I have an idea that I want to pitch to Marriott, but I wanted to flesh it out here, to see if it's something that Frequent travelers (other than me) would even be interested in.

The concept is for a new method of checking in for elites. I would love to see the option of checking in on my phone - it would work like this:

1. Every elite receives their Marriott Elite Card
2. When you are ready to check in, you simply hop on your phone, open the app, and check in - This could allow you to easily select your points as amenity, choose a room of those available, etc.
3. Your Marriott Elite Card would now work as your room key, allowing you in to your room, and the lounge (if applicable).
4. When you're ready to check out, you hop on your app again, and check out.

The benefits of this as I see it are:
Marriott doesn't have to purchase as many hotel keys, which wear out, or are thrown away or taken
This could reduce man power, requiring fewer front desk agents to check guests in
This allows those who want to simply get straight to their room the ability to do so, while offering those who like the luxury of being checked in by another person the option to do so

Potential issues would likely be:
They may have to re-issue a number of elite cards
Security issues?
As someone who is not familiar with how exactly the key systems work, I don't know what level of rebuilding of the current infrastructure would be required


Whether or not they choose to implement anything like this, it seems like it's at least worth a cost/benefit analysis.

Let me know your thoughts, or if you have ideas of way to improve (or if it's completely half baked and something no one would want)

P.S. This could also work with phones using the same technology as NFC payments some day, but that's a long way off, and that would DEFINITELY require a rebuild of their current infrastructure.

I think it's an excellent idea. Some things to consdier:
Why make it a phone only option? Why not include check in online via a computer
Should have option to change credit card
should allow you to email yourself a copy of your foilio at any time during the stay
make sure all elit's have 2 cards in case they have a spouse/significant other or traveling companion
should include choice of bonus points, or other welcome gift


my suspicion is that key technoology isn't quite there yet. you see them swipe cards in that magnetic thing at the front desk. but even if it's not htere today, it should be there soon enough. this could save a lot of labor cost of front desk workers

Excellent idea, but too short sighted IMO.

Magnetic strips are too easily erased/altered.

RFID room keys like the SPR. It will require RFID Membership cards. Ramp up to that will take some time and $, but they'll get there eventually (or more likely something like it see next paragraph) as that is the organic direction everything is going.

Using your smart phone's RFID as your affinity membership cards, room keys, boarding passes and charge cards. Why carry a lot of cards, when all you need is your iPhone, HTC or similar. No need for anything else.

Starwood is "testing" this technology at their aloft brand....it's very new and much more expensive than the currently used expensive hotel locks....I'm certain in time this will become the norm but MI has never been the first to install new technology - they wait for the kinks to be worked out before proceeding

This could be problematic for someone who is booking multiple rooms for a group but doesn't necessarily want (or should have) access to all of the rooms. A kiosk similar to those I have seen at Hyatt Place may be a better starting point.

I just received my new Starwood card that should work like this at Alofts.

I kind of liked the Hilton system when I used it a couple years ago: you could log in the day before and select a room and, in a few of the bigger hotels, go straight to the concierge lounge to get the key. Allowed elites to preselect their room but didn't really change the hotel operation too much.

It's been a while since I've stayed at a large full-service Hilton so I'm not sure if this is still common. Everything I've read on their boards is about how they've tightened up on upgrades across the board, somewhat defeating the purpose of checking in a day early and being able to look at 5 or 6 specific room numbers to choose from.

I think there are some other brands that need a technology advance more than Marriott. I can't recall waiting in any kind of a long line to check in to a Marriott in recent years. More than I can say for Sheraton, Westin, and the mainline Hyatts. Those hotels should at least have the kiosks.

This sounds like a good idea and as a platinum I would partake if it was available.

However, you would have to show how this can either save Marriott money or increase their revenues. Based on the IT effort, it would have to be millions of dollars. You could make an argument to attract and retain more high value customers, but would people really stay with or join a rewards because of this service?

Save tons of labor cost for front desk check in agents

I think this is a great idea! My least favorite thing to do when traveling is check in at the front desk since that process seems to be the most inconsistant part of staying at a hotel. I also like when I hear "we are sold out" when I ask for a specific floor or a different room - not necessarily an upgrade - and I see that rooms are still available online at the property. It would be easier to select a room and check in without having to go to the front desk.

I know that Holiday Inn is testing a "phone/key" technology in some of its Chicago properties. Their technology uses audible tones to open a door. The tones are broadcasted through the speaker of any phone (http://innovationcenter.ihg.com/). This concept has required the participating properties to completely change their door/key hardware and system.

Also, Hilton still does let you select specific rooms the day before you check in at many of its full service Hilton properties and even some of its Homewood Suites properties. You still have to visit the front desk for a key but since everything else is already taken care of, it takes less than a minute to finish checking in and get your key.

The key system idea you proposed is actually a great idea but it won't easily work today unless properties upgrade their door/lock hardware to a connected system. Most (about 95%) modern door/lock hardware in use today are basically small, low energy, battery powered computers that are not really "connected" in any way to other doors or any networked system. Let's say you check in to room 201 at 2:00 PM and that same room was checked out of at 11:00 AM the same day by another person. When you check in at the front desk, you receive a plastic key with a magnetic strip that is coded to open that room. When you go to the room, your key tells the door to let you in and delete access privileges for the person who was in the room the night before. Because of this, a plastic key with a magnetic strip has to be coded to be assigned to that specific room and has to be physically inserted in to the door/lock hardware to change the access settings. Most RFID systems work the same way as magnetic card systems but, of course, transmit this information via RFID and not through a magnetic strip.

So - I'm not trying to kill your idea. I'm actually trying to support it!

With this in mind, it is actually relatively inexpensive to change the door/key hardware - especially if it is factored in to a property's 5 or 10 year refresh or renovation. Newer door/key hardware that is somehow connected to a central computer or maybe a similar technology would be relatively simple to develop (if it has not already been developed). OR - you can go the Holiday Inn route and make the mobile device (your phone) the network connected device - which it is (phone network or data connection). The data that is transmitted from your mobile device via a data connection or an audible connection can then delete the old access privileges on the non-connected door/lock hardware the same way the magnetic strip and RFID keys work today. In other words, something will have to be network connected to replace the coding done by the front desk computer.

Does anybody know if this already exists (other than HI) or does anybody have any other ideas on how this could work? Also, how does the Aloft system work? Is their door/lock hardware network connected?

The idea here is to create the ability to walk in the front door of a hotel and directly to your room without having to stop at the front desk - saving time and labor (just like TV checkout). This idea isn't for everybody, but a lot of frequent travelers would enjoy this small enhancement.

Anyway - great ideas here and hopefully we see things develop over the next few years!

Well, as of today this wouldn't work because not every hotel uses the same shape mag stripe key. So this would require an infrastructure upgrade, as mentioned above.

The concept of a wireless enabled lock is out there, and is probably the way to go. (Locks talk to local wireless router which talks to door controllers which talk to master computer which is fed your "special key" number.)

And then Marriott can charge $9.95/day for the service, but waive it for GE and PE

how so?

My guess would be that there is a desire to not have frequent guests wait too long to get checked in. This would require more staff to man the extra stations. While this is great for CS, during the downtime they are paying for additional staff. If you didn't have to see the front desk, each FS may be able to do with one or two fewer FD agents during these peak times, thus saving money, in the long run.

Whether this would be true in practice is anyone's guess, though.

If you have the correct amount of staffing (and yes just like anything else this is measured as if by a bunch of NASA scientists these days) having any guest wait too long should be extremely rare while keeping labor costs low....a GSA's job these days isn't simply to check guests in and out - there are many other duties which a typical guest may never observe....unfortunately the cost of a standard electronic guest room lock are expensive enough, the estimates I've seen from Starwood make these locks even that much more so - I believe it'll be some time before we see this type of lock become a standard in the industry, there are too many potential guest security/guest displeasure situations (for it to become a standard either MI or HIlton would need to commit to it due to their distribution size)