Your smartphone is the key to skipping the hotel check-in desk. With keyless smartphone room entry, demagnetized or lost hotel key cards may soon become a problem of the past.
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, which owns and manages a number of high-end hotel brands including the St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft and Element, on Tuesday announced the rollout of SPG Keyless, a tech offering that allows guests to use their smartphone as a room key.
Hilton introduced similar technology earlier this year.
How it works?
The keyless entry works on Bluetooth LE-enabled iPhones and Android smartphones thanks to the company’s free SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) App. Guests simply sign up through the app, and when they check-in for their booking they will have the option to use SPG Keyless to access their room. Getting into the room is as simple as holding the phone up to the Bluetooth panel on the door and waiting for the green light.
The app also allows guests to view the details of their stay and receive push notifications on the status of their room, such as information on upgrades. But the biggest bonus is the time saved — visitors will be able to bypass the front desk when they get to their hotel, taking control of everything through the app.
The security question
Security likely will be the biggest cause for concern with this technology. The app on the phone becomes a digital credential capable of opening a door, the way a username and password will open a website. Starwood Hotels promises advanced security, partnering with smart lock company Assa Abloy to ensure that specific room keys only work on specific phones and allowing digital keys to be wiped if a phone is lost.
