As much as frequent travelers are always on the look-out for cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms, they now are on the prowl to find ways to take advantage of technology to enhance their travel experiences. Two Holiday Inn properties have started testing a MobileKey program that allows guests to use their Apple iPhone, Blackberry or Android smart phone as a room key, empowering guests to bypass the front desk.
The pilot program is being tested at the Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago OHare in Rosemont, Ill., and the Holiday Inn Express in downtown Houston. These hotels began prepping for this program over the summer by changing guestroom door locks. Rooms using the MobileKey program can be reserved online, with no credit card being required when entering the hotel.
The pilot program commenced in September and will continue through December. To participate in this program guests will either enroll through an email received prior to the guests check in date or at the front desk.
On arrival day guests will receive a text message that contains both their room number and a link that can be used to unlock the door. Guests will not have to stop at the front desk to be given a plastic keycard.
Guests preferring to use plastic keycards will continue to be able to do so.
Since Holiday Inn in owned by a large parent company called InterContinental Hotels Group, if the test is successful, the roll out of this technology could easily ultimately reach thousands of hotel properties.
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