Evald Hatten is the general manager of Kinsarvik Camping, a large camping destination beautifully located on the Hardangerfjord. Kinsarvik Camping has grown considerably in recent years and now offers 24 cabins, 5 new apartments and 4 new rooms. Over the course of a year, it welcomes around 35,000 visitors.
After a little over a year with digital keys, guest information and self-service check-in at the apartment building, he shares his experience with a digital guest journey.
You’ve had the system for a while now – what have you learned?
“After more than a year with the system, I can say it has worked really well. We started with a solution that wasn’t quite right for us, but when we switched to Salto locks, we got a stable, reliable system. I’m also very glad we didn’t go with physical keys, because that would have tied us down more.
“We no longer have to be tied to the reception desk when it comes to the apartment building. Guests can arrive at any time of day, even in the middle of the night, and we’re not as locked in as we used to be. It’s simply great that people can book and manage on their own,” says Evald.
“When we’re fully booked, we have more than 600 guests on site, so naturally we spend a lot of time out among people. The way things are now, we no longer need to keep as close an eye on everything happening around the apartments.”
How does the system work in practice?
When guests are due to check in, they receive a message on their phone with their code and the key information about their stay. The message also includes a link to the InStay app, where they can simply tap the key icon to unlock the door, so they don’t even need to enter the code.
It works really well during the stay too. If one parent is at the shop, for example, and the kids are standing outside the apartment having forgotten the code, the parent can unlock the door from their phone even when they’re not nearby.
Especially pleased with the VisBook integration
“Another feature we’re very happy with is the integration with VisBook. When guests arrive and use their code on the door for the first time, they’re automatically checked in to VisBook and disappear from the arrivals list. That way we can see right away who has arrived and who we’re still waiting for, without having to register anything manually. It’s fantastic for day-to-day operations and saves us a lot of work.”
On the day of departure, guests receive a message at 9:00 am reminding them that check-out is by 11:00 am at the latest. Guests can let the campsite know when they plan to check out, or register their check-out when they leave. “This gives us a better overview and also helps us plan cleaning and preparing for the next guest.”
Stable and predictable
“Invite is especially useful for us in the low season, when the reception desk isn’t necessarily staffed at all times. Guests can arrive and access their unit without us needing to be there in person, while we can still help them and manage access from our phones if needed.
“For us, Invite has therefore become much more than just a code on the door. It’s now part of the entire guest journey, from arrival and check-in, through the stay and all the way to check-out, while also making our operations simpler.”
Evald is particularly pleased that the system is now stable and reliable.
“We started out with a different brand of lock, and it was fine at first, but there were a few minor glitches along the way. Since we switched to Salto, it’s been very stable. As a bonus, it’s now much easier for us to go away without having to think about physical keys and admin tasks.”.
