What are the steps of a hotel check-in?
Here is the whole procedure in seven steps. Print it and keep it at the desk.
- Greet the guest by name if you know it, and offer a seat or water if there is a wait.
- Find the booking in the system by name, booking number or phone number.
- Check the ID and make sure the name matches the booking.
- Register the guest with the details your property and local rules require.
- Settle payment: collect any balance or deposit, or confirm it is already paid.
- Confirm the room is ready, then hand over the key or code.
- Brief the guest: Wi-Fi, breakfast, check-out time, and how to reach the desk.
Most check-ins go wrong at step 2 or step 6. The booking is not where the receptionist expects, or the room was never released by housekeeping. The prep below fixes both before the guest walks in.
How should the desk prepare before guests arrive?
Good check-ins are decided an hour before the guest arrives. Spend a few minutes on this short routine after lunch:
- Pull today's arrival list from the booking system. Note arrival times where guests gave them.
- Check balances due. Mark who has paid in full, who owes a balance, and who owes a deposit.
- Check room status with housekeeping. Which rooms are ready, which are still being cleaned?
- Read the notes on each booking: twin beds, baby cot, late arrival, special occasion.
- Prepare keys or codes for rooms that are ready.
A wider morning check of every booking is covered in how to check hotel bookings before arrival. The message you send before arrival, with directions and payment details, starts from our pre-arrival message template.
How does the 7-step check-in work at the desk?
Each step has one goal. Keep the goal in mind and the script can stay flexible.
Step 1: greet the guest
Stand up, smile and say hello before you look at the screen. If you are on the phone, raise a hand and finish the call quickly. A guest who waits without being noticed starts the stay annoyed.
Step 2: find the booking
Search by surname first, then by booking number, then by phone number. OTA bookings sometimes carry a different spelling. If you cannot find it after three searches, move to the "booking not found" steps further down. Do not hand out a room from memory.
Step 3: check the ID
Look at the ID card or passport and compare the name with the booking. For guests sharing a room, check the ID of each adult if your house rules require it.
Step 4: register the guest
Fill in the registration card or the guest record in your system. Record only what you need: name, contact number, ID type and number, nationality, dates, and a signature if you use paper cards.
Step 5: settle payment
Check what the system says is paid. Collect any balance or deposit now, and record the payment against the booking straight away. The table further down shows what to check for each booking source.
Step 6: confirm the room and hand over the key
Check that housekeeping has released the room. If it is not ready, do not hand over the key and hope. Use the "room not ready" steps instead. When it is ready, give the key or code and the room number quietly, so others in the lobby do not hear it.
Step 7: brief the guest
Give the three things every guest asks later: the Wi-Fi password, breakfast time and place, and check-out time. Then tell them how to reach the desk. Mark the booking as checked in.
What should you record from local and foreign guests?
The registration card protects you and the guest. It shows who is in each room and how to reach them.
For Indonesian guests, most properties record the KTP number. For foreign guests, they record the passport number and nationality. Registration rules for foreign guests can change by area, so confirm the current requirement with your local authority.
Treat these records as personal data. Indonesia's Personal Data Protection Law (No. 27 of 2022) covers details such as full name and nationality.
In practice, that means three habits. Keep paper cards and ID copies out of sight of other guests. Do not send ID photos around in personal chat groups. And decide who on the team may open the records.
How should the desk handle payment for each booking source?
The payment step changes with where the booking came from. Keep this table at the desk. It describes common patterns only. Always trust what your system shows for the booking in front of you.
| Booking source | Usually already paid? | What the desk checks | What the desk collects | Enter in the system before the key goes out? |
|---|
| OTA, prepaid | Often yes | Booking number, name, dates, room type | Extras and any deposit your policy sets | Already in; mark checked in |
| OTA, pay at the property | No | Booking number and the rate shown | The full balance | Already in; record the payment |
| Direct, website or payment link | Depends | Payment status in the system | Any balance left | Already in; record the payment |
| WhatsApp or phone | Often partly | Is the booking really in the calendar? | The balance | Yes, if it is missing, enter it now |
| Walk-in | No | Is a room free right now? | Full payment and any deposit | Yes, always, before the key |
For payment methods, many Indonesian guests prefer QRIS. It is Bank Indonesia's national QR standard, and one QRIS code takes payment from any participating app, according to Bank Indonesia. If a guest pays a deposit, explain when and how it comes back.
