“Guests are turning to hotel mobile apps for a variety of services,” says George Winker, vice president, customer relations of Assa Abloy Hospitality. “Every chain has their own app, so getting guests to install an additional one is a challenging task. The key to success is integrating mobile services, like our Mobile Access, into their existing app. This allows guests to use an all-encompassing application for mobile payment, booking, room service, housekeeping and mobile key functionality.”

Mobile key is a technology that many upscale brands are installing because they’re in the stages of making it a requirement at each property to ensure the delivery of innovative services and solutions to guests and staff. While this is typically a key driver of why hotels are implementing such solutions, hoteliers are beginning to truly see the value in what mobile key has to offer. They’re seeing the cost effectiveness of the solution, and they’re excited about it.

“Hotel properties are turning to our solutions for multiple reasons,” says Melissa Warder, director, key accounts at Assa Abloy Hospitality. “They want to be able to promote themselves as a hotel that is integrating the latest and greatest in technology solutions, but they also want guests to be able to walk through their doors and gain the same experiences they do in the outside world. Mobility is everywhere now, and hotels are definitely starting to up the ante in terms of how they’re using it in the most efficient ways possible.”

While most major hotel brands are expected to be fully mobile key-enabled by 2018, independent hotels are also partnering with mobile apps that include mobile key functionality, turning such technologies into an industry-wide trend. Now is the time to prepare for this major industry move, and to make room for mobile services that guests expect from the hotel of the future.