STAMFORD, CT—Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), the loyalty program from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., has introduced a mobile, keyless entry system allowing guests to use their smartphone as a key.
Rolling out to Aloft, Element and W Hotels around the globe, SPG Keyless makes its official debut today in 10 hotels in markets including Beijing, Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles and Doha, Qatar. SPG Keyless—powered by the SPG app—enables guests to bypass the front desk (where available), go directly to their room and unlock their stay with a tap of their smartphone.
“Not only does SPG Keyless alleviate a perennial pain point for travelers, but it also transforms the first interaction with our guests from one that is transactional to something more personal,” stated Frits van Paasschen, Starwood’s President & CEO. “This is just the beginning because, through mobile, we have the opportunity to marry high tech and high touch to transform the hotel experience in many exciting ways.”
SPG Keyless goes live on Nov. 5 at the following hotels: Aloft Beijing, Aloft Cancun, Aloft Cupertino, Aloft Harlem, W Doha, W Hollywood, W Hong Kong, W New York-Downtown, W Singapore and Element Times Square. Starwood will rollout SPG Keyless with plans for it to be available on 30,000 doors in 150 hotels around the globe by early 2015 across Aloft, Element and W hotels.