The automated system has facial recognition to verify a visitor's identity.

With international travel halted for almost a year due to the pandemic, aviation, tourism and the hospitality sector were the worst hit across the globe, forcing businesses to embrace innovation for staying afloat in the new normal. Tech transition for hotels and other public spaces in the UAE was easier thanks to the existence of a strong digital infrastructure along with consistent connectivity, while the rise of the Emirates as a safe space early on accelerated recovery.

With life getting back on track in the aftermath of the pandemic, touch free access via self-service kiosks has been rolled out at airports, retail stores and other public spaces across the Middle East. To introduce similar solutions that can scale up business for the hospitality industry in the UAE, smart kiosks for self check-in and self check-out have been launched for hotels across the tech-savvy country.

Brought to the Emirates as a result of a partnership between Telematics and OpenTEC, the device is empowered by an automated interface to guide visitors through check-in and check-out procedures. Thanks to facial recognition, the innovative system can verify the identity of a guest, or the same can be done using a QR code issued when bookings are made.

The easy-to-use smart screen also allows tourists to access details about their reservations, and register a payment option for digital transactions, while avoiding human contact all along. Users can also encode their key card, after which they are assigned a room for a safe and socially distanced stay.

When it's time to leave, a guest can review checkout details and confirm charges, following which the billing process is completed, and a receipt is sent via email. The touch screen kiosk is fully equipped with a camera, credit card payment device and a key card encoder, for swiftly facilitating automated operations.

The interface can be customised as per the hotel's standards and expectations of the guests, while users also get to choose the language for interacting with the device.