Airbnb

Design a seamless, stress-free check-in and check-out experience for all guests, with a focus on seniors and assisted travelers.

problem

Check-in and check-out can be stressful for many guests, especially older adults. Key information about access, property conditions, and host expectations is often unclear before arrival, while unexpected requirements during check-out can lead to confusion and frustration.

solution

This project redesigns the check-in and check-out experience by centralizing all critical information in the Trips tab, ensuring guests can easily access details about key access, property conditions, and host expectations in one place. The solution provides clear, step-by-step guidance for arrival and departure, including instructions for lockboxes and access points, supported by in-app messaging templates for common questions. A structured check-out checklist helps guests complete required tasks with confidence, reducing uncertainty and stress throughout the stay.

Our team began by reflecting on our own travel experiences. Despite being frequent travelers and trained interaction designers, we repeatedly encountered unclear instructions and confusing check-in and check-out processes.

This shared frustration led us to ask how these flows could be made easier to understand for everyone.

Through research, we found that hosts often use different access methods depending on property type, such as villas or apartments, which results in inconsistent and fragmented guidance. By studying a range of housing types, we identified common patterns and designed a standardized, flexible check-in and check-out flow that works across properties.

This approach reduces the communication burden on hosts while providing guests with a clearer, more confident experience.