CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the introduction of room keys in Apple Wallet across the first six participating U.S. hotels: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa, Hyatt House Chicago/West Loop-Fulton Market, Hyatt House Dallas/Richardson, Hyatt Place Fremont/Silicon Valley, and Hyatt Regency Long Beach. As the first hotel brand to offer room keys in Apple Wallet, World of Hyatt guests at participating locations can tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock guestrooms and key card-protected common areas like gyms, pools, and elevators—no need to open an app or handle a traditional plastic room key. This marks an important milestone as Hyatt reimagines the guest experience through digital innovations, offering more control and flexibility during their stay.
“Like everything we do at Hyatt, our approach to technology always includes listening to our guests and members. We heard that they want access to be near-instantaneous. Room keys in Apple Wallet is an easy, convenient, and secure room key option for our guests when they travel,” said Julia Vander Ploeg, senior vice president and global head of digital and technology, Hyatt. “We are proud to work with Apple to launch this game-changing digital experience. Many consumer technologies evolve through a ‘tipping point’ that drives a change in adoption. We believe our collaboration with Apple on this new approach to room keys in Apple Wallet can be exactly that.”
Hyatt room keys in Apple Wallet help deliver a contactless experience from check-in to check out, while also providing additional security and privacy benefits for guests:
- Seamless set-up and check-in: From the World of Hyatt app, members can add their room key to Apple Wallet after completing a reservation. Once added, the room key in Apple Wallet will be updated to let them know when it’s time for check-in. Once a guest is checked in and the room is ready, the room key in Apple Wallet will be activated, will note the guest’s room number, and can be used immediately. The room key will not activate until the guest is checked into the hotel and a guestroom has been assigned.
- Safe, easy, and contactless experience: If a World of Hyatt guest needs to change rooms, extend a stay, or access late checkout, the hotel can update the guest’s room key in Apple Wallet remotely—bypassing the need to visit the front desk. When it’s time to check out, guests can do so through the World of Hyatt app. The guest’s room key in Apple Wallet will then be remotely deactivated and archived in Apple Wallet.
- Simply tap iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock: Room keys in Apple Wallet give World of Hyatt guests easy and secure access to their room and common areas around the hotel such as the gym, spa, pool, and more, with a tap of their iPhone running iOS 15 or Apple Watch running watchOS 8. Once a room key is added to Apple Wallet on iPhone or Apple Watch, guests can hold their device near the door’s NFC-enabled lock to access key card-protected areas. With Express Mode, guests don’t need to unlock their device to use their room key in Apple Wallet. If their iPhone needs to be charged, they can still use the device to unlock their room or common areas for up to five hours with an automatic Power Reserve.
- More secure and private: Room keys in Apple Wallet are stored on a device and take full advantage of the privacy and security built into iPhone and Apple Watch. When or where a World of Hyatt guest uses a room key in Apple Wallet is never shared with Apple or stored on Apple servers. If an iPhone or Apple Watch is misplaced, the guest can use the Find My app to lock the device and help locate it.
Hyatt room keys in Apple Wallet are supported by ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions door locks and their Vostio Access Management cloud-based solution. Vostio Access Management provides the digital key information that is securely delivered to guest devices.
Guided by its purpose of care, Hyatt implements digital solutions throughout the travel journey to reimagine and enhance the guest experience:
- Digital key in the World of Hyatt App: Hyatt’s digital key in the World of Hyatt mobile app uses Bluetooth technology that allows guests to use the World of Hyatt app on their iPhone or Android phone as a digital key. Offering Hyatt room keys on multiple digital platforms provides members with more choices during their stay.
- Two-way hotel chat: Hyatt is deploying Medallia Zingle-powered messaging technology across its global portfolio, offering personalized communication between guests and hotel colleagues. This integration supports any pre-arrival and in-stay questions, in guests’ preferred language and method of communication, via SMS text, in-app, web chat, or popular social messaging apps like WhatsApp.
- Hyatt collaboration with Gopuff: Hyatt recently introduced a pilot program at participating Hyatt Place properties, offering guests delivery on thousands of everyday items directly to their hotel from Gopuff’s