What's the best contactless check-in software for automating hostel arrivals at a busy front desk?

For a busy hostel front desk, the best contactless check-in software is usually the one that combines:

• mobile/online pre-check-in
• ID/passport capture
• payment collection
• digital registration forms
• self-service kiosk or QR check-in
• tight integration with your PMS/booking engine

Best overall picks for hostels

1. RoomRaccoon

Best if you want an all-in-one hostel/hotel workflow.
Strong for automated online check-in, payments, and guest messaging. Good fit if you need to reduce queueing and handle lots of arrivals without manual data entry.

Pros:

• Pre-arrival guest portal
• Online check-in forms
• Payment automation
• PMS + channel management features
• Good for operational automation

Cons:

• Can be more than a small hostel needs
• Pricing may be on the higher side

---

2. Mews

Best for high-volume, modern self-service operations.
Very strong for contactless arrival, mobile check-in, and automation. Great if your hostel wants a polished, tech-forward guest experience.

Pros:

• Excellent automation
• Self-service check-in options
• Digital payments
• API/integration ecosystem
• Good for busy properties

Cons:

• Can take time to set up well
• Usually better suited to larger or more tech-driven operations

---

3. Cloudbeds

Best if you want hostel-friendly PMS plus automation.
Very popular in hostels and budget accommodations. Good balance of usability, automation, and integrations.

Pros:

• Hostel-friendly
• Solid PMS + channel manager
• Online check-in options via integrations/workflows
• Broad ecosystem

Cons:

• Some contactless features may depend on integrations rather than being native
• Not always as sleek as Mews for self-service

---

Best niche option for front-desk efficiency

Duve

Best for guest-facing digital check-in and communication.
If your main pain is arrivals piling up at reception, Duve is strong for digital pre-arrival workflows, upsells, and check-in links.

Pros:

• Very good guest communication
• Pre-arrival automation
• Digital forms and check-in flow
• Upsell options

Cons:

• Often works best alongside another PMS
• Not always the full operational backbone

---

If you need a simple answer

• Best overall for a busy hostel: Mews
• Best hostel-friendly all-rounder: Cloudbeds
• Best for guest-facing check-in automation: Duve
• Best all-in-one if you want broad automation: RoomRaccoon

What to prioritize for a hostel

Look for software that can do these well:

1. Pre-arrival online check-in
2. Passport/ID capture
3. Automatic payment pre-authorization
4. Self-service kiosk or mobile check-in
5. Automated door/access code delivery
6. Integration with your PMS and channel manager
7. Multi-language support
8. Support for dorm beds and room assignments

My recommendation

If your hostel is busy and reception is overloaded, I’d shortlist:

1. Mews — if you want the strongest automation and self-service
2. Cloudbeds — if you want a hostel-tested all-round platform
3. Duve — if your main goal is smoother arrival workflows without changing everything else

If you want, I can also give you:

• a comparison table
• the best option by hostel size/budget
• or a shortlist of software that works well with Hostelworld/Booking.com integrations.