Automation is really interesting, especially how sometimes some companies are so far ahead of others. Sometimes when I check out of a hotel I still gotta stand in line and talk to a clerk -- which is intensely frustrating, because there's this sense of, "all I need to do is hand in this damn keycard" -- other times I just drop the hotel key in a box. Hell, apparently some hotels you can just check in with an app and use the app to unlock the door.
Today I dropped off a rental car and the employee just scanned a barcode on the windshield and said, "okay just put the keys on the dash, you're good to go". Such a huge improvement over what it used to be, years ago.
I haven't experienced a hotel where I actually need to do any formal "check out" in quite a while. I bet if you just leave with the keycard they will figure it out.
I had it happen to me earlier this year, and yes it was faintly bizarre. Why do they still need this? Similar to, "what exactly is the hotel/flight clerk typing in when I'm checking in? Why do they need to type so much info, when nothing has changed from when I booked the flight?"
Today I dropped off a rental car and the employee just scanned a barcode on the windshield and said, "okay just put the keys on the dash, you're good to go". Such a huge improvement over what it used to be, years ago.