One of the world's largest hotel chains has today launched an innovative new device that lets guests unlock their hotel rooms with their smartphones.
Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which owns and runs 1,162 hotels worldwide, unveiled the feature at 10 Aloft, Element and W hotels.
It is planning to expand the technology, which works via a Bluetooth connection, to 140 more of its properties by the middle of next year.
Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which owns and runs 1,162 hotels worldwide, have unveiled an innovative smartphone feature that unlocks hotels doors using Bluetooth technology
The facility is set to revolutionise the check-in process as it means that busy travellers can now by-pass the concierge desk altogether and head straight to their rooms.
As well as meaning an end to check-in queues, the new facility could eventually mean the end for key cards and traditional room keys.
Hilton Worldwide is the only other hotel chain to publicly acknowledge plans for mobile room keys - which it plans to roll out at the end of 2015 at its US properties including Hilton, Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and Canopy hotels.
The move comes after Marriott International launched the ability for guests to check in through a smartphone app at 330 of its North American hotels last year
The facility is set to revolutionise the check-in process as it means that busy travellers can now by-pass the concierge desk altogether and head straight to their rooms
Mobile check-in is already being offered to travellers at the main check-in counter at the Marriott Marquis Times Square hotel in New York
A guest at the Marriott Marquis Times Square hotel in New York after using the mobile check-in facility
By the end of this year, the programme will be live at all 4,000 Marriott hotels worldwide.
When a room becomes available, a message is sent to the guest's phone. Traditional room keys are pre-programmed and waiting at the front desk. A special express line allows guests to bypass crowds, flash their IDs and get keys.
InterContinental Hotels Group is testing express check-in at 60 hotels.
‘Guests want this because it makes their lives simpler,’ said Mark Vondrasek, who oversees the loyalty program and digital initiatives for Starwood.
‘The ability to go right to your room, gives them back time.’
The innovations are still being tweaked as hotels scramble to catch up to airlines.
Fliers today can already use their phones to check in, select seats and as a boarding pass. Hotels envision a similar relationship, with guests ultimately ordering poolside drinks via an app
Marriott International launched the ability to check in through its app at 330 North American hotels last year
Guests who like personal interaction can still opt for a more leisurely check-in, and the hotel companies insist the move isn't about cutting jobs.
Brett Cowell, vice president of information technology for Hyatt, which is testing permanent keys for frequent guests at six hotels, explained the decision to introduce the new streamlined check-in process, saying: ‘If you're at the end of a long day, you might want a little less of a chatty experience.
‘But if you're showing up at a new resort, you may want to know what the pool hours are.’
Starwood’s new smartphone facilities require the phone to actually touch a pad on the outside of the door to open it, which the company say prevents guests accidentally unlocking their doors if their smartphones are in their pocket.
By the end of this year, the program will be live at all 4,000 Marriott hotels worldwide
Also, an additional security measure means that only one phone can be linked to a room at a time. If two people are staying in the room, they still need to get a traditional key for the second guest.
Hotels are currently trying to get more travellers comfortable using their mobile apps to purchase suites, spa treatments and room service though their phones and tablets.
It is also hoped that smartwatches will soon be able to perform the same functions, while guests can also use apps on their iPads that are capable of requesting a wake-up call from staff.
Marriott guests made $1.25bn in bookings last year through its mobile app, according to George Corbin, senior vice president of digital for the company.
Guests who like personal interaction can still opt for a more leisurely check-in, and the hotel companies insist the move isn't about cutting jobs
The new facilities could eventually mean an end to check-in queues, key cards and traditional room keys
Starwood's app to unlock hotel rooms currently requires Bluetooth data connection. Each hotel room needs to have a new lock that can communicate with phones.
The top 15 hotel companies have more than 42,000 properties worldwide with a combined 5.2 million rooms, according to travel research firms STR and STR Global. Many hotels have made updates over the past few years, but they remain the minority.
Marriott says it is holding off on smartphone keys until all the potential bugs can be resolved.
‘If there was ever a moment that matters,’ Corbin says, ‘it's the moment when you go up to your door and the key doesn't work.’
But for the frequent business traveller, this might just be the time-saver they are looking for.
Bruce Craven spends about 100 nights a year on the road, traveling between his California home and New York where he does executive training programs and teaches at Columbia Business School. He's been testing Starwood's smartphone room key since March.
‘If you're traveling all the time, little things can take on a symbolic importance,’ Craven said. ‘This is one less thing that I need to think about.’
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