What should the desk do when check-in does not go to plan?
Most exceptions repeat. Write down the answer once and the desk stops improvising.
The room is not ready. Offer to store bags, share the Wi-Fi password, and give a realistic time. Ask housekeeping to move that room to the front of the queue. If you offer early check-in as a paid extra, follow your written policy. Our guide to stay extensions and who can approve them helps you set that policy.
A walk-in guest. Check the calendar, quote the rate and take payment. Then enter the booking in the system before the key goes out. A walk-in booking that is not entered right away can let the same room sell again online.
The booking cannot be found. Ask for the confirmation email or message. Check the spelling, the dates and other properties with similar names. If it is a real booking you missed, enter it now. If it is not, and you have a free room, treat it as a walk-in.
A late-night arrival. Agree in advance who lets the guest in after hours, and leave the key, the registration card and the Wi-Fi details ready. Note it in the shift handover so nobody is surprised.
Two guests, one room. This is an incident, not a check-in step. Follow what to do when a guest is double-booked, and use our guide to stopping double bookings afterwards.
Who does what at check-in?
Check-in looks like a desk job, but three people touch it. Agree who owns each piece. For the rest of the desk's day, see hotel front office operations.
| Task | Desk | Housekeeping | Owner or manager |
|---|
| Arrival list and balances | Prepares it | Receives it | Reviews big balances |
| Room ready signal | Waits for it | Gives it | Steps in if rooms run late |
| ID and registration | Does it | None | Sets the rules |
| Payment and deposit | Collects and records | None | Approves exceptions |
| Room not ready | Looks after the guest | Moves the room up | Approves any offer |
| Walk-ins | Enters before the key | Prepares the room | Sets the walk-in rate |
Printable check-in checklist:
- Arrival list printed or open, balances marked
- Room status checked with housekeeping
- Guest greeted and booking found
- ID checked, name matches
- Registration complete
- Payment or deposit collected and recorded
- Room confirmed ready, key or code handed over
- Wi-Fi, breakfast and check-out time explained
- Booking marked checked in
At shift change, list any guest still expected in the handover note. Our front desk handover checklist has a format.
How does Kiyo support check-in?
Kiyo puts every booking source in one calendar, so step 2 starts from one place. On mobile, the day view and the Bookings 'Today' list show the day's arrivals by name, and the desktop dashboard shows the counts. Outstanding payments show in the 'Payments Due' widget on the dashboard. A booking marked "payment pending" means the room is already held while the guest's details and payment come through.
If a balance is open, you can send a payment link from Kiyo before the guest reaches the desk. Payment links and guest emails are on every plan. The guest portal editor, also on every plan, keeps Wi-Fi and house information in one page you can share.
When the desk enters a walk-in, the room locks on all connected channels within milliseconds. Kiyo connects to 75+ booking channels on every plan.
Kiyo is live and open to all properties, and we set it up with you over WhatsApp or a demo call. Pricing starts from Rp40k per room per month; the pricing page slider gives your exact figure.
Frequently asked questions
An ID card (KTP) or passport, and the booking confirmation. Some properties also ask for a deposit. Each property sets its own rules, so state them in the confirmation.
Most properties say no, because the registration card needs an ID number. Set a clear house rule, write it in your confirmation message, and follow any local requirement.
Store the bags, give the Wi-Fi password and a realistic time, and ask housekeeping to clean that room next. Never hand over a key to a room that has not been released.
Many do, to cover extras or damage. If you take one, explain the amount, the method and when it is returned, and record it against the booking.
Check that a room is free, quote the rate, take payment, then enter the booking in your system before handing over the key. That way the room stops selling on other channels.
Aim for a few minutes per guest. Prep makes the difference: if the booking, balance and room status are checked before arrival, the desk only has to confirm them.
Ask for the confirmation, check spellings and dates, and confirm the guest is at the right property. If it is a missed booking, enter it now. If it is not, treat it as a walk-in.
Early check-in means giving the guest their room before the standard check-in time. Offer it only when the room is ready, and follow your written policy on whether it is free or paid.
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