Hilton Hotels soon to turn your smartphone into room keys

Hilton Hotels are looking to pioneer the use of smartphones as a replacement to plastic (or metal) keys. Hilton Worldwide Holdings is, reportedly, to announce the transition this week. This would put the hotel chain above the competition when it comes to smart technology and the conveniences it can introduce.

$550 million and 2 years later, all 4,100 Hilton-owned hotels should be smartphone-ready. It’s said users will not only be able to unlock their doors with their smartphones, but choosing rooms and checking in will also be a possibility.

The new system’s specifics are still a mystery. We don’t know if NFC will be part of the deal, or if it will simply be an app’s connection to the hotel’s network that will do all the work. The latter seems more likely, as NFC support is still uncommon and will probably never be adopted by Apple (it’s a big factor, as much as we dislike it).

The new features are said to finish rolling out by the end of 2016, so it won’t be long before hotels around you start allowing the use smartphones instead of physical keys. It will probably only be for the tech-savvy at first, but a launch at such a grand scale could really make some changes in the way the hospitality business works.

Convenience is key (no pun intended), and the less time spent doing paperwork and arrangements will definitely make for a better stay. Other advantages could also include a much lighter load on front offices and staff, meaning those who do need a live representative will also have to wait around less.