Actually - it's both, in sort of an either/or scenario. If you go to the desk to check in, you will need to go to the designated desk for online check in and show an ID. If you receive the text or email with a room number, you can choose to go directly to your room. If you get the text/email and you know that you don't like your room location, you can choose to go to the front desk even though you had the option to skip it. They just want to make sure you know what to do whichever method you use to check in.
Just because you have received the information that you are eligible to skip the front desk, doesn't always mean you will get the email/text you need to do so. I would say since they started direct to room, I've received the room number about half the time, and the other half I get an email to go to the front desk or no contact at all. Usually it's been because of a computer issue that caused issues with the magicbands opening the door, so they were having to issue key cards until the computers were fixed. Once, their computer system was down altogether and they were manually checking in everyone.
