Hotel operations and guest expectations are rapidly being transformed by mobile technology. Today, our mobile phones can do almost anything, including opening the door!
Mobile key (or digital key) technology is no longer exclusively used by global chain hotels and luxury resorts. It is now possible for independent properties, including hotels and vacation rental homes, to use mobile keys thanks to the increasing number of keyless access providers.
1. How Does the Mobile Phone Key Work?
Using Bluetooth or NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, the mobile key application turns the guest’s mobile phone into their room key. When integrated with a property management system (PMS), the mobile key solution works best. It can automatically deliver room keys to achieve an efficient, safe, and modern check-in process, thus improving the guest experience.
Upon completion of the reservation, the guest will receive an email confirmation, along with a link to download the mobile key application. After the guest arrives, PMS will automatically let the mobile key platform know when the guest will check in, and the mobile key platform will respond by sending the security digital key to the guest’s mobile phone. Then, guests can use the mobile key application to unlock the door by clicking the button on the mobile phone screen or putting the mobile phone close to the door. In addition to accessing hotel rooms, the mobile key can be used to access gyms, elevators, and parking lots. As soon as the digital key is disabled, PMS automatically reminds the mobile key platform.
The mobile key can be implemented without replacing the existing lock system, making it easy for independent properties to use this exciting technology. Existing locks can be upgraded by installing Bluetooth devices. For example, mobile key compatibility can be achieved while maintaining the key card function.
2. Advantages of Mobile Phone Key
Guests need mobile applications that can improve guest experience through self-service and personalization. Mobile key technology offers guests and hotel operators multiple benefits, such as convenience, efficiency, sustainability, and security.
1) Efficient and Personalized Check-in Process
The check-in experience is the main factor affecting the overall guest satisfaction score. In order to enhance the guest experience, the hotel will cooperate with good pillow suppliers to provide guests with comfortable bedding. But today, enhancing the guest experience involves more than providing guests with a clean room environment and comfortable pillows, linens, and more. It also includes a fast and easy check-in process. As part of the self-service check-in process of seamless hotels, the mobile key solution allows guests to skip the front desk completely and go directly to their room upon arrival.
Although at first glance this seems to be contrary to the concept of the hotel, self-service check-in improves efficiency and reduces friction by canceling the mandatory stay at the front desk, and brings a more personalized experience. Guests can immediately and safely visit their rooms without first showing their identity at the front desk.
Self-service check-in with mobile phone keys has greatly reduced the labor-management burden of employees. Instead of finding reservations, charging credit card fees, and distributing key cards for each guest, the staff can focus on the actual hospitality.
Any hotel self-service check-in experience should be supported by the staff, who can assist the guests as needed and warmly welcome each guest with a smile. By eliminating key cards, mobile key technology streamlines the check-in process and automates access control management, enabling hotels to be more efficient and safe.
The guests appreciated the convenience and security of the mobile key during the whole stay. Physical room keys and key cards have a way of getting lost. Even in the abyss of handbags, our mobile phones are always within reach. This leads to our next point
2) Improve Security
Mobile key technology provides multi-layer security and is the most secure way to access hotels today. It is easy to misplace or steal physical keys and key cards, but a guest’s mobile phone is unlikely to go missing. The mobile room key will be protected by the same password, password, or fingerprint ID that secures the mobile phone and is used to unlock the mobile phone in the event that it is lost or stolen.
The most important thing is that the mobile key prevents hacker attacks through the latest encryption technology, and transmits it in real-time through the secure channel (only within the scope of the door lock). In order to improve efficiency, the hotel is using mobile keys to enhance the security of guests and the hotel.
3) Sustainable and Cost-effective
Despite being the cheapest way to access hotel rooms, magnetic stripe key cards are easy to demagnetize and have a negative effect on customer service. For this reason, hotel operators have been turning to a more reliable RFID key card system, although the cost is higher. Although mobile keys are more expensive than magnetic stripe key cards, they provide a positive return on investment compared with RFID.
Mobile keys, however, have a significant environmental advantage over magnetic stripe or RFID key cards. Eliminate the waste of plastic key cards (it is estimated that a typical hotel with 200 rooms processes about 12000 key cards every year). Mobile key technology has significantly reduced the hotel’s environmental footprint and is also favored by more and more eco-conscious travelers.
As we use mobile phones to manage more and more aspects of our lives, mobile technology is changing the way we operate. Mobile keys automate guest access, improve guest experience and security, and save hotel operators’ time by improving the guest experience. In order to facilitate seamless visitor registration and easy access management, PMS integrates with more and more mobile key providers.
