Hotel QR Codes: Why Every GM Should Be Using Them

Key takeaways

• QR codes are low-cost, familiar tools that modernize hotel operations fast.
• Hotel QR codes streamline check-in, check-out, tipping, menus, and more.
• Digital tipping via QR codes increases staff pay, morale, and retention.

QR codes are compact, cost-effective, and capable of solving more problems than you’d expect.

They rose to popularity during the Covid pandemic, when restaurants stopped printing menus and required customers to scan a QR code to read the menu instead. 

Now, QR codes have found a place across hospitality and service businesses. Unlike other tech investments that require months of set-up and a steep learning curve, QR codes are effortless and endlessly adaptable.    

Today, we’re covering the hotel QR code: how QR codes can be used in hotels, where to place them, and why they’re worth the investment.

QR codes are transforming hotel operations

Hotel management is a balancing act. GMs juggle staff shortages, fluctuating occupancy rates, rising payroll costs, and guests whose expectations keep climbing. 

Hospitality technology has entered the scene in hopes of combating these challenges. Amid property management software, channel managers, and smart room controls, few tools are as simple and effective for hotels as the QR code.

Hotel QR codes can help you:

• Reduce touchpoints and bottlenecks during check-in and check-out
• Accept digital tips to increase staff pay and boost retention
• Replace expensive, outdated paper collateral with digital assets
• Gather instant guest feedback and earn more positive reviews
• Promote events, amenities, and loyalty programs at the moment they’re most relevant

What sets QR codes apart is that they’re familiar. We’re all used to scanning QR codes at this point — it’s second nature. There’s no learning curve or special equipment needed, and guests don’t need to download an app (a huge point of friction) to use them. 

8 ways to use QR codes in hotels

1. Touchless check-in 

An inefficient check-in process sets a guest’s stay off on the wrong foot. To streamline check-ins, place a QR code at the front desk that directs guests straight to a digital check-in form. This helps keep lines at the front desk short and save time for front desk staff. 

Another idea: Use QR codes as hotel room keys. After scanning your check-in QR code and completing the required forms, guests receive a secure mobile QR code key they can use on their smartphone. Just note that you’ll have to upgrade the room locks to accept QR codes.

2. Contactless check-out

Nobody wants to stand in line at 7 a.m. when the airport shuttle leaves in 20 minutes. Increasingly, guests are dropping their keys and leaving without a formal check-out, which means housekeeping isn’t aware that they can start turning over the room. Facilitating a contactless check-out via QR code will save time for guests while ensuring housekeeping is alerted when a guest checks out. 

By scanning a hotel QR code in the room or lobby, guests can settle their bill instantly. Charges, receipts, and loyalty points are all handled digitally. It’s faster for guests, and less hassle for staff.

3. Accept digital tips 

Cash is vanishing from guests’ wallets, but the expectation to tip remains. Without a cashless tipping solution, your staff miss out on tips, which could result in higher turnover rates or poorer service.

To make sure that valets, concierges, housekeepers, and other hotel workers are compensated for their time and effort, your hotel can use QR codes to create digital “tip jars.”

If guests don’t have cash on them (many don’t), they can still thank staff for a job well done by scanning a QR code and leaving a tip via credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. Tipping platforms like eTip create a seamless experience for GMs to get started with digital tipping.

Related reading: Why Tipping Software is the New Standard in Hospitality

4. Restaurant and room service menus

Rather than printing a full- or multiple-page menu to include in every room, add a QR code to the welcome information in each room or even to the welcome screens of in-room TVs. By taking a picture or hovering their camera over the code, guests are redirected to a webpage where they can effortlessly order food, make reservations, and more.

This doesn’t just reduce printing costs, it also helps you upsell. Limited-time offers, chef’s recommendations, or wine pairings can be updated digitally without reprinting menus.

5. Events and recommendations

A hotel isn’t just a place to crash at night. It’s a hub for guests as they explore a new area. 

Whether it’s a trivia night at the hotel bar or a local restaurant to spotlight, QR codes can help your hotel advertise the area’s best activities (or your own events!). 

Try using dynamic QR codes, which can be customized to direct to new landing pages without changing the code itself.

6. Collect feedback and reviews

Guests are more likely to leave feedback when it’s convenient. A QR code on the bedside table or on the front desk upon check-out can direct them to a short survey or Google review page.

By encouraging reviews when it’s top-of-mind for guests, you’re more likely to get more reviews. Accepting feedback also means that management gets real-time insights to address service issues before they balloon into bad reviews. Stronger reviews also feed directly into hotel guest satisfaction scores and booking conversions.

7. Promote a loyalty program

Signing up for a hotel loyalty program is generally an afterthought for guests. They don’t want to stand around filling out forms at the front desk, but a hotel QR code app can turn sign-ups into a one-tap process.

Place the sign-up QR code on keycards, receipts, or in-room welcome cards and let guests enroll instantly. This not only grows your loyalty base but also creates ongoing opportunities to market directly to past guests.

8. Advertise amenities

If any of your amenities are going underutilized — especially pay-to-use amenities that directly generate revenue — it’s time to start promoting them better. And hotel QR codes are the easiest way to do so.

A sign by the elevator or a table tent on a nightstand with a QR code could lead to your spa menu, gym schedule, or shuttle timetable.

Done right, these codes encourage guests to explore more of what your property offers, which can increase spend per guest and help you maximize ROI on facilities.

Where to place hotel QR codes

Hotel QR codes are only effective if they’re seen and scanned, so placement is key. If you want to start using hotel QR codes but you’re not sure how to implement them or where to put them, we’re here to help.

Here are some ideas for high-impact QR code placement:

• Front desk & lobby signage
  Place QR codes where every guest begins and ends their journey. A sign at the front desk can speed up check-ins, while a code in the lobby can link to local recommendations, shuttle timetables, or digital tipping for valet staff.
  
• Guest rooms
  Nightstands, desks, TVs, and in-room welcome guides are prime real estate. A single code here can unlock multiple functions, from menus and room service requests to amenity reservations and guest feedback.

• On keycard sleeves & room keys
  Most guests carry their keycard everywhere. Embellish them with a hotel QR code that points to your loyalty program or feedback survey.
  
• Food & beverage outlets
  Add QR codes to table tents, coasters, or receipts in your bar and restaurant. A room service QR code in the in-room dining menu lets guests order instantly, while codes in the restaurant help with reservations or promoting specials.
  
• Elevators & hallways
  Guests often check their phones while waiting for the elevator. A well-placed QR code here can highlight amenities or promote upcoming events.
  
• Event spaces & meeting rooms
  Codes can provide agendas, speaker bios, or Wi-Fi login details. This reduces paper waste and makes it easy to update information dynamically.
  
• Shuttle stops & valet stands
  A hotel QR code at shuttle pickup points can display real-time schedules. At the valet stand, QR codes make digital tipping effortless and eliminate the awkward “I don’t have cash” moment.
  
• Marketing collateral
  Don’t forget the basics: brochures, business cards, check-out receipts, or even confirmation emails. A simple QR code can keep your brand top of mind long after check-out.

How to start using hotel QR codes

Hospitality is all about creating the feeling of home. Touchless technology like QR codes can help your hotel provide that for visitors. 

Getting started doesn’t require a tech overhaul. 

Here’s a simple framework:

1. Define your goals
   Are you aiming to improve tipping, speed up check-in, or promote amenities?
   
2. Choose the right tools
   Select the best hotel QR code provider that aligns with your needs. Some hotels use a generic QR code generator, but these can be harder to manage and update. Your best bet is a specialized platform that integrates with the rest of your tech stack.
   
3. Customize the experience
   Branding matters. QR codes should feel like part of your property, not an afterthought.
   
4. Test and measure
   Use analytics to track scans, conversions, and guest engagement.
   
5. Iterate and expand
   Start small, then layer in more use cases across departments.

Enable QR code tipping at your hotel with eTip

Perhaps the most impactful use case for hotel QR codes is digital tipping.

Guests want a quick, cashless way to show appreciation. Staff demand reliable, transparent earnings. And operators and GMs can’t afford to ignore a solution that improves retention, morale, and hotel employee engagement.

To facilitate digital tipping via QR code at your hotel, look no further than eTip.

As the hospitality industry’s #1 digital tipping solution, eTip makes it effortless to:

• Accept tips just by scanning a code (no app required)
• Distribute employees’ tips fairly with customizable rules
• Stay compliant with easy reporting tools
• Add an hotel employee incentive without inflating payroll
• Save time with automated reporting and integrations

Trusted by Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and other leading hotel brands, eTip is built for properties that want to modernize operations and keep staff happy without overcomplicating the guest journey.

👉 Ready to see how QR codes can transform tipping and beyond at your hotel? Book a quick demo of eTip today.