starflyergold

https://www.businesstraveller.com/bu...tal-room-keys/

Goldorak

I have seen that on LinkedIn this morning and, yes, Accor is late on this, but sincerely...I have never been a big fan of it when I used it a few times in Hilton hotels. You need data plan with your phone (not always the case when traveling abroad) or connect immediately to the wifi when you are still at the front desk. Then you need to retrieve the key in the lift, at your door, etc. Frankly...having the key card in your hand/in your pocket is just more convenient IMHO.

CanadaDH

I would agree with that. I also don't always carry my phone with me when I leave the room. Sometimes, if I'm heading downstairs for dinner, I leave it in the room on the charger. And when go to the hotel pool, I would never bring my phone. I guess that works for those people I sometimes see, sitting in the hot tub, while carrying on a video chat with someone. It was hilarious last year, when I saw someone accidentally drop the phone into the hot tub while reaching for their drink.

lingua101

I fully agree with this. to me this is not a big deal. I have tried to use this mobile keycards in some of the SPG/Marriott hotel and I still prefer the real card.

To me not a big priority 1 that Accor should put a focus. Focus on their web/apps

khabah

So not only is Accor hilariously late to the game, but they roll out their digital keys... as a separate app from the ALL one? Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott all have their digital key functions embedded in their main apps.

Is the Accor team on crack?

khabah

starflyergold

Given the highly successful introduction of other IT initiatives, such as the online check in (please re-enter all the details you have already provided) I expect the digital key initiative to come up with such gems as locking and unlocking all room doors at once; date errors, and master passwords getting lost (my guess it is "apples").

kaizen7

So Accor plan to allow us to unlock ALL door with an Apple ?

Honestly if they can add the function into their current apps it will be great.
Different apps for just key, its not really convenient.

I have use these function in some of Bonvoy's hotels and to be honest I feel it was good alternatives although on all occasion I use mobile key there, I also ask for physical keys.

life form

Usually, the process is not complicated. Turn GPS on (if not turned on already). Connect to open hotel WiFi (if you don't have data access on your phone). Open app. Tap.

It's pretty convenient if you lost your room key. I forget the room key much more frequently than my phone. And usually, you notice you don't have the key on you when standing just outside the door. So your phone than saves you a trip to reception and, potentially, wait times at reception.

southlondonphil

Out of curiosity I've used the Hilton Digital Key a few times. No more!

Inevitably, I'm stuck looking like a right tit hovering outside my room, a secure vestibule door, or inside a lift while the little wheel goes round in the app and my phone fails to connect with the mechanism for the first 3-4 attempts. A stress-inducer and not a time saver in my experience.

Rather than laugh and gloat at Accor's tardiness arriving at the Digital Key party, I wonder optimistically (but not very!) if they've managed to get the technology to work efficiently in the interregnum since Hilton's implementation, albeit I'm personally in no hurry to find out.

hotel_user

Well is this the end for his hobby ?

Hotel Keycard Collection on KeyCardCollector.com

craigthemif

6 years after Hilton introduced digital room keys, I still have never used one, and never will...

Invest in thing that matter, such as working IT and even capably trained CS agents...

CanadaDH

Putting aside the fact that many people, like myself, just don't want to be forced to use our phones to open the room door, there's an additional tech challenge that will be very hard to solve.

I'm the CIO for my company, which means I'm predisposed to liking new technologies and I generally find them exciting (and often frustrating to implement). But tech gets more challenging when you can't control all pieces of it. I can make our internal company systems work well, because I am in control all of the devices and equipment we use, as well as the users and the training they receive. But when you're deploying a system that depends on the customer having their own device, supporting that becomes challenging. You're going to have people who don't have mobile data, and people who can't figure out the WIFI, and people who just don't like tech themselves, and people who may not even have a modern smartphone (both of my parents probably fit into all of those groups). You can't control all of those variables, and so even if you can build a really great system (which Accor has an abysmal track record with), there will always be a number of guests where that technology will turn their relaxing vacation into a frustrating experience, which is probably the opposite of what any hotelier wants to do. If Accor wants to do this, I think it should be in addition to a good old key card system, and never make it a full switch. My gut tells me there are more customers out there who would become frustrated with the system, than there are customers who would actually love the tech so much that they wouldn't stay in a place without it. And back during my regular day job, even as the company CIO, sometimes my recommendation to some of our business problems, is to take the low tech approach. What problem are they really trying to solve with smartphone keys, or is it just because it seems like the cool thing to do? Sometimes, tech can cause more challenges than it solves.

kaizen7

Interestingly the website didn't list Raffles Singapore and Raffles Bali keycard. they very unique!

kaizen7

I wonder how much will be spent on replacing those room doors that not support these mobile key things

If the cost is high, then those budget hotels (unless new built one) won't participate and if too little hotel participate, then the mobile key become useless as most of the time people just forgot about that.
Like Bonvoy Mobile Key, only few hotel that I stay frequently support this feature.
Sometimes if I do remember they support this feature, I request for them just for the fun of it.
Yet most of the times if I was in hurry, I forgot to request

bchandler02

I've yet to see any indication of IHG even thinking about this, which is where I normally stay.
However, I tried this at the Hilton in Tokyo about a year ago and wasn't all that impressed. It was buggy at best. Then last month at the Hyatt DFW, I tried it again with them and it worked flawlessly. I was able to check in on my phone, access my room, and check out, all without ever having to visit the front desk. I was very impressed with this and would enjoy this in the future.

Perhaps they should leave 1 card in the room before you check in for those times when you would be leaving your phone in the room?