Hi @Bhumika Thanks for starting a thread about this!
We are top 1% worldwide hosts.
We have found that it is absolutely necessary to MEET AND GREET our guests for multiple reasons which I will explain.
We MEET AND GREET during daytime hours before 8pm and do not allow late night check in.
Self check in properties have many problems, complaints, and customer insatisfaction. Yes, guests SAY that they want self check in. Then, they can't find the lockbox, can'tt open it, they don't know how to get on the internet, turn on the TV, work the airco, where is the nearest supermarket, etc etc... If you self check in, the guest will be unsatisfied in the end!
We have tried everything and we have lock boxes and keypad codes etc. When we don't meet our guests on arrival things always go wrong!!!! Guest is less satisfied even though maybe he thought he didn't want to meet us for the keys.
40% of late night self check ins result in a need for immediate assistance. Call to the host or property manager at 2 am. This is because: late arrivals accumulate delays, people have dinner and drink before arriving, it is harder to find the place in the dark, during the night people are more disoriented than during the day, at night time there is nobody to help if your uber driver has left you off in front of the door and you can't find the lock box!
Late night self check in is a reason for local communities to BAN airbnbs. People arrive at 1 am, roll their luggage around looking for the apartment, ring multiple neighbours because they didn't read the instructions or couldn''t find the key... then when they arrive (thanks to your 2024 ad campaign) they think they can have a gathering on the terrace start cooking and running the dishwasher at 3 am.
So as a conclusion, whether meet and greet or "self check in", the host absolutely has to know when the guest is arriving and be online available and ready to answer until the guest has the keys and has entered the apartment. This is what we do. So if a guest is not responsive and does not give flight info and check in time, does not respond to messages, we need the right to cancel the reservation.
Thank you for taking this into consideration and thanks for your post!
Happy hosting everyone!