wizla

As the title says, now available at doubletree excel, Hilton Hyde park and Hampton b Hilton Exeter......interesting concept Or unreliable?

navelfluff

I have used it many times at the Aloft Excel (a Starwood property) When it works it is good, but the front desk staff are wildly inconsistent in their ability to work the technology so about half the times I have stayed it hasn't been enabled.

corporate-wage-slave

I was in the Doubletree Excel on Wednesday and it wasn't offered (nor was OLCI). However I can see how the hotel's contactless key system would allow for this.

I've used the digital key option at many hotels in the USA. The upside is the ability to avoid the check-in queue, plus though I'm quite capable of wiping my traditional room card with interference from my mobile telephone, fortunately vice versa doesn't seem to happen. One absolutely massive advantage - at those hotels where they are on top of the game - is that you get a notification from the App when the room is ready for occupancy, and this could be well before you expect. You can then make a judgement call (e.g.) to drop by the hotel before heading to whatever work or engagement you had lined up. Or leave it if you know the room isn't ready.

The disadvantages include where you miss out on breakfast vouchers, wifi codes or bottles of water, when these are controlled by reception. And the DT biscuit I suppose! Also if your battery goes flat at the wrong time, and very occasionally the local signal isn't quite strong enough. You get the option to hide the room number if you wish.

There is a knack to it, in terms of pressing the green unlock button on the phone and the timing for your attempt to open the door. It's just over one second. If you do it too soon you may have to repeat the unlock button press.

Personally I think the best approach - assuming you're happy with the room allocation - is to choose digital key at an early stage, but still call in at the front desk if there isn't a queue to get any of the extras. If there is a queue you can pop by later, and indeed ask for a physical key as a backup.

lcohen999

my last stay at the ES in New Orleans, I digital key'ed and the snacks and breakfast vouchers were already waiting for me in my room

That said, I am sure the entire chain isn't that consistent

david57835

I used the digital key at the Hampton Exeter airport about a month ago. All working very smoothly. Front desk staff were very excited about it. (I know).

slickness123

I checked in for my room through the front desk. Does that mean I am unable to use a digital key on my phone to enter my room?

InkUnderNails

I have just one data point that may be different for different properties. I checked in at the desk and was issued a key card. I then asked for Digital Key and was told it was one or the other but not both. Since I already had key card I was out of luck. I could have requested Digital Key at desk and it would have been fine.

ES, BWI.

UKOK

Hmm I used both last week at the Curio in Mobile. My digital key was really touchy and they had to send me a new digital key half way thru the stay to get it up and running again. Mostly I used the regular key but my son enjoyed the novelty of the digital version so both were used randomly.

Miesque

From my experience, you can have a key and also digital key.

slickness123

Thanks for the replies. I just downloaded the app but don't see an option for digital key. What am I supposed to do to make it appear? I'm staying at the Hilton Sedona and that is one of the properties that uses the digital key.

Globalist

Another datapoint.

Last weekend at the Hilton in Singapore.
Did not check in online, got to the lounge for check in, was asked if I wanted a digital key, and mentioned I prefer the key card. The lounge agent mentioned that if I take the digital key I would be issued with a key card anyway..

Globalist

BLazarus22

I have always checked in at the desk and received a key at digital properties. In those instances the digital key worked in the app but was never more convenient than the key (unless you lose the key, I guess).

Dad to Rei

At Parc 55 in San Fran a couple weeks back it was 'one or the other' not both.

adambrock

My experience has been if you request digital key first, you can have that and a physical key. When I have been checked in by the front desk, I've never been able to get a digital key. This happened once when my flight was getting in pretty late and the night auditor checked me in before I checked in on mobile. Now I do the mobile checkin and key request the day prior.

sdsearch

Aren't physical keys that are contactless also digital? Or are contactless hotel key locks really analog?

Ie, i would think the proper term would be smartphone key, rather than digital key. (Digital simply means it's 1s and 0s. Lots of different formats are digital.)