Why mobile key is to take over in hotels

Adoption of mobile locks in the hotel marketplace continues to rise unilaterally across all segments, from major brands to the smaller independents. Some of this might be due to timing—most magstripe locks are nearing the end of their useful life and the recurring maintenance issues that arise are causing hotels to seek replacement options, said Brian Shedd, VP of sales and marketing at OpenKey.

In the tech life cycle, the mobile lock offering has hit early majority, said Barbara Krzywoszanski, senior product manager of systems (hospitality) for dormakaba. “Because the majors have committed to mobile technology, it’s streaming down to the smaller chains and independent hotels,” she said. “I would say it’s at least a consideration for 95 percent of hotels nowadays, whether it’s new or retrofits.”

The hotel industry is embracing mobile access to electronic locks for many reasons. “Mobile applications that allow a guest to directly access a hotel room provide more convenience and result in improved guest satisfaction,” said Michael Cline, Salto Systems' VP of hospitality sales. “In many cases, the guest can skip the check-in line at the hotel’s front desk and go directly to their room.”