Check-in in one minute: Sunborn London's pre-arrival trick

JSBy Joan SanzCurated by Joan Sanz. · July 22, 2026 · Follow on LinkedIn

Voice reading · ~1 min

Sunborn London GM Francisco Ventura has pulled off a feat that sounds like hospitality folklore: reduce check-in time from 8 minutes to 1 minute. The trick, as he explains in this Hospitality Net podcast, is not a faster tablet or a magic queue algorithm. It's about moving the real work to before the guest sets foot in the lobby.

By shifting registration, payment collection and document signing to the pre-arrival phase, the hotel front desk no longer has to process data entry while the guest waits awkwardly in the marble hall. The one minute that remains is just identity verification and key handover. That is it.

The payoff goes beyond speed. With the admin cleared off the table, staff can actually focus on genuine guest interaction: a welcome drink, a local tip, a conversation that turns a transaction into a stay. Ventura calls it interconnected hospitality, and it begins long before arrival. For any hotel wrestling with the "check-in bottleneck", the lesson is brutal and liberating: the bottleneck you are fighting in the lobby was set by the tech you chose not to use before the guest arrived.

Quick questions

How did Sunborn London cut check-in to 1 minute?

GM Francisco Ventura moved registration, payment and document signing to the pre-arrival stage. The front desk only verifies identity and hands over the key, slashing time from 8 to 1 minute.

What is interconnected hospitality according to Ventura?

It's the idea that the guest experience starts long before arrival, using pre-arrival technology to handle admin so staff can focus on real interactions instead of paperwork.

Does faster check-in sacrifice security?

No. Identity verification still happens at the front desk in one minute. Pre-arrival collects the same data but lets the guest do it at their own pace, securely.

Can small hotels pull off the same trick?

Yes. Any PMS or booking engine that allows pre-arrival forms, digital registration and remote payments can replicate this. It's more about process design than big budgets.

What is the main lesson for other hoteliers?

The check-in bottleneck you're fighting in the lobby was created by the tech you chose not to use before the guest arrived. Shift admin left, and free your team.

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