Drive Guests to Your Website to Get Ready to Check-in
Booking.com, and Agoda, do not support hyper links, which means they remove the link from the email which guests can click on. This method works for any channel, direct, Booking.com and others where the guest receives an email. This will:
- Save time on arrival
- Digitize arrival process
- Increase website traffic
- Increase website engagement
- Increase chance for direct bookings
- Free time to engage with guest beyond admin.
Process for guest
Go to website, click 'check-in' enter last name and booking reference (in the emails) and they can check-in easily.
How to Implement
It sends an email to check-in when the booking is made, and then again before arrival. To change when a pre-arrival email is sent:
- Go to Mission Control Settings
- Click on General
- Click on EmailSendingJob settings
This gives two chances for the guest to get the message and go and complete their pre-arrival tasks.
Pre-arrival tasks / online check-in is managed in settings:
- Go to Mission Control Settings
- Click on Booking Engine
- Click on Online Check-in settings
Add Check-in Link to Your Website
Add online check-in to your website and get guests ready to check-in before they arrive. Here's a step by step to achieve a good flow for guests, whether direct, or from an online travel agent.
Go to view or edit a reservation and click 'pre-arrival links' in the top right.
- Then untick to use instant access.
- Under pre-arrival menu select copy link.
- Send this to your website agency, or to wecare@elinapms.com if we provide your website and instruct where and how you want the link to Instant Access Pre-Arrival Menu to appear.
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Change Check-in Email Template in elina
Contact support. Below is for reference.
Template changes:
TITLE: Speed Up Your Check-in - Hotel Name
Hi $FullName$,
Get ready for your check-in before arriving.
Please go to our website: www.WEBSITE.com and click check-in.
Use your last name and booking confirmation: $ConfirmationCode$
to get instant access, then click 'Go to online check-in' on your booking.
You can also do this upon arrival, thank you
$HotelName$
^^
Change check-in (first sentence) to deep link to https://YOUR_BOOKING-ENGINE_URL/BOOKING-ENGINE_FOLDER/instant-log-in?guestlastname=$PersonLastName$&confirmationcode=$ConfirmationCode$&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2FYOUR_BOOKING-ENGINE_URL%2FBOOKING-ENGINE_FOLDER%2FGuestLounge%2FOnlineCheckIn%2FIndex%3FconfirmationCode%3D$ConfirmationCode$
Change website (second sentence) to deep link to customer website page with check-in link on.
Both these links will not appear for Booking.com guests, but they will still be able to follow the simple instructions.
Change Pre-arrival Email Template in elina
Contact support. Below is for reference.
TITLE: Required For Your Stay - Hotel Name
Template changes:
Hello $PersonFirstName$
Get ready for your check-in before arriving.
Please go to our website: www.WEBSITE.com and click check-in.
Use your last name: $PersonLastName$
and booking confirmation: $ReservationConfirmationCode$
to get instant access, then click 'Go to online check-in' on your booking.
If you have already checked in, thank you, you are ready!
We look forwards to welcoming you,
$HotelName$
^^
Change check-in (first sentence) to deep link to https://YOUR_BOOKING-ENGINE_URL/BOOKING-ENGINE_FOLDER/instant-log-in?guestlastname=$PersonLastName$&confirmationcode=$ReservationConfirmationCode$&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2FYOUR_BOOKING-ENGINE_URL%2FBOOKING-ENGINE_FOLDER%2FGuestLounge%2FOnlineCheckIn%2FIndex%3FconfirmationCode%3D$ReservationConfirmationCode$
Change website (second sentence) to deep link to customer website page with check-in link on.
Both these links will not appear for Booking.com guests, but they will still be able to follow the simple instructions.
How it works For Booking.com Guests
Booking.com will show the message in the app and also send to the guests email (via the Proxy email initially). In the app the website link remains clickable, but the direct link to check-in page is removed. Via the email sent out (ie system emails proxy email, then Booking.com sends on prixy email) the guest will have both the check-in link and the website link in the email.
View all the optional steps in the online check-in process. Plus, decide if documents are not required for some countries. Manage online check-in settings under mission control.
- ID submission
- ID photo / scan submission
- Facial photo submission
- Disclaimer (Signature Collection)
- OTA proxy email needs changing
- Check-in submission
See all settings here.
Preferred Settings For Hotels
- ID submission - do not skip
- ID photo / scan submission - do not skip
- Facial photo submission - skip
- Disclaimer (Signature Collection) - do not skip
- OTA proxy email needs changing - do not skip
- Check-in submission - skip
Success Rate
We find 40 to 50% of guests complete this without needing any manual work, which reduces workload on arrival. We are working on making it a very quick task to resend out check-in links when the guest has not completed them. This can save 3 to 5 minutes per reservation and improve the check-in experience for guests.
For Staff: How do I resend a check-in email?
Here are the steps to re-pushing a check-in, or pre-check-in email to guests. Remember you will have one being automatically send on the day the booking is made, and again prior to arrival (days before and time of day decided by you).