Expectations of hotel guests are changing. They want convenience without sacrificing security. They want a personalized experience on their own terms – and if your hotel cannot meet those expectations, they will often seek out a brand that can. Mobile key technology personifies the intersection of convenience and security that will be commonplace throughout the industry by 2022.
Your guests aren’t the only ones to benefit from this hotel technology trend, however, as demonstrated by our Mobile Key infographic above. On average, hotel brands can expect to save $1,000 per month in discarded RFID key cards, along with a 7% improvement in guest satisfaction scores by implementing mobile keys.
In fact, with nearly 2/3 of travelers preferring to use their smartphone as their room key, the time is quickly approaching where mobile keyless entry will become an expected part of the guest experience. To that point, nearly half of guests already view mobile keys as an essential feature and use them as a factor in their hotel selection, while only 16% of hotels currently offer them.
A common thread amongst all of the data points in our Mobile Key infographic is the vital role mobile devices play in the average guest’s life. From a hospitality perspective, over 3/4 of travelers view their smartphone as their most important travel companion, and for good reason.
Digital keys allow hotels to offer remote check-in as well as send a secure room key directly to the guest mobile phone prior to arrival – which eliminates the need to stand in the check-in line at the front desk, one of the most common complaints from American travelers. In fact, guests dread lines at the front desk so much, a mere five-minute wait causes average guest satisfaction to drop by 50%.
Thankfully, many hotels recognize the importance of mobile key technology and are quickly implementing systems to satisfy guest expectations. In 2017, nearly half of hotels planned on making significant investments in new hotel technology trends, with over a quarter specifically considering an upgrade to their door locking systems – necessary for mobile keyless entry.
As the industry leader in mobile key technology, OpenKey can help hotels quickly assemble an effective strategy to address the rapidly growing guest demand for mobile keys. With a current 90 day wait for digital door locks due to intense global demand, and an estimated 35,000 hotel rooms utilizing OpenKey’s technology by the end 2018, guest expectations won’t be slowing anytime soon.
