But the lobby is devoid of employees. Instead of a smiling face with a warm "hello" to welcome you, there's a kiosk attached to a credit card machine that reads, "Check in & check out here."
You begin doing that when a young man with a foreign accent and headset comes on the screen to guide you through the process via video chat.
Welcome to the future.
A visitor seemed stumped during a recent trip to a Miami La Quinta Inn & Suites when they had to check in using a remote receptionist. A video they captured of the encounter went viral on X (formerly Twitter), racking up over 2 million views and sparking a flurry of criticism and commentary.
"Damn, that's wild. Gotta keep it local, fam," one user wrote.🔥🚨BREAKING: This La Quinta Inn hotel located in Miami is under massive fire after they hired employees located in India to check guests in instead of having Americans at the front desk. pic.twitter.com/W56Oc8aJ5W
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) August 3, 2025
"This is beyond ridiculous," wrote another.
"The reason for a desk is like having a doorman in an apartment building — security," another wrote. "I wouldn't feel safe in a hotel with a staff this lean. There is no authority; it's like a bus stop."
In the video, the receptionist asks if the visitor needs one or two keys before a computerized voice reads aloud hotel policies, and the guest signs for the room. Some commenters couldn't believe it, saying the video was created by artificial intelligence.
It's unclear which Miami-area La Quinta the guest took the video from, but a spokeswoman from Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, which owns La Quinta Inn & Suites, appeared to confirm its veracity Monday in a statement to New Times.
"We are aware of this matter and are actively investigating," spokeswoman Meg Davis said in a written statement. "All La Quinta hotels are independently owned and operated under franchise agreements and required to have a team member at the front desk at all times."
