How Nordik self check-in works, step by step

Here's how Nordik self check-in works: you book, complete the guest registration required by Spanish law online, receive your personal access code (Nordikey) before you arrive and enter it on the keypad on the apartment door or on the keypad handle of your room. No reception, no keys and no times to coordinate. If anything goes wrong, WhatsApp support is available 24/7.

We've been managing holiday homes in Malaga and on the Costa del Sol since 2019, and keyless access is at the heart of how we work. This guide explains each step, what details we'll ask for and why, and what to do if the code doesn't open the door first time.

How self check-in works, step by step

Step	What you do	When	What you get
1. Book	Book at nordikcompany.com or on your usual platform	Whenever you like	Confirmation with your stay details
2. Guest registration	Fill in each guest's details online	Before you arrive	Registration confirmation
3. Access	Nothing: we send it to you	Before your arrival	Exact address, instructions and your code or Nordikey
4. Entry	Enter the code on the keypad	From your booking's check-in time, 24 h	Access to the apartment or your room
5. Your stay	Message us on WhatsApp if you need anything	24/7	A reply from the Nordik team
6. Check-out	Leave at the stated time and close the door	Departure day	The code stops working when your stay ends

Step 1: book your stay

You can book direct at nordikcompany.com, where you'll get the best available price, or through other platforms. Your confirmation shows the approximate address, number of guests and check-in and check-out times. The exact address and access details follow later, together with the instructions.

If you're still choosing between a private room and a whole apartment, we help you decide in room or apartment in Malaga: which is right for you.

Step 2: the mandatory guest registration (SES.HOSPEDAJES)

Why we ask for your details

In Spain, all tourist accommodation is legally required to register its guests and report their details to the Ministry of the Interior. This is set out in Royal Decree 933/2021, and since 2 December 2024 the data has been submitted through the SES.HOSPEDAJES platform. It isn't a Nordik decision: every hotel, guesthouse and holiday apartment in the country does it.

What details are required

• Full name, sex and date of birth.
• Nationality, document type and number (Spanish ID, NIE or passport) and the document's support number where it has one.
• Home address, phone number and email.
• For minors, their relationship to the adult travelling with them.
• Booking and payment method details.

How it's done

We send you a link so you can do it online, from your phone, in a few minutes. Each guest fills in their details with their ID document to hand. The law requires the data to be submitted within 24 hours of the start of the stay, which is why we ask for it before you arrive: that way, on arrival day you only have to open the door. The data is kept for the legally required period and handled in line with data protection law.

We go over what else to have ready in our checklist before travelling to Malaga.

Step 3: receive your code or Nordikey

Once your registration is complete, you'll receive all your access information before you arrive:

• The exact address and how to find the building entrance or house.
• Your personal code or Nordikey, valid only for the dates of your stay.
• Entry instructions specific to your accommodation: street door, floor, flat door.
• The WhatsApp contact for any questions.

The code is personal: don't share it outside your group. It stops working automatically when your stay ends, and the next guest gets a different one. That's one of the big advantages over physical keys: there are no copies floating around.

Step 4: let yourself in

In Nordik apartments

Apartments have a smart lock with a keypad on the door. You enter your code, the lock releases and you're in. Some buildings also have a street door or building entrance; the instructions tell you how to get through it. It's the system you'll find, for example, at Reikiavik, in central Malaga, or at Heidaby, with a terrace in Pedregalejo.

In Nordik Rooms

In our room houses, each private room has a keypad handle on its own door, with your personal code. How to get into the house is explained in the instructions. That way your room stays locked even though you share the kitchen and bathrooms, as at Helsinki Luleå, in the centre or Stavanger Førde, in Trinidad.

Tips for your first entry

• Enter the code slowly and wait for the keypad to light up before you start.
• If the keypad needs a final key to confirm, the instructions tell you which one.
• Turn the handle or push the door straight after it unlocks; if you wait too long, it locks again.
• Save the code and address in an offline note in case you have no data.

If you're travelling as a group or arriving separately

A very common situation: one friend lands at 15:00 and the rest at 23:00, or one couple arrives by car and another by train. With keyless access there's no need to organise who picks up the key or wait in a bar with your bags. The lead booker shares the code with the group and everyone lets themselves in when they arrive. Just remember that all adults must be included in the guest registration before entering, including those arriving later.

If you're travelling with children or have reduced mobility

Minors are registered too, stating their relationship to the adult they're travelling with. If someone in your group has reduced mobility, check the listing before you book (floor, lift, steps at the entrance) or ask us on WhatsApp: we'd rather you knew before you arrive than at the bottom of the stairs.

Step 5: what to do if the code doesn't work

It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Before you panic:

1. Check you're at the right door (floor, letter, room number).
2. Check the time: the code activates from your booking's check-in time.
3. Wait a few seconds and try again: many keypads lock briefly after several failed attempts.
4. If the keypad doesn't light up, don't keep trying: it may need a technical check.
5. Message us on WhatsApp, available 24/7, with a photo of the door or keypad. The team will talk you through it or give you an alternative way in.

If you're arriving late, support is still there. We explain it in arriving late at night in Malaga.

Check-out: no keys to hand back

On departure day you don't have to return anything or meet anyone. You leave at the time shown in your booking, close the door properly and off you go. If you'd like to leave a little later or drop your bags for a while, ask on WhatsApp: it's subject to availability, because another guest often arrives that same day.

Keyless access vs a traditional reception desk

• Arrive whenever you arrive: no time slots and no late check-in fees.
• More security: unique codes for each stay, no lost keys or copies.
• Less waiting: nobody running late to hand over keys, no reception queues.
• Real support: not having a reception desk doesn't mean you're on your own; WhatsApp support is 24/7.

The question we get most at first is whether «there's nobody there». There is: the Nordik team is based in Malaga, prepares every property before you arrive and answers on WhatsApp throughout your stay. What disappears is the waiting.

Book direct at nordikcompany.com: 24-hour keyless entry, cleaning included and the best available price.

Updated: October 2026 · Nordik team