The Hoxton boutique hotel brand is pioneering a new kind of
check-in and checkout experience with its recently launched Flexy Time amenity.
Rolled out widely in November after a test run at select
locations, Flexy Time offers all guests complimentary, 24-hour check-in and
checkout options, enabling guests to select a check-in time as early as 1 a.m.
on the first day of their stay and a checkout time as late as midnight. The
only stipulation is that the reservation must be made direct online at least 72
hours in advance of the stay. Flexy Time selections must be made at the time of
booking.
The amenity is available across the Hoxton’s full portfolio,
which comprises nine locations in London; Paris; Amsterdam; Brooklyn, N.Y.;
Chicago; Portland, Ore.; and Los Angeles.
“Not surprisingly, it’s been very well received,” said
Martina Luger, chief marketing officer for the Hoxton’s parent company,
Ennismore. “There was a learning curve in the sense that people just didn’t
believe it at first. We had to inform them that, yes, this is genuine and, no,
there’s no catch, and, yes, it will be delivered on if you opt for it.”
Those educational efforts appear to be working. According to
the Hoxton, more than 50% of the brand’s guests booking within a 72-hour window
are now taking advantage of the amenity, with that share growing steadily each
month.
But while the Hoxton is certainly the latest to jump on the
flexible check-in and checkout trend, it’s far from the first hotelier to tout
the service.
“We’re offering the reassurance that your room is ready at whatever time you need it.” -- Martina Luger, chief marketing officer for The Hoxton parent company Ennismore
Many major hospitality brands promise late checkout options
as a loyalty program perk, though those requests are generally subject to
availability. Others enable guests to select personalized check-in and checkout
times for a fee. The Standard hotel brand, for example, lets guests at select
locations choose their check-in and checkout times as part of its Standard Time
premium booking package.
Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, meanwhile, has dabbled with
offering flexible check-in on a complimentary basis, allowing guests to
check-in at any time of the day or night at its Jumeirah Creekside Hotel in
Dubai, so long as they put in the request at least 48 hours in advance of their
arrival. The service is subject to availability.
According to Luger, however, the Hoxton is the first of
these vanguards to achieve the trifecta of making flexible check-in and
checkout free, available portfolio-wide and “completely guaranteed.”
“It’s not a request,” Luger said. “We’re offering the
reassurance that your room is ready at whatever time you need it.”
Despite the challenges that can come with delivering on that
guarantee, Luger said that the implementation of Flexy Time across the Hoxton’s
full network has been relatively smooth. The hotels have continued to use their
existing management software, Knowcross, and the transition has required no
additional hires.
“The most important change was having stronger communication
between our front of house and housekeeping teams and having them working
closely,” Luger said. “It hasn’t been more costly for us. And outside of some
core hours, we can now give some staff more flexible working hours, which many
of them appreciate.”
Also making the transition easier is the fact that the
majority of guests continue to arrive and depart around the traditional noon
checkout and 3 p.m. check-in times.
“The majority of people’s travel behaviors haven’t changed,”
Luger said. “So, while there’s that fear that everyone will start checking in
at 5 a.m., the fact is most people won’t need to come in at 5 a.m. And before,
if someone arrived early, front of house would suddenly tell housekeeping, ‘We
need an extra room,’ and then housekeeping would have to scramble. Now, we know
what rooms are needed when much earlier. It means more communication, more
planning and less surprises.”