Hôtes en Nord Achieves a 96% Airbnb Self Check-In Rate with Automated Key Handover

Hôtes en Nord, a concierge company managing Airbnb properties in Lille, used traditional key handover methods for guest arrivals. Prior to implementing Keycafe, the team relied on mechanical lockboxes or in-person key exchanges. While it got the job done, these methods were labor-intensive and limited the flexibility of check-in times for guests.

Staff were often required to travel to properties at scheduled times just to hand over keys, causing delays and stress for both team members and travelers, especially when arrival times shifted. These manual tasks consumed time and resources, created the risk of missed appointments, and made scaling operations more difficult.

The growing demand for self-check-in from travelers further amplified the need for a more streamlined, automated, and reliable key control system.

Hôtes en Nord discovered Keycafe through the Airbnb co-host network and quickly identified it as the ideal solution for their needs. Unlike other systems that they had tried in the past, Keycafe offered a higher degree of automation and direct integration with platforms like Airbnb.

Using two strategically placed electronic key lockers (SmartBoxes) in different neighborhoods of Lille, Hôtes en Nord created a seamless and flexible check-in experience. When cleaning teams finish preparing a property, they deposit the keys into the SmartBox. Guests then receive an automatically generated and time-sensitive code via text message once their Airbnb reservation is confirmed, allowing them to pick up keys at their convenience.

Keycafe’s Airbnb integration has been central to this transformation, generating secure, unique access codes tied to reservation times, eliminating manual intervention and enhancing security.

The impact of Keycafe was immediate, as the Hôtes en Nord team quickly realized the benefits of automating key handoffs. Today, 96% of their 50-property portfolio operates on self-check-in, significantly reducing the need for staff travel and coordination. Only two properties still require occasional physical check-ins, for which Keycafe remains available as a backup.

Not only has the system improved operational efficiency, but it also contributed to better guest reviews by offering flexible arrival times. Above all, CEO Charles Versaille appreciates the peace of mind that Keycafe brings: “The biggest advantage for us in using Keycafé is peace of mind because it allows us to automate processes, which means we waste much less time on manual tasks such as creating and sending codes, etc. It eliminates errors, so there is no more operational stress or on-site problems when using this solution.”