Check-in and check-out checklist for small hotels and homestays

The day before arrival

Most check-in problems start a day earlier. Look at tomorrow's arrivals and make sure every guest has a clean room waiting.

• Check the arrivals list and the room each guest is in.
• Mark the rooms that must be cleaned and give them to housekeeping.
• Message guests who booked through a site: confirm the arrival time and share directions.
• Note any balance still to be paid, so you can ask for it politely at the desk.

At check-in

Keep check-in short and the same for every guest. A fixed routine means nothing is forgotten when the desk is busy.

• Greet the guest and confirm the name, dates and room.
• Collect and record the identity documents your local rules ask for. Rules for foreign guests are stricter; ask your local police station which forms apply to you.
• Take the advance or the full payment, and give a receipt.
• Explain check-out time, Wi-Fi, breakfast and the house rules.
• Mark the guest as checked in, so the room shows as occupied.

During the stay

Add extra charges, such as food, laundry or an extra bed, to the guest's bill when they happen, not from memory at check-out. Small items are the ones that get lost.

At check-out

Check-out is where money is won or lost. Go through the bill with the guest before taking the last payment.

• Open the bill and check room nights, extra charges and payments already made.
• Take the balance by UPI, cash or card and record how it was paid.
• Give the guest the bill as a PDF or a print.
• Mark the guest as checked out and the room as dirty, so it is cleaned before the next arrival.
• Ask for a review on the site the guest booked through.

At the end of the day

Compare the payments recorded today with the cash in the drawer and the UPI app. A five-minute check every evening is easier than looking for a difference at the end of the month.