A South Florida hotel is facing backlash, after a guest reported that their check-in was processed remotely, via an outsourced video call…
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La Quinta by Wyndham remote check-in experience
There’s a video going viral about a practice used by the La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Sunrise, Florida (much of the coverage incorrectly refers to this as a hotel in Miami, but that’s not the case). In a video that has been viewed millions of times, a man films the setup in the hotel’s lobby, where there’s a monitor with a sign above it, reading “Check In & Out Here.”
An outsourced representative appears on the screen, who conducts the check-in by video call. The representative is heard asking how many room keys the guest wants, and then asks the guest to sign on the screen with his finger. As he signs, an automated voice mentions that the hotel has a policy of no smoking, no pets, and no visitors.
Interestingly, the hotel’s website has a picture of a reception desk, though either that’s just not staffed anymore, or the area has been redesigned.
Recent TripAdvisor reviews of the hotel are overwhelmingly negative. The most recent review gives the hotel a one-star rating, and reads as follows:
DO NOT STAY AT THIS PROPERTY! The hotel is dirty inside and out and you will not be able to find an employee at the property. Had to check in and out via kiosk with an agent in Sri Lanka.
The next most recent hotel also gives a one-star rating:
Hotel is a pigsty. NOT HANDICAP ACCESIBLE IN ANY WAY- starting with the hotel front door that would not open and was super heavy and hard to keep open. The whole bathroom with broken tiles for a handicapped accesible room, room door didn’t close without forcing. No frontdesk clerk- just a machine. Curtains in a first floor would not close- had to use a hanger to close. No rack to place luggage- had to place them in the floor. When asked for manager… worst customer service!!! This is a first and last time for me… NOTHING GOOD about this place- only nice person was a cleaning lady!!!
Wyndham has commented on this situation, claiming that this is a franchised property, and that this practice doesn’t meet brand guidelines:
“We are aware of this matter and are actively investigating. This is a franchised location, meaning the hotel is independently owned and operated, and as such, we don’t control staffing. That said, this franchisee’s use of this equipment is not brand approved nor is it being marketed to other franchisees. Further, our brand standards require hotels to have a team member physically stationed at the front desk at all times.”
Despite that claim, this isn’t the first time that a Wyndham property has done this. Earlier in the year, a guest at the Baymont by Wyndham Bonita Springs reported a similar setup. So if this is in violation of Wyndham’s policies, the company isn’t doing a good job enforcing rules.
Does this cross the line for the hospitality industry?
There’s no denying that so many travel companies are always looking to cut costs, especially with staffing, and at times it can be hard to decide what’s a reasonable cost cutting exercise, and what isn’t.
For example, it’s incredibly common to deal with outsourced call centers when interacting with travel brands, including hotels. As a World of Hyatt Globalist member, I recently shared my awful experience with Hyatt’s new outsourced call center, where the representative was beyond clueless (which wasn’t her fault, but it’s due to a lack of training).
Similarly, we’ve seen some hotels introduce self check-in kiosks, where guests go through the check-in process themselves, and multiple kiosks are just supervised by an agent. It’s basically the same as the airline check-in model.
What we’re seeing at this La Quinta property seems to be a combination of those two practices — you have an outsourced agent overseeing a (mostly) self check-in experience.
Personally, I think the biggest concern with this kind of situation is safety. Is there actually someone on-property who could assist guests in the event that there’s an emergency? What happens if you call the front desk? I would assume (hope?) that the property still has 24/7 security to oversee everything, or else this seems like a major liability.
Obviously I’m not a fan of this policy, and I think this is terrible service. At the same time, we’re talking about a two-star La Quinta, which is just about the most basic accommodation you could get, while still getting a (hopefully) clean room.
Bottom line
A La Quinta hotel in Florida is getting quite a bit of negative publicity for its check-in experience, whereby an outsourced agent on a video monitor virtually checks in guests. Wyndham claims that this practice violates the company’s policy, though it also appears that this isn’t the only Wyndham property to be doing something like this.
What do you make of this outsourced, virtual check-in concept?
