Hilton introduces Digital Key service in UK hotels
Gone are the days of having a huge room key that you had to leave behind the reception desk when you went out of the hotel. In fact, gone are the days of having a key or any kind of room entry card at all! Just introduced by Hilton across a handful of its hotels in the UK is a Digital Key system that enables you to control your room access via a smartphone app.
Following the rollout of digital check-in and digital room selection, the mobile-enabled room key technology enables Hilton Honors members to securely open the door of their room (just don’t go leaving your smartphone around, otherwise you might be in trouble! It will also work as well in any other area of the hotel that requires a key such as the gym or the pool.
Digital Key provides guests with a secure way to access rooms, claims Hilton. Activated the day before arrival, Hilton Honors members who book directly with Hilton can select their desired room on their smartphone using digital check-in and will be asked if they’d also like a Digital Key during their stay.
On the day of arrival and once their room is ready, they receive a notification via the app and will need to pass by the front desk to get their Digital Key enabled before heading to their room. When the guest approaches their hotel room, they can simply press the virtual “unlock” button on the app to unlock the door.
Says Geraldine Calpin, Chief Marketing Officer, Hilton:
“We know that our guests are looking for more choice and control over their entire travel journey and through digital tools such as Digital Key and digital check-in with room selection, we are giving guests the ability to personalise their stay at every stage, wherever they are in the world.”
The UK launch follows the rollout of Digital Key in the US and Canada, enabling guests to unlock doors at 1,700 hotels across the world.
Currently it’s available in less than 10 hotels across the UK. However, by the end of 2017, Hilton reckons it will have rolled out the technology to 100 UK hotels and to 2,500 hotels worldwide.
