Travel and the Evolution of Room Keys – New Phone App Being Tested
Technology.
For better or worse,
things change!
Airlines have replaced some airport check-in agents with self-service kiosks. Will hotels be next to eliminate the front desk? Well, they probably won’t go that far.
Some hotel companies are investing in ways to make the check-in process faster.
The InterContinental Hotels Group is testing a digital application that can turn your cellphone into your room key.
Guests at two of their hotels, in Chicago and Houston, will be able to download and test an application to their phone.
The guests are given a code from the front desk, their phones can play a tone that opens the sound-activated locks on the doors to their rooms. Under a second phase, guests would be able to get the code sent directly to their phone, eliminating the need to stop by the front desk.
But what if I leave my cell phone in my room?
