Faster check-in thanks to iDIN
A hotel that does everything in its power to make guests feel comfortable shouldn’t have a long line at the reception desk. Valk Exclusief found the key: self-check-in and self-check-out. With the help of Rabo Identity Services’ iDIN.
Luxurious and affordable
The more than 40 Valk Exclusief locations in the Netherlands offer the luxury and atmosphere of a five-star hotel for an affordable price. “Our guests enjoy modern hotel rooms and contemporary restaurants with culinary menus”, says Gerard Schomaker of Valk Digital, the online company behind Valk Exclusief.
Serving guests faster
In short, they’ve thought of everything to make the guests’ stay as pleasant as possible. And that included the check-in process. Gerard Schomaker: “To serve our guests even faster, we introduced self-check-in. Guests can check in to the hotel online and via the Valk Exclusief app even before they arrive. That way, they don’t have to stand in line at the reception desk, and the receptionists have even more time for the guest.”
Check in via bank account
To check in, guests have to identify themselves with a passport, driver’s license or Rabo Identity Services’ iDIN. Schomaker: “That’s a collaborative effort of all the banks in the Netherlands, which in addition to secure payments via iDEAL, have also developed a secure environment for logging in via the bank environment.”
Just like at the airport
Schomaker describes the process that the guests go through: “This works the same way as picking a seat in an airplane. Guests can provide their preferences based on the room type reservation. For example, close to the lift, or on the ground floor. Then the guest can pick a room number that best suits their preferences. We also arrange payment online, including any deposits for the room and extra restaurant expenses. Finally, the self-check-in asks whether the guest would like to receive a digital room key via the Valk Exclusief app or a key from the reception desk. On the departure date, the guest receives an e-mail or notification in the Valk Exclusief app. The guest can also view the bill in the app. Once everything has been paid for, the guest can check out without hassle by leaving the hotel through the reception desk.”
Future developments
Valk Exclusief will continue developing self-check-in and check-out. Schomaker: “A possible feature is offering guests a welcome beverage in the form of a digital voucher in the app. Then they don’t have to collect a paper voucher from the reception desk. We’re also closely following international developments in the area of digital room keys. In the future, hotel guests will be able to put their room key in their iPhone wallet. At the moment, we’re testing the self-check-in kiosk. When there’s a line at the reception desk, guests who haven’t gone through the self-check-in process can do it via the kiosk instead. We’re constantly working on new ways to offer guests the most optimal and hospitable stay at our hotel.”