Starwood Hotels and Resorts became the first chain of hotels to allow smartphones to act as keys to open guest rooms
Imagining a world without smartphones is nearly impossible for most of us who rely on these tech gadgets for communicating, browsing, shopping, video conferencing and a lot more. Starwood Hotels and Resorts realized the importance of smartphones and extended its use further. In an official press release, the chain of luxury hotels and resorts announced the new SPG Keyless to replace the traditional keys to unlock rooms. Guests can simply use their smartphones to unlock their rooms and can skip the stop by at the front desk.
The new unlocking method was developed by the world's largest lock manufacturer, Assa Abloy, and uses the smartphone's Bluetooth connection to communicate with the door lock and unlock it. The new technology builds on the RIFD-equipped key card, which was unveiled in 2011 at Aloft hotels to skip the check-in process and access rooms.
"Not only does SPG Keyless alleviate a perennial pain point for travelers, but it also transforms the first interaction with our guests from one that is transactional to something more personal," Frits van Paasschen, Starwood's President & Chief Executive Officer, said in a press statement, Monday. "This is just the beginning, because through mobile we have the opportunity to marry high tech and high touch to transform the hotel experience in many exciting ways."
The prospective guests are required to register their phone through a SPG App. SPG Keyless is available in select hotels under Starwood's banner, including Aloft, Element and W Hotels in Beijing, Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles, Doha and five other locations at launch. Starting Wednesday, the keyless technology will widely be adopted by Aloft Beijing, Aloft Cancun, Aloft Cupertino, Aloft Harlem, W Doha, W Hollywood, W Hong Kong, W New York-Downtown, W Singapore and Element Times Square. Starwood has plans to replace traditional door locks with SPG Keyless n 30,000 doors in 150 hotels by early 2015.
Other hotels are also finding ways to connect with its guests in new and efficient ways. Hilton Worldwide has also publicly revealed plans to roll out smartphone keys for hotel rooms at select U.S. locations by the end of 2015. The keyless technology is expected to embrace Hilton's four major brands, including Hilton, Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and Canopy, AP reports.
