Research from Mews shows preference higher among Gen Z

A large majority (70%) of American travelers are likely to check themselves into a hotel using an app or a self-service kiosk instead of a traditional front desk, according to a survey by Mews, a cloud-based property management system for hotels. This preference skyrockets to 82% among Gen Z travelers, signaling a fundamental shift in how guests want to interact with hotels.

In the survey of 2,000 U.S. travelers, 82% of current hotel loyalty members reported pain points with existing systems, including lengthy check-in processes, limited flexibility and outdated service models that fail to meet modern expectations.

Richard Valtr, founder of Mews, said he started the company “to transform the traditional hotel experience by eliminating the reception desk to allow staff to engage more personally with guests.” Waiting in the lobby queue, he said, “is simply not a hospitable experience for today’s travelers, it’s another example where if the technology works, guests value convenience over tradition.”

Valtr added, “This isn’t about eliminating human interaction — it’s about empowering both guests and staff to create more meaningful touchpoints and experiences.”