Custom Questions in Pre-Check-in

Custom questions help you to:

• Understand guest preferences early
• Prepare operational processes in advance
• Store important information in a structured way in the PMS
• Speed up the check-in process

All questions configured here are displayed in the “Prepare your Stay” step of the pre-check-in flow — both in the digital concierge and at the self-check-in terminal (if available).

 

Question Types

When creating a new question, you can choose between three different question types:

1) Free Text

Guests can enter a free-text response.

Typical use cases include:

• “Do you have any special requests?”
• “Are there any allergies we should be aware of?”
• “Is there anything you would like to share with us?”

These answers are stored as text and can later be transferred to the PMS.

 

2) Single Choice

Guests select one answer from a predefined list.

Example:

• “Do you prefer a quiet room or a room with a view?”
  • Quiet room
  • Room with a view

This format is particularly useful when you need standardized answers.

 

3) Multiple Choice

Guests can select multiple answers.

Example:

• “Which services are you interested in?”
  • Breakfast
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Late check-out

Multiple choice questions work well for service preferences and upselling.

 

Creating and Configuring a Question

When creating or editing a question, the following settings are available:

Question Text

This is where you define what the guest will actually see.

Example:

“Is there anything you would like to tell us for your stay?”

 

Answer Options (only for Single / Multiple Choice)

If you choose a selection-based question, you can define the available answers here.

Example:

Question: “When will you arrive?”
Answers:

• Morning
• Afternoon
• Evening

 

Order (Rank)

The order defines where the question appears in the pre-check-in flow.

• Lower number = appears higher up
• Higher number = appears further down

This is especially important when you have multiple questions and want a logical sequence.

 

Required Field

If enabled, the guest must answer this question to complete the pre-check-in.

Typical required questions might include:

• Allergies
• Arrival time
• Special needs

 

Visibility

Here you decide whether the question is visible to guests.

• Enabled: Guests can see and answer the question
• Disabled: The question remains configured but is not shown to guests

This is useful if you want to prepare questions in advance but activate them later.

 

Saving Answers in the PMS

Currently, the automatic transfer of answers to the PMS is available for Opera. Support for Mews will follow soon.

This option is only visible for hotels that are connected to Opera.

For each question, you can decide how the answer should be stored in the PMS.

 

Option 1 — Save as a Reservation Note in Opera

If you select this option, a consolidated note will automatically be added to the Opera reservation once the guest completes the pre-check-in.

Example note in Opera:

“Guest completed pre-check-in and provided the following answers:
– Arrival time: Afternoon
– Allergies: None
– Room preference: Quiet room”

Advantages:

• Very clear and easy to read for reception and housekeeping
• No technical configuration in Opera required
• Works immediately

This is the recommended default option.

 

Option 2 — Write to a UDF Field (User Defined Field)

Alternatively, you can write answers directly into predefined fields in Opera (UDFs).

You can choose between three UDF types:

UDF Character (Text Field)

For short text responses.

Examples:

• Arrival time
• Room preference
• Guest notes

You must enter the exact UDF code from Opera, for example: UDF_CHAR_12

 

UDF Number (Numeric Field)

For numeric values.

Examples:

• Number of pets
• Estimated arrival time (as a number)

Example code: UDF_NUM_05

 

UDF Date (Date Field)

For date-based information.

Examples:

• Preferred room cleaning date
• Preferred check-in date

Example code: UDF_DATE_03

 

Important Note on UDF Configuration

For this to work correctly:

• The UDF field must already exist in Opera, and
• The correct technical field code must be entered

If you are unsure, please consult your Opera administrator or PMS consultant.

 

Where Can the Team See the Answers?

All guest answers are visible in:

• The reservation overview in the Frontdesk
• The booking details drawer
• And — depending on configuration — directly in Opera as a note or UDF field

This ensures that:

• Front Office
• Housekeeping
• Guest Relations

have immediate access to relevant guest information.