In a first for the hotel industry, Hyatt Hotels has introduced room keys in Apple Wallet across the first six participating U.S. hotels: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa, Hyatt House Chicago/West Loop-Fulton Market, Hyatt House Dallas/Richardson, Hyatt Place Fremont/Silicon Valley and Hyatt Regency Long Beach. The technology is expected to be rolled out across Hyatt’s global portfolio. It seems all but certain that other hotel brands will quickly follow suit.
Hyatt’s portfolio includes more than 1,000 hotel and all-inclusive properties in 69 countries across six continents. The acquisition of Apple Leisure Group added 96 properties in 10 countries as of last month.
As the first hotel brand to offer room keys in Apple Wallet, Hyatt guests at participating locations can now seamlessly and securely tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock guestrooms and key card-protected common areas like gyms, pools, and elevators. This eliminates the need to open an app or handle a traditional plastic room key.
According to the company, Hyatt room keys in Apple Wallet help deliver an easy and contactless experience from check-in to check out, while also providing additional security and privacy benefits for guests. Benefits include the following:
Hyatt room keys in Apple Wallet are supported by ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions door locks and their Vostio Access Management cloud-based solution. Vostio Access Management provides the digital key information that is securely delivered to guest devices.
Hyatt’s digital key in the World of Hyatt mobile app utilizes Bluetooth technology that allows guests to use the World of Hyatt app on their iPhone or Android phone as a digital key. Offering Hyatt room keys on multiple digital platforms provides members with more choices during their stay. Hyatt digital keys in the World of Hyatt mobile app are currently available at more than 600 participating hotels.
The Chicago-based hotel brand has been at the forefront of technology innovation, with plenty of recent examples:
Hyatt is deploying Medallia Zingle-powered intelligent messaging technology across its global portfolio, offering personalized communication between guests and hotel colleagues. This integration supports any pre-arrival and in-stay questions, in guests’ preferred language and method of communication, via SMS text, in-app, web chat or popular social messaging apps like WhatsApp.
Hyatt recently introduced a pilot program at participating Hyatt Place properties, offering guests fast, free delivery on thousands of everyday items directly to their hotel from Gopuff’s local micro-fulfillment centers.
Earlier this year, Hyatt launched Together by Hyatt, a new suite of events offerings for the re-imagined approach to meetings, building on Hyatt’s deep-rooted expertise in meetings and events to advance care for planners as they navigate the new normal.
Hyatt introduced the Hyatt Together digital platform featuring custom streaming content for guests, members and colleagues. The content is inspired by signature Hyatt experiences from around the globe and designed to inspire wellbeing while traveling, or at home.
“Our approach to technology always includes listening to our guests and members. We heard that they want access to be near-instantaneous. Room keys in Apple Wallet is an easy, convenient and secure room key option for our guests when they travel,” said Julia Vander Ploeg, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Digital and Technology, Hyatt, in a press statement. “We are proud to work with Apple to launch this game-changing digital experience. Many consumer technologies evolve through a ‘tipping point’ that drives a change in adoption. We believe our collaboration with Apple on this new approach to room keys in Apple Wallet can be exactly that.”
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