Your smartphone becomes key to skipping the hotel front desk
[MUSIC]
Traveling whether for business or pleasure can be frustrating.
but mobile technology is easing one travel woe.
Instead of fumbling for a hotel key card, you may soon just reach f or you smart phone.
[NOISE].
This month, ten Starwood hotels will allow guests to unlock their rooms with a tap of their phone.
The keyless feature should roll out at all W, Aloft and Element hotels starting in 2015.
To use the feature, guests need an iPhone or Android device that's blue tooth low energy enabled.
That's how the phones talk to the door locks.
And the free Starwood preferred guest or SPG app.
SPG members will start with a one time process.
They'll, to register their device with us.
From that point on when they make a reservation at any W, Aloft, or Element globally they'll receive the option to use SPG keyless when they check in.
A major convenience of this technology is that you can bypass an often time consuming step.
Checking in at the front desk.
Just open up the app and head straight to your room.
You get push notifications with your room number.
You also get notifications saying what preferences we were able to deliver.
So you can upgrade it for example.
And then you get a notification when you check out as well.
To open the door guests hold the phone up to the lock and wait for the green light.
Keyless entry could eliminate the need for key cards altogether.
We really started by looking at the entire guest experience and how we can leverage [UNKNOWN] keyless to enhance that so.
Whether it is the elevator locks in certain hotels, the locks on the gyms.
To ensure security, Starwood partnered with a smart lock company.
The key is will only work on your phone, not anybody else's phone, so it can't be taken and put on anything else.
And if you lose your phone, the key is immediately retracted, it's taken away from the system.
So in terms of security, it's a good as if not higher than the card you used to carry around.
Still, if a phone is stolen and not passcode enabled, someone could learn your room number.
But Starwood is assuming guests will notice a missing phone before a missing key.
Other hotels that have gone mobile include San Fransisco's Personality Hotels Group.
Hilton also plans to introduce keyless entry and a mobile feature that lets guests choose their rooms.
Now that's a travel perk.
In San Francisco, I'm [UNKNOWN] cnet.com for CBS News.
[MUSIC]
Up Next
What AirPods Rumors Tell Us About Apple's Health Ambitions
Up Next
What AirPods Rumors Tell Us About Apple's Health Ambitions
What is the Fediverse?
What is the Fediverse?
The Missing Piece to Apple's Eco-Friendly Mission
The Missing Piece to Apple's Eco-Friendly Mission
Boston Dynamics Retires Its HD Atlas Robot
Boston Dynamics Retires Its HD Atlas Robot
Apple and Disney's Unique Bond: Why Vision Pro Needs the Mouse
Apple and Disney's Unique Bond: Why Vision Pro Needs the Mouse
The Ocean Cleanup's System 03 Collects Plastic Pollution at Record Levels
The Ocean Cleanup's System 03 Collects Plastic Pollution at Record Levels
Latest iOS 18 Rumor Roundup: New Designs, AI Tricks
Latest iOS 18 Rumor Roundup: New Designs, AI Tricks
Apple to Talk AI in June: This WWDC Is a Big Deal
Apple to Talk AI in June: This WWDC Is a Big Deal
What Google Gemini AI on the iPhone Could Look Like
What Google Gemini AI on the iPhone Could Look Like
Microsoft Surface Pro 10, Surface Laptop 6 Are Here
Microsoft Surface Pro 10, Surface Laptop 6 Are Here
Tech Shows
Latest News All latest news
How to Install Windows 11 on M-Series Mac Computers
How to Install Windows 11 on M-Series Mac Computers
Rabbit R1: Here's What It Can Actually Do
Rabbit R1: Here's What It Can Actually Do
How to Access AI on Your Apple Watch
How to Access AI on Your Apple Watch
Beats Solo 4 Headphones Review: Same Look, but Better Sound and USB-C
Beats Solo 4 Headphones Review: Same Look, but Better Sound and USB-C
Living With Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: 3 Months Later
Living With Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: 3 Months Later
Trash Gobbling Robots Cleaning Lake Tahoe and Beyond!
Trash Gobbling Robots Cleaning Lake Tahoe and Beyond!
Most Popular All most popular
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Latest Products All latest products
Rabbit R1: Here's What It Can Actually Do
Rabbit R1: Here's What It Can Actually Do
Beats Solo 4 Headphones Review: Same Look, but Better Sound and USB-C
Beats Solo 4 Headphones Review: Same Look, but Better Sound and USB-C
Robosen's Megatron Transformer Is Too Much Fun for an Evil Robot
Robosen's Megatron Transformer Is Too Much Fun for an Evil Robot
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Latest How To All how to videos
How to Install Windows 11 on M-Series Mac Computers
How to Install Windows 11 on M-Series Mac Computers
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra