Running a hotel without a 24/7 front desk.
A front desk does about ten jobs. Most of them can now run by themselves: guests check in and pay online, collect a key or get a door code, and the PMS records everything. What remains is cleaning, maintenance and someone to call when something goes wrong.
- Automated with AccoClix: bookings from every channel, online check-in with ID details, payment, keys or door codes, check-out, guest messages with AI drafts, housekeeping status and the night audit.
- Still needs people: cleaning, maintenance, approving replies to guests and someone on call for emergencies.
- Example cost: a 20-room hotel with an AccoBox key locker pays €200 a month (PMS €100 + AccoBox €100) plus €1,900 once for the locker, excl. VAT.
- Check the rules first: some hotel star categories require reception hours.
What the front desk does, and what replaces it.
| Front-desk job | Without a desk, in AccoClix |
|---|---|
| Taking bookings and updating availability | The channel manager and booking engine. A booking appears on the calendar within a minute, and availability reaches the other channels within seconds. |
| Registering the guest | Online check-in from a link sent before arrival: ID details, arrival time and car plate. No app to install. |
| Taking payment | The balance is paid by card during online check-in, or on the AccoBox touchscreen, through your own Stripe account. |
| Handing over keys | The guest's PIN or QR code opens the right AccoBox compartment, or works as the door code on a smart lock. |
| Late arrivals | Nothing changes at night: the PIN works at any hour, and arrival instructions with photos show the way in. |
| Answering guests | Messages from Booking.com, Airbnb and Expedia arrive in one inbox. AI drafts each reply and a person approves it, from a phone if needed. |
| A guest who calls from the door | Open the guest's locker compartment from the PMS, from anywhere. |
| Check-out | A key returned to AccoBox checks the guest out. Smart-lock codes stop at check-out time. |
| Telling housekeeping which rooms to clean | Housekeepers have their own phone app with today's rooms; rooms they mark clean show on the calendar straight away. |
| Night audit | Runs by itself at your local time: no-shows marked and the day closed. |
| Invoices and statistics | Invoices come from the PMS, and in Latvia the CSP statistics report is exported from it. |
From a staffed desk to self-service.
You don't have to switch overnight. You can start with self check-in for late arrivals only.
- Bring bookings into one system
Connect Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia and your website through the AccoClix channel manager, so availability is always right without anyone at a desk.
- Turn on online check-in
Guests get a check-in link in the booking confirmation and a reminder before arrival.
- Choose how guests get in
An AccoBox key locker if you have keys or key cards and one main entrance, smart locks if each door has its own lock, or both.
- Write arrival instructions
Add photos of the entrance, the locker and the way to the rooms. They go out with each guest's PIN.
- Set the arrival mode by month
With AccoBox, choose locker, hybrid or desk for each month: self-service in the low season, staffed hours in the busy one.
- Decide who is on call
Pick who answers the phone after hours. They can approve messages, open a compartment and see every stay from the PMS on a phone.
What still needs people.
- Cleaning and laundry. The housekeeping app tells cleaners what to do; it doesn't do it.
- Maintenance. Broken things still need a person who can fix them.
- Approving replies. AI only drafts; a person always approves before anything is sent.
- Someone on call. For a guest who can't get in, a lost key or an emergency, at any hour.
Check the rules for your category
Rules differ by country and by category. Some hotel star categories require a staffed reception for certain hours, and guest registration rules still apply when nobody is at a desk. Check the requirements for your property before you change how arrivals work.
What it costs
| Property | Excl. VAT |
|---|---|
| 20-room hotel with AccoBox (30 compartments) PMS €100 + AccoBox €100 | €200 / month + €1,900 once |
| 8 apartments with smart locks 8 × €10 PMS + 8 × €10 locks | €160 / month |
Can a hotel run without a 24-hour reception?
Yes, if guests can check in, pay and get in by themselves, and someone can be reached when something goes wrong. AccoClix covers bookings, online check-in, payment, keys or door codes, guest messages and the night audit. Cleaning, maintenance and an on-call person stay with you. Check whether your star category requires reception hours.
What happens when a guest arrives at 2 a.m.?
The same as at 2 p.m. The guest has already checked in and paid online, enters their PIN at AccoBox or on the door's keypad, and the PMS shows them as arrived.
What if a guest hasn't checked in online?
With AccoBox, the guest can check in and pay on the locker's touchscreen. With smart locks only, the door code is created when online check-in is finished, which the guest can do on their phone at the door. The PMS shows who hasn't checked in yet.
How much does it cost to run a 20-room hotel without reception?
With AccoClix: €100 a month for the PMS (11–20 rooms) and €100 a month for AccoBox, so €200 a month, plus €1,900 once for a 30-compartment locker. Prices exclude VAT. Options such as 4G (€80) and battery backup (€150) are one-time.
Can I keep a reception for part of the day or year?
Yes. Staff and self check-in use the same PMS. With AccoBox you choose locker, hybrid or desk mode for each month, so the busy season can be staffed and the quiet one self-service.
Do guests need an app?
No. Online check-in opens from a link in any browser, and the PIN works on the AccoBox touchscreen or the door keypad.
Keep the welcome, lose the night shift.
Tell us about your property and we'll suggest a setup: key locker, smart locks or both, with a clear quote.