Technology : Back of the house
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constantly on-site throughout the day , the load placed on that hotel ’ s bandwidth also increases , exacerbating the already heavy strain created by today ’ s multidevice traveler . Therefore , a hotel company ’ s mobile device management ( MDM ) system and policies must account for the added bandwidth usage , in addition to upkeep and troubleshooting .
“ That is a key to success : Having an MDM solution in place that allows for provisioning , upkeep and support of that ,” Bzdawka says . “ With smaller hotels , we ’ re talking dozens of devices , but with larger hotels it could be hundreds of devices . Having a very strong MDM solution in place is critical because otherwise you can do the initial deployment , but the support becomes non-sustainable .”
That is also where the costs begin to mount . Since the mobile trend is so embryonic , sources are still attempting to track a firm ROI for these recent initiatives ; still , the firm belief held by many is that in the end , the costs are well outweighed by the advantages of fostering a mobile-based hotel workplace .
“ Back-of-the-house mobile platforms make sense in any large hotel . However , they can provide a huge improvement for almost any sized property ,” Dickersbach says . “ You have to ask yourself : Will the
efficiencies outweigh the cost of the equipment and setup ? In many cases , it would .”
My phone , my key The latest innovations in keyless entry from some of the industry ’ s major players is signaling the death knell for those time-tested plastic key cards .
Burgeoning technologies now enable a guest to use their smartphone to unlock their guestroom door . Mega-hotel companies like Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Worldwide are already upgrading locks to offer this new amenity , despite ongoing skepticism regarding the security of , and demand for , these systems .
While proponents laud keyless entry systems as the next wave of convenience , it ’ s still early in the game , so those active in the space are currently hedging their bets . The Starwood and Hilton initiatives include locks that allow for both the traditional keybased and new mobile means of access , but expect the keyless option to gain greater favor over time .
“ SPG Keyless allows guests to bypass the front desk , avoid waiting in long lines and ultimately unlock their stay , all from their smartphone or Apple Watch ,” explains Chris Holdren , senior vice president of global and digital at Starwood Preferred Guest . “ We know that the desire for this technology is there . Our tech-savvy guests manage most aspects of their life and travel from their smartphone , and many no longer want to keep track of or fumble with keycards each time they enter their room .”
Starwood will upgrade 30,000 doors at 150 global W , Aloft and Element hotels by early 2015 , while Hilton will retrofit more than 100,000 doors at all U . S . -based hotels in its Conrad Hotels & Resorts , Hilton Hotels & Resorts , Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Canopy by Hilton brands in 2015 , then globally through all 11 brands by 2016 .
Still , one of the immediate concerns is the level of security , from the potential to “ hack ” locks , to abandoning the tradition of providing a photo ID at the front desk for check-in . While experts admit that keyless systems operating via radio frequency ( RF ) ID appear less secure , smartphone-based systems excel due to the unique nature of the device .
“ We are not compromising any safety measures whatsoever ,” Holdren says . “ SPG Keyless requires passwords and personal details known only to the guest . It is a highly secure , two-part key system that requires users to enter a personal password along with an additional temporary code that is sent to the guest ’ s mobile phone .”
It ’ s not just whiz-bang technology for tech ’ s sake , either : In addition to reducing check-in time at the front desk and cutting down on the cost of room keys , the main benefit anticipated from keyless entry is it will drive usage of a hotel chain ’ s mobile app ( and hopefully incremental revenue ), since the keyless function will almost certainly run through proprietary branded software .
Technophobic guests needn ’ t worry , though : If they prefer a traditional room key , or if they ’ ve lost their phone , or the battery ’ s dead , they ’ ll still be able to get into their room , at least for now .
“ If a guest ’ s phone happens to run out of battery life , they can pick up a traditional key at reception ,” says Dustin Bomar , vice president of digital acquisition for Hilton . “ Guests can also request both a mobile key and a traditional keycard concurrently , if they ’ re most comfortable having both available .”
www . hotelsmag . com January / February 2015 HOTELS 53