Starwood announced today that they plan to roll out keyless mobile check-in.
This means you will be able to check-in on your phone and head to your room without ever having to stop at the front desk.
The first hotels to get this will be the Aloft Harlem and Aloft Cupertino then it will be rolling out to all Aloft hotels as well as W hotels.
They announced the following on Flyertalk:
True to its innovative DNA, Starwood Hotels & Resorts once again announces an industry first, this time by redefining the age-old arrival experience. Coming soon, travelers can opt-out of traditional check-in completely – no more lines, visits to the front desk, swiped credit cards, or even keys – and instead use their smart phone to check-in and open their guest room door. A truly keyless check-in allows the first guest interaction with hotel associates to be personal rather than transactional.
This innovation was developed as a top secret project and is the latest in a series of innovations stemming from a multi-year investment Starwood is making in digital/mobile technology including hardware, software, and global infrastructure.
The plan is to pilot first in key tech hubs leading with the Aloft Harlem and Aloft Cupertino in the next three months. Starwood is approaching this project with a start-up mentality, focusing on getting each aspect of the functionality right before rolling it out more broadly. If all goes well, guests could see this technology rolled out in Alofts and Ws first in 2015.
Bottom Line
Allowing guests to check-in on their phones and use mobile phones to unlock hotel rooms sounds pretty cool to me.
This could save time if there is a long line at the desk, but I’m sure there will still be times when you would want to check-in at the front desk such as if you want to inquire about an upgrade.
Will you plan to use keyless check-in when it rolls out?
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Depends.
As long as I am a Platinum I will check in at the counter if there is a wiff of an upgrade possibility.
Could be very convenient for mattress running!
I thought Marriott already offers mobile check-in unless I’m mistaken?
As does Hyatt. Mobile check in/check out. Though I don’t think you can use the phone as a key yet.
Hyatt also offers a Concierge App at the Grand Hyatt New York (pilot program) where you can order almost anything via the app to your room.