Hotel Check In/Out Technology

Are Smartphones Winning the Hotel Check-In Debate?

One of the great debates in the hospitality industry is how to speed up the check in/ check out process. Some hotels have used a check in/check out kiosks; which this technology was not really implemented. The kiosks have been surrounded with mixed reviews. The kiosks are very expensive, and need to be constantly upgraded in order to keep up with the changing industry. An app however may change all of this. Apps as we know are the new craze and are here to stay. Apps have tremendous potential, and provide great opportunity especially since the smart phone boom. The Airline industry already uses smartphone apps for check in.

Intercontinental Hotel Group piloted a real world application of OpenWays which was the first mobile based front desk bypass solution. It is basically a mobile room key. With this solution guests choose whether or not they want the traditional check in or use the mobile room key.  When guests make the hotel reservation they input their cell phone number into the reservation. They receive a number from the hotel to call when they arrive at their hotel room. The guest calls the number which the reservation recognizes the number thus emitting a sound which the door lock recognizes and opens the door. This technology is not truly an app based program but it is headed that way. This program will be tested more in the second half 2011.

Reflection

I am not one who minds to have to check in and check out of a hotel. I am not a true business traveler anyway. I like to go to the front desk and interact with the front desk staff. You can get a feel for how the hotel will be from the people that are at the front desk. This is one of your first impressions of the hotel, and one of the first people you interact with.  I guess that a true business traveler may want some kind of bypass of the front desk, or a traveler checking in late at night who just wants to go to their room. 

I do feel that this technology is coming, and coming soon. Airlines already have mobile apps for ticketing. With all the security surrounding airlines I feel that hotels will be soon to follow. The security pertaining to people’s personal information is a major concern. I do like technology and apps so I look forward to someday using this.

Are Smartphones Winning the Hotel Check-In Debate? 

By Gustaaf Schrils, Vice President, Global Technology, Americas, IHG

http://hospitalitytechnology.edgl.com/top-stories/Are-Smartphones-Winning-the-Hotel-Check-In-Debate-71375

Posted Date: 3/15/2011