Already acting as a mobile office, entertainment device and increasingly a payment system, smartphones will soon allow those of you staying at selected Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide locations to enter your room without visiting the hotel reception.
Smartphones – Hotel Room Keys: Innovation
The technology was first announced in January, and was rolled out on Monday at selected Aloft, Element, and W Hotels around the world.
“Innovation and personalization are at the forefront of everything we do at Starwood and SPG Keyless represents the perfect intersection of these two pillars,” stated Frits van Paasschen, CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. “We are excited to be the first in our industry to debut this new technology allowing us to further deliver on the wants and needs of our early adopter, hyper-mobile guests who use their smartphones for just about every aspect of their lives.”
The technology will initially be installed in 10 hotels around the world: Aloft Harlem, Aloft Cupertino, Aloft Beijing, Aloft Cancun, W New York – Downtown, W Hollywood, W Singapore, W Hong Kong, W Doha, and Element Times Square. Starwood has announced plans for a rapid acceleration of the rollout in early 2015, which will see the technology added to 30,000 doors in 150 hotels.
Smartphones – Hotel Room Keys: The system explained
Upon making a reservation at an adequately equipped hotel, you will be invited to register your phone through the SPG app, which you must do in order to use the keyless system. 24 hours before your scheduled check in time, the hotel will send you a room number and Bluetooth key via the app. When you arrive, bypass the hotel reception and go straight to your room, enabling Bluetooth on your phone and opening the app before tapping your smartphone against the lock.
Business travelers in a rush may appreciate the lack of queues at the front desk, while those of us that aren’t always in a hurry can still opt for a more personal experience at reception. The hotel industry is attempting to catch up with others, such as airlines, whose services have long been smartphone-friendly.