I wonder how many of the commenters here opposing being checked-in by a remote worker love love love their post-covid work from home arrangements and would throw a hysterical fit if they were told to return to their work environment for in-person work. Elon Musk rightly called out this post-covid professional hypocrisy.
@Ben, are you going to address the racist comments?
I abhor the clearly racist comments and agree that some people's reaction is based on race not the actual issue at hand. However, I don't think Ben should be put in a position of determining which comments to publish and which to not. First of all, it puts him in a terrible no win position. Second, we have, at least for now, free speech. Awful as it may be, a hateful ignorant jerk has the right to be a hateful ignorant jerk.
In a couple of years it will be an AI avatar…and doing a lot client facing jobs. Have fun with that!
With the current state of the hospitality industry, I'm curious if they asked for a tip after check-in was completed? :p
"User technology fee"
I’m getting a bit sick and tired with hotels attempting to hide under their “it’s a franchise location” excuse. The sign out front says it’s a La Quinta Inn and Suites by Wyndham. The guest doesn’t know or need to know that the dump is owned and operated by Bobs Sleezy Hotels Florida. There’s no need for Wyndham to explain that it’s a franchise location. Their name is on the door. They’re responsible.
When I check in I'm tired and just want to get checked in quickly. If the hotel could have a German Shepherd accomplish that I'd say woof. Now what would be problematic are questions I usually have for the front desk if I've not stayed there before:
1. Guest laundry onsite?
2. Ice machine on the floor?
3. If an airport hotel with a shuttle do I need to be put on the shuttle in advance?
That's about it.
Now they're just working out how to make the housekeeping virtual as well.
Such a pathetic example of something being disguised as innovation, but actually being a display of laziness and cost cutting. This is why many people are mad at big companies
Will the agent follow the typical call center script?
"I am very happy to assist to you for providing keys for you and your party. How many keys do you desire?"
I need two.
"Yes, thank you for advising me that you desire two keys to your room at this hotel. We recognize that you may wish to grant access to another member in your party and I am very happy to...
Will the agent follow the typical call center script?
"I am very happy to assist to you for providing keys for you and your party. How many keys do you desire?"
I need two.
"Yes, thank you for advising me that you desire two keys to your room at this hotel. We recognize that you may wish to grant access to another member in your party and I am very happy to assist you in that as here at Wyndham we understand that you may wish to share your hotel stay with the other person on your reservation."
"Wyndham has commented on this situation, claiming that this is a franchised property, and that this practice doesn’t meet brand guidelines"
LMAO @ the notion of brand guidelines at Wyndham properties.
Hello Saar.
I stayed at a hotel in Brussels last year that didn’t even have virtual staff. The next morning the hotel lost power (while I was out for a walk). I was locked out of the property (in the rain) for well over an hour. It wasn’t until another guest walked out when I was able to get inside. My only communication was via a chat box. After getting more and more frustrated, I packed up and left and checked into a new hotel. Totally ridiculous.
All this place is missing is some ceiling weiner art.
I don’t need a front desk to get me checked into a room. I do need someone there to deal with issues like an inoperable tv set, random maintenance issues, or if I need extra toilet paper once housekeeping has gone home for the day.
At least you can speak to a real person. Its better than a kiosk.
I'd rather deal with a Kiosk over an indian.
Not that its acceptable, but that's a Sri Lankan...a completely different country, ethnicity, and culture. You racist bigot.
How about Sonder Hotels? those are completely unstaffed.
In 2022 I booked a two night stay through Chase's portal, got charged in advance, but when arrived to the hotel at midnight, just found a locked door with an "Emergency number" on the door in a remote call center that only attended emergencies, checking in was not considered an emergency as I was supposed to do it on an app in advance, took me a 2...
How about Sonder Hotels? those are completely unstaffed.
In 2022 I booked a two night stay through Chase's portal, got charged in advance, but when arrived to the hotel at midnight, just found a locked door with an "Emergency number" on the door in a remote call center that only attended emergencies, checking in was not considered an emergency as I was supposed to do it on an app in advance, took me a 2 hour call during midnight to address the situation with Chase, nobody sent me the app-based check in procedure in advance.
I'm not sure how this is materially different than checking into my Hilton room via the app and using my phone as a key, except that the outsourced kiosk probably takes longer and results in more mistakes.
The key difference is that Hilton digital check-in is an option, whereas in this case you must use this nonsense. I would be very happy if more hotels offered self-service check-in/check-out kiosks (which I find much better than apps - they can issue physical keys, verify identity where needed etc), but the "old school option" should always remain available.
tbh I feel like "takes longer and results in more mistakes" is my main gripe. If I'm going to be tapping away at this screen anyway don't make me talk to anyone
Something similar happened in Toronto a while ago, although it was a salad/wrap restaurant. You had to place your order through the webcam kiosk (I believe the agent was also in India), so the shop only had to hire one person to assemble the wraps/pour the soup. But there was backlash and, to my knowledge, it stopped there...
That's dumb, I feel like outsourcing stuff like that would cost more than a simple self ordering kiosk and it would take longer (not to mention the possible miscommunication)
This is likely a pre view of the future of this industry. As AI gets better I suspect we will be checking in and using AI at the hotel for our needs with only human backup, either physically at the location or off shore. It is only a matter of time. Hotels currently have self check-in kiosks, especially in Vegas, we have self check-in kiosks at airports.
Yeah that's a no from me. Front desk should have live staff present 24/7. Not just for security/safety reasons or customer service reasons, but imagine if you have a maintenance issue like water pooling on the floor or the ceiling leaking, or a broken toilet. The front desk is how guests raise maintenance issues like that, and having a virtual/offshore representative means staff isn't able to immediately put eyes on something and determine how serious...
Yeah that's a no from me. Front desk should have live staff present 24/7. Not just for security/safety reasons or customer service reasons, but imagine if you have a maintenance issue like water pooling on the floor or the ceiling leaking, or a broken toilet. The front desk is how guests raise maintenance issues like that, and having a virtual/offshore representative means staff isn't able to immediately put eyes on something and determine how serious it actually is.
I'm going to assume that Wyndham is being truthful that this is against company policy and is being done by the franchisee operator, but the onus is still on Wyndham to actually enforce that standard. Something that a lot of hotel brands seem to be having a hard time actually doing...
I'm not sure why people think that front desk staff are there for your safety/security. They aren't. If someone wants to come up to your room, they will. And in some cases, hotel staff are the ones performing the criminal acts. The only way to maybe deter that is to put key scanners in the elevator. But steps still do exist lol.
@Alonzo
A bit fallacious to claim that hotel staff don't positively affect safety and security in a hotel just because some hotel staff commit crimes. Nothing's perfect or a guaranteed solution sure, but that doesn't mean that the solution is completely worthless. When other people are present and watching, other individuals are less likely to engage in anti-social or criminal behavior. Think about it. If no staff is present, what stops randos from just...
@Alonzo
A bit fallacious to claim that hotel staff don't positively affect safety and security in a hotel just because some hotel staff commit crimes. Nothing's perfect or a guaranteed solution sure, but that doesn't mean that the solution is completely worthless. When other people are present and watching, other individuals are less likely to engage in anti-social or criminal behavior. Think about it. If no staff is present, what stops randos from just walking into the lobby and sleeping on that furniture? What stops randos from stealing furniture/TVs/fire extinguishers/light fixtures or vandalizing things in the lobby? What stops somebody from hanging out in the lobby waiting to mug a guest entering or leaving? The front desk staff is literally the first line of defence against that sort of thing. Just their presence deters it because that's somebody who can immediately call police if something happens.
And no, I don't expect front desk staff to stop somebody from coming up to my room. That's why many hotels have keycard scanners on both the elevator and the entry side of the bottom floor stairwell door. I expect front desk staff to be present to deter vandalism/criminal activity in common areas, be present for maintenance issues at odd hours, and be present as a manual solution when technology fails. You can have automated check-in kiosks if you want, but there should always at least be 1 front desk staffer on duty at all times.
@Dusty
I don't disagree with any of your comments. Only that when theft and crime has happened in hotels, it has been with front desk staff present and on-site. Speaking about what could happen if there were no staff present, is hypothetical. I get what you are saying but deterrence only goes so far in the criminal mind. Or lack thereof.
Second this.
Not in any way against self service kiosks, but there definitely needs to be visible staff manning a booth/desk at the facility. This is how it is with numerous properties I've stayed at in Japan and it seems to work great.
If something goes wrong with the kiosk or something you need that's not at the self service center, there's always somebody you can immediately talk to. If you're fine with...
Second this.
Not in any way against self service kiosks, but there definitely needs to be visible staff manning a booth/desk at the facility. This is how it is with numerous properties I've stayed at in Japan and it seems to work great.
If something goes wrong with the kiosk or something you need that's not at the self service center, there's always somebody you can immediately talk to. If you're fine with just checking in and heading straight to your room, no interaction needed though they'll usually give you an overview of the amenities and such and speaking to somebody in person is much more pleasant than trying to communicate through the machine which may not have the best of microphones/speakers.
When something goes wrong at an Airbnb or Vrbo, who do you communicate with?
@Alonzo
In my experience with VRBO, I have always been given the direct phone number to the property owner or manager prior to check-in. Any time I've had problems, I've gotten instant responses. Very different from hotel chains, where typically the only phone number I get is the corporate customer service line, plus the hotel phone shortcut to the... wait for it! The front desk.
1. It's a La Quinta, not a Four Seasons.
2. How much can you reasonably pay a human front desk worker in Miami? Cost of living would say $25+/hour with benefits.
3. Arguably this is a better experience than just using the mobile app for check-in with zero human interaction. Look at what all of the major hotels in Vegas are doing and all of the complaints.
People are just mad because...
1. It's a La Quinta, not a Four Seasons.
2. How much can you reasonably pay a human front desk worker in Miami? Cost of living would say $25+/hour with benefits.
3. Arguably this is a better experience than just using the mobile app for check-in with zero human interaction. Look at what all of the major hotels in Vegas are doing and all of the complaints.
People are just mad because it's an Indian man. Let it have been a beautiful European or Hispanic woman and you wouldn't hear shit from most.
Can we outsource your inane comments to AI next?
Book an Airbnb. With AI.
"People are just mad because it's an Indian man. Let it have been a beautiful European or Hispanic woman and you wouldn't hear shit from most."
I completely agree with this. Or if it was in Japan and outsourced to a domestic call center, all the otaku dorks would cream themselves over it. It'S liKe BeiNG iN thE FutURE etc etc.
I was just booking a Hyatt Place stay today and since I do...
"People are just mad because it's an Indian man. Let it have been a beautiful European or Hispanic woman and you wouldn't hear shit from most."
I completely agree with this. Or if it was in Japan and outsourced to a domestic call center, all the otaku dorks would cream themselves over it. It'S liKe BeiNG iN thE FutURE etc etc.
I was just booking a Hyatt Place stay today and since I do this pretty much weekly, wondering why can't this just be automated in 2025, why do I need the same fake spiel and thanks for being an Explorist and handing me some lukewarm water bottles... when it can all be done via my phone (and is supposed to be, if digital key ever actually was enabled).
@Santos
Originally, the brand standard for Hyatt Place was to have a kiosk in the lobby, typically near the main entry. I think that's how the whole concept of the HP Front Desk Agt also being the bartender, cook, wait person etc. The Front desk was meant to be there for 'abnormal' check-ins. But nobody (myself included) ever used the kiosk.
I haven't seen a kiosk in 10-15 years. Perhaps today more people will...
@Santos
Originally, the brand standard for Hyatt Place was to have a kiosk in the lobby, typically near the main entry. I think that's how the whole concept of the HP Front Desk Agt also being the bartender, cook, wait person etc. The Front desk was meant to be there for 'abnormal' check-ins. But nobody (myself included) ever used the kiosk.
I haven't seen a kiosk in 10-15 years. Perhaps today more people will use them as we've become used to them. Tho for myself, while I like kiosks/apps for doing stuff, if I walk in and see both an available kiosk and available agent, I'm still headed towards the desk.
This is how jobs get replaced by AI (All Indians)