Speedy Arrivals, Seamless Stays: How Hotel June Malibu Eliminated Wait Times With Canary’s Mobile Key

OPERATIONS

The Hotel June Malibu, a 13-bungalow coastal retreat on the Pacific Coast Highway, cut check-in wait times from seven minutes per guest to zero with Canary's Mobile Check-In and Mobile Key — and more than half of guests who check in via mobile now opt for a Mobile Key.

Why it matters: Operated by Proper Hospitality, The Hotel June Malibu is a coastal boutique retreat featuring 13 mid-century bungalows that embody the relaxed ease of Malibu.

Proper's leadership team wanted the check-in process to mirror the relaxed nature of the property. By combining Canary's Mobile Check-In and Mobile Key, they created a fully digital, modern arrival experience with keys added straight to guests' mobile wallets. Leah Edwards, Corporate Director of Operations, and Thomas Madden, Vice President of Information Technology, shared how guests have embraced it.

Top 3 Core Objectives: Hotel June Malibu needed to solve after-hours arrivals without 24/7 front desk coverage, end late-night lockouts from lost physical keys, and make the front desk interaction less transactional.

Solve after-hours check-in: Replace manual ID and payment verification that relied on a single overnight security guard when guests arrived after hours.
End late-night lockouts: Stop guests from leaving physical keys in their rooms, which required staff to intervene during after-hours emergencies.
Personalize the arrival: Move verification ahead of arrival so staff can spend time on personalized recommendations instead of paperwork.

Innovators Mentioned

The Hotel June Malibu

Canary Technologies

Leah Edwards

Corporate Director, Operations

The Hotel June Malibu

Thomas Madden

Vice President, Information Technology

The Hotel June Malibu

"Our guests enjoy the easy feel of it all. If guests are in a hurry or just want to drop their bags, they can skip the desk entirely. It’s intuitive, efficient and exactly what modern travelers expect."

Leah Edwards

Corporate Director, Operations

👍 Corporate Director, Operations Leah Edwards said that Canary's Mobile Check-In and Mobile Key let guests skip the front desk entirely, cutting check-in wait times from seven minutes to zero.:

"Our guests enjoy the easy feel of it all. If guests are in a hurry or just want to drop their bags, they can skip the desk entirely. It’s intuitive, efficient and exactly what modern travelers expect."

⚖️ The selection process: During their research process, Thomas Madden evaluated Canary Technologies's product differentiators, customer support, and holistic value as a strategic partner and ultimately decided that Canary Technologies was the best fit solution:

Vice President, Information Technology Thomas Madden said, about their decision: "We want the guest experience to be less transactional at the front desk. Now that the verification is done ahead of time, we can create a more personalized guest experience."

📈 The results: With Canary's Mobile Check-In and Mobile Key, Hotel June Malibu eliminated check-in wait times, made after-hours arrivals consistent and turned the front desk into a moment of true hospitality.

Check-in wait time cut from seven minutes per guest to zero.
More than half of guests who check in via mobile opt for a Mobile Key, with adoption rising steadily after optimizing a shorter check-in form.
Guest info flows straight from Canary to the PMS, so the check-in process is the same at any hour — and Mobile Key put a stop to late-night lockouts.