer than 50 rooms, efficiency is key. Kiosks help these properties to automate basic processes, allowing staff to be more flexible, whether assisting in the breakfast room or at the bar. Hotels in this segment, especially those that target budget-conscious travelers, can make the most out of their stretched staff by implementing kiosks to handle routine check-ins. -
Business-focused hotels
City-center hotels that cater to business travelers often need to provide a quick and frictionless check-in experience. Kiosks are ideal for this segment as they streamline the process and ensure that guests spend less time waiting. The Social Hub, for instance, balances self-service kiosks with staffed islands, allowing business travelers to check in quickly while offering assistance when needed. -
Full-service hotels
In larger properties with more amenities such as pools, restaurants and meeting spaces, kiosks can complement the full-service experience. While luxury hotels may not rely heavily on kiosks due to the need for personalized service, mid-range full-service hotels can use them to handle straightforward check-ins while staff focus on upselling and guest engagement. -
High volume, low-cost properties
For budget hotels with high occupancy, kiosks can be set up to handle 100% of check-ins, as seen with some highway motels. Some even employ a fully automated system, with kiosks outside the door ensuring that only checked-in guests enter the building.
Advantages of kiosks
Convenience and efficiency are two hugely compelling reasons to implement kiosks at your property. However, the benefits don’t stop there:
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Seamless upselling
Kiosks can be configured to offer upsell opportunities, such as room upgrades or breakfast options, just like at fast-food outlets where customers often spend more at the kiosk than at the counter. -
24/7 availability
Kiosks operate around the clock, ensuring that guests arriving late or during off-peak hours can still check in without needing staff assistance. -
Payment flexibility
Guests can complete outstanding payments directly at the kiosk, ensuring that any billing issues are resolved before they head to their room.
A balance of efficiency and service
Self-check-in kiosks are not a one-size-fits-all solution. They must be thoughtfully integrated into each hotel’s operations and lobby design to be successful. Whether you're running a budget hotel looking to maximize staff flexibility, or a business hotel needing to streamline guest arrivals, kiosks can enhance both the guest experience and operational efficiency.
With Mews Kiosk, hotels have the flexibility to meet their guests' needs while staying ahead of industry trends. By embracing the potential of kiosks, hoteliers can provide a faster, smoother check-in process, leading to happier guests and improved bottom lines.
About Mews
Mews is the leading platform for the new era of hospitality. Powering over 5,500 customers across more than 85 countries, Mews Hospitality Cloud is designed to streamline operations for modern hoteliers, transform the guest experience and create more profitable businesses. Customers include BWH Hotels, Strawberry, The Social Hub and Airelles Collection. Mews was named Best PMS (2024) and listed among the Best Places to Work in Hotel Tech (2021, 2022, 2024) by Hotel Tech Report, as well as World's Best Hotel PMS Provider (2023) and World's Best Independent Hotel PMS Provider (2022, 2023, 2024) by World Travel Tech Awards. Mews won the Top 250 Golden Scaler Award in 2024, given to the fastest growing company in the Netherlands, and most recently, was awarded the Tech Hero 2024 Award at CIODAY. Mews has raised $335 million from investors including Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Kinnevik and Revaia to transform hospitality.
