Starwood Hotels Launches Keyless Room Entry System for iPhone

Spg keyless

Hotel chain Starwood today officially launched its SPG Keyless program allowing hotel guests to use their iPhones or Android devices to check in, bypassing the front desk (where available), and unlock the door of their reserved hotel room by simply tapping the device.

SPG Keyless goes live this Wednesday at select Aloft, Element, and W brand hotels, and will be followed by express rollout to 150 hotels (30,000 doors) across the globe by early 2015, the company noted in the press release.

Travelers booking a hotel room at any of the available hotels in China, Mexico, the USA, or Singapore can download the updated Starwood SPG app.

1. After booking a reservation at a keyless hotel, SPG members are invited to opt-in to SPG Keyless and register their phone through the SPG App.
2. Approximately 24 hours before arrival, the guest receives his/her room number and Bluetooth key via the app.
3. Upon arrival at the hotel, the guest can completely bypass the front desk (where available) and go directly to his/her room.
4. Then, after ensuring his/her Bluetooth is enabled, the guest simply opens the SPG App, taps the smartphone on the door lock, waits for the green light and enters the room.

Starwood tapped the world’s largest lock manufacturer, Assa Abloy, to create an all-new, Bluetooth-enabled lock as well as keyless software, which are designed to securely recognize and connect with a guest’s mobile device.

As we previously reported, the hospitality industry is interested in incorporating keyless systems. With today’s announcement, Starwood is the first to take this important step, but Hilton has also announced similar intentions, so we will likely see a Hilton app launch (maybe an update?) shortly.

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