Mobile keys for hotels: how the phone became the room key

BRIEF FOR MARTIN (delete before publishing). Replaces two old posts: /mobile-key-hotel and /mobile-key-the-pros-and-cons-of-the-growing-hotel-tech-trend, linked from hotelspeak.com. Each H2 below has a one-line brief and the links already placed. Rewrite each brief as 2 to 4 short paragraphs. Publish date and hero image are left empty on purpose, so Studio will not let this publish half-finished.

How a phone opens a hotel door

[BRIEF] The key is issued after check-in and tied to the reservation in the PMS. Bluetooth (BLE) versus NFC in one paragraph each, and why most hotels went BLE first. Revoked at checkout or if the phone is lost.

Apple and Google Wallet keys

[BRIEF] The key lives in the wallet, no app download, works with the phone locked and on low battery. We support Apple Wallet keys and Google Wallet keys.

Which locks work

[BRIEF] Most properties do not need new doors, but they may need new lock firmware or readers. Name the three we integrate with: ASSA ABLOY VingCard, dormakaba and SALTO. One outbound link to the lock maker's own page (placeholder: ASSA ABLOY; swap for the exact product page).

What it changes at the front desk

[BRIEF] Guests skip the queue, staff stop cutting and replacing cards, and the desk becomes a place to welcome people. Real proof: 97% of guests at Privada Stays check in before they arrive.

The honest trade-offs

Lock upgrade cost, staff training, guests who still want a card (keep cards available), fewer chances to talk to guests at arrival, and what happens when a phone dies. The 2022 post had these; keep them, drop the COVID framing.

Where to start

Two sentences: check your lock vendor and PMS against our integrations, and see how mobile key fits the rest of the Innspire guest platform.