Check-In with FLEXIPASS
For most hotels, the guest experience rises or falls in the first ten minutes. With Malta setting an August 2025 record of 470,643 inbound tourists (+11.5% YoY), pressure on arrivals is only rising. Long before a room is seen or a pillow is tested, the lobby sets the tone—and too often, the tone is set by a queue. That single line at reception ripples into satisfaction scores, operational costs, and even sustainability targets. This post unpacks the common pain points before adopting digital keys, and shows how FLEXIPASS, integrated with SALTO, turns them into measurable wins.
The Pre-Digital Reality
Queue-driven dissatisfaction. Check-in congestion is more than an inconvenience; it sets expectations. Presenting IDs, confirming details, processing payments and encoding plastic cards creates a “time-starved” feeling that colours the entire stay.
Front-desk bottlenecks. When teams are stuck in repetitive admin—re-keying data or fixing mis-encoded cards—they can’t do what humans do best: welcome, anticipate, resolve.
Plastic keycards = cost + waste. Between procurement, failures, loss, demagnetisation and reissues, cards add up. They also clash with ESG goals and first-impression optics.
Lost revenue moments. If your first meaningful touchpoint is a physical desk, you’ve already missed low-friction pre-arrival upsells (parking, breakfast, late checkout, upgrades).
Process gaps. Manual bridges between PMS, payments and access control invite delays, errors and auditing headaches.
A Practical Fix: FLEXIPASS Webkeys + SALTO
What it is.
FLEXIPASS delivers secure, time-bound Webkeys to guests—no app download required. Guests receive a verified link or wallet pass that opens doors via their phone. On the hardware side, it integrates with SALTO electronic locks and access platforms (e.g., SALTO SPACE/KS), giving you an enterprise-grade foundation.
Why it matters.
- App-less convenience: “Please download an app” kills adoption. Webkeys remove friction, so more guests use digital access on day one.
- Shorter lines, happier guests: Moving ID/payment steps upstream and issuing keys digitally reduces peak-time queues and lifts satisfaction in the crucial first ten minutes.
- Fewer reissues, fewer interruptions: Digital keys don’t demagnetise or vanish in pockets, cutting lockouts and reactive firefighting.
- ESG signal, not just savings: Eliminating plastic cards trims costs and waste while sending a visible sustainability message at the exact moment first impressions form.
- Revenue inside the journey: With pre-arrival digital touchpoints in place, you can present relevant add-ons before decision fatigue sets in.
How It Fits Into Your Stack
- Locks/Controllers: SALTO
- Access Platform: SALTO SPACE or SALTO KS (property dependent)
- Digital Key Layer: FLEXIPASS Webkeys (secure link or wallet pass)
- Guest-Journey Add-ons: Pre-arrival check-in, payments, messaging, surveys—triggered alongside key issuance
This “one web link → one key” model is easy for guests and quick for teams. It also standardises auditing: who arrived, when, and with which entitlements (late checkout, partner perks), with far fewer manual steps.
What to Measure from Day One
- Average peak queue time: aim for a meaningful reduction in the first month.
- Digital-key adoption rate: track by segment and channel.
- Lockouts/reissues per 100 stays: expect a downward trend as Webkeys replace plastic.
- Front-desk task mix: more time on welcomes/resolutions, less on encoding/replacing cards.
- Plastic card spend & waste: quantify the cut for ESG reporting.
- Pre-arrival upsell conversion: parking, late checkout, breakfast, room upgrades.
Implementation Notes
- Start hybrid (digital + limited plastic) for a soft landing; taper plastic as adoption rises.
- Script the arrival: signage and pre-arrival comms that explain “No app—just tap.”
- Train for exceptions (no smartphone, low battery) with simple fallbacks.
- Confirm PMS/payment integrations and test the offline/opening behaviours you require.
The First Impression That Keeps Paying Dividends
Moving from plastic to FLEXIPASS Webkeys on SALTO isn’t about gadgets; it’s about reclaiming time where it matters most. Done well, it shortens lines, lifts satisfaction, reduces operational noise, trims waste and creates a clean lane for pre-arrival revenue. Most importantly, it re-centres your people on hospitality: eye contact over paperwork, welcome over workflow.
