Airbnb is rolling out a new feature today that will make check-in easier for guests and hosts alike.
Up until now, checking in to an Airbnb listing was one of the sloppiest, most human components of the Airbnb user flow. Hosts would point guests to their check-in instructions on their listing page, or send instructions to guests about how to get the key, notes about how to enter the building and listing, and other useful check-in information. In fact, Airbnb says that check-in was one of the primary uses for photos in Airbnb messages.
Given all the redundancy in messaging each individual guest, hosts started to create their own docs or PDFs with clear instructions to send to guests.
But Airbnb is finally stepping in with a helping hand. The company is today introducing an integrated check-in flow within the app and on the web that will show detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to check in to a listing for all hosts that opt-in to the feature. Airbnb will send an email three days before the guest’s trip with the same instructions.
This way, hosts can set up comprehensive check-in instructions that are sent to guests automatically instead of all the back-and-forth, copy-and-paste messaging they used before.
It’s a small update, but one that should make a big difference to hosts who use the home-sharing service frequently.