Checking in to a hotel at a self-service kiosk?

[OATEK]

We stayed at Citybox Oslo back in January, and the self service worked just fine. But it was a LCH (Low Cost Hotel) and they made much of how it reduced the threat of covid!?! It was only for one night on the way to Lilliehammer. But I would expect face-to-face in a more upmarket hotel.

 

[Eastwick20]

I guess you could argue as well that tired road warriors would generally appreciate a quick check in via a self service kiosk over someone looking for a "luxury" experience though the expectation would have to be at least a choice offered in a 5 star property.

 

[Happy Dude]

Some regional hotels have done away with Reception and now just provide a combination to a key box, same as AirBnB. Just call a number if you need anything.

 

[Seat0B]

The thing is, and this was 15+ years ago, before self service was implemented, for years at our local Woolworths you would typically have to wait 5-10 mins at checkout. This was just at normal staffing levels, and was like this for as long as I remember. Once self service was introduced you basically didn't have to wait long at all, either at self serve or at the staffed check-ins. Win-win. Interestingly, jumping forward to more recent times, at my local supermarket in SIngapore checkout has been much quicker since they introduced a self serve option about 6-7 years ago.

It's definitely not win-win at my local Woolworths in Canberra or in Jindabyne, where there is now a long wait - at least 5-10 minutes - to use the self check outs . If I have to wait that long, I'd rather be served by a human.

 

[dajop]

It's definitely not win-win at my local Woolworths in Canberra or in Jindabyne, where there is now a long wait - at least 5-10 minutes - to use the self check outs . If I have to wait that long, I'd rather be served by a human.

There's probably a tipping point, right? Where the balance was lost and far to much on the side of self serve check out. When the regular conveyor style checkouts became self-serve, it was evident that they'd really lost the plot.

But you've got to remember how important it is. Those poor impoverished executives would be struggling without it.

 

[Seat0B]

just checked in at Ibis Melbourne Central and was surprised that the default option is now a kiosk, rather than talking to a person.

I entered my name into the kiosk and it came up with my details, asked me to swipe my credit card and printed out a receipt & room key. The machine even tried to upsell me breakfast for $150 (I’m only staying 2 nights - no thanks at that price )

I haven't seen this before at a hotel that wasn't something like a capsule hotel. Is this a new trend and what do AFF members think of it?

We stayed at this hotel in June 2024 and were equally surprised that the check in was at a kiosk. There were no staff to assist with this process either. I've experienced this before in Japan, with mixed results - see my description of the absolutely farcical self check in at Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand at Handeda Airport in January 2023 described in my TR (excerpt below)






So it was with some trepidation I tackled it in the Ibis. I had 2 rooms booked, partially paid with loyalty reward points. I did not need an early check in or late check out, so I thought it might not be too bad. Wrong. It charged me the full price for both rooms and did not recognise my use of loyalty points to pre-pay part of the bill. There was no one there to help, so I just had to suck it up and pay in full, knowing I would now have to chase it up afterwards. Which I duly did. Plus, my stay loyalty reward points were not added to my account after the stay. It was sorted out relatively painlessly by the helpful assistant manager after I emailed my issues, but it really should not have come to that and should not require the customer to take steps to follow up.

So overall, no, I am not a fan of kiosk check in. I have had better experiences with kiosk check in at Daiwa Roynet (business hotel chain) in Japan, but it's a kind of hybrid - they have staff standing by the machines to help, and you have to go to the check in counter for some things like breakfast vouchers being stamped.

 

[MARTINE]

There's probably a tipping point, right? Where the balance was lost and far to much on the side of self serve check out. When the regular conveyor style checkouts became self-serve, it was evident that they'd really lost the plot.

But you've got to remember how important it is. Those poor impoverished executives would be struggling without it.

I think the speed of processing groceries (human v self-serve) is also a function of many other variables.
1- no of items in the trolley (have seen the full groaning trolley Xmas Eve at self serve which is allowed but slows the process).
2- If the self-serve becomes the local community day when Jon/Joan/their kids and their cousins congregate to catch up it slows things down.

Like all things -its a balance.

 

[drron]

@Seat0B I think your experience at the Villa Fontaine Grand got them thinking. We have stayed 3 times this year and each time they have had staff to help. I admit on the last occasion I deliberately made a mistake so the staff member did it all.

 

[Himeno]

I don't recall having seen self serve check in at any hotels I've been to outside Japan.
Only seen them at a few hotels I've been to in Japan (Shinagawa, Ueno, Yokohama, Numazu), and have only used them once for check in. Staff have been happy to do it themselves otherwise.
Have used the kisoks to check out.

During a stopover in London many years ago, I was at a Sainsbury's when someone joined the check out line and shortly started screaming about there being "no service" because they chose to enter the self serve line.
A few weeks ago the morning after the CrowdStrike IT crash, the only check outs operating at work were 2 of the self serves. The full service lanes were in the middle of rebooting as the fix was being applied. A customer refused to use them, even though staff offered to do it for them

It's definitely not win-win at my local Woolworths in Canberra or in Jindabyne, where there is now a long wait - at least 5-10 minutes - to use the self check outs . If I have to wait that long, I'd rather be served by a human.

They are meant to call people to help on the checkouts when the line is more then "2 deep" (one person being served, one waiting). If there is a 3rd person in line waiting, either the service manager/supervisor isn't paying attention or the people they are calling are refusing/unable to come. (unless every check out was already open or every check out trained staff member in the store was already on one)

 

[p--and--t]

I don't recall having seen self serve check in at any hotels I've been to outside Japan.
Only seen them at a few hotels I've been to in Japan (Shinagawa, Ueno, Yokohama, Numazu), and have only used them once for check in. Staff have been happy to do it themselves otherwise.
Have used the kisoks to check out.

During a stopover in London many years ago, I was at a Sainsbury's when someone joined the check out line and shortly started screaming about there being "no service" because they chose to enter the self serve line.
A few weeks ago the morning after the CrowdStrike IT crash, the only check outs operating at work were 2 of the self serves. The full service lanes were in the middle of rebooting as the fix was being applied. A customer refused to use them, even though staff offered to do it for them

They are meant to call people to help on the checkouts when the line is more then "2 deep" (one person being served, one waiting). If there is a 3rd person in line waiting, either the service manager/supervisor isn't paying attention or the people they are calling are refusing/unable to come. (unless every check out was already open or every check out trained staff member in the store was already on one)

[OT] Certainly doesn't apply at our local Coles. 8-10 people queued to use self checkouts. Two manual checkouts open with queues. Four manual checkouts unstaffed. Plenty of staff in the store wandering around or stocking shelves.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Kiosks are standard at places like Premier Inn in the UK. Still plenty of staff, but they are doing other things like looking after guests! So quick and easy to use the kiosk.

Same with supermarkets. Aldi doesn’t have many kiosks in Victoria, compared to say NSW. Same number of cashier staff in both states, but in NSW i’m in and out in 5 minutes. In victoria I often out things back on the shelves once I see the queue.

Those wanting interaction are free to wait… behind the people that don’t have cards and seem *amazed* at the end of ringing up all the items when the cashier asks them to pay. Oh… let’s fumble around in our bags, let’s find out purse/wallet, let’s get some money out, let’s count it out. I mean… how is that so surprising, and why don’t you have your wallets out ready??

So anyway… you might have guessed, a vote FOR kiosks here

 

[VPS]

I think the Ibis in Cambridge UK earlier this year was self checkin but people hovering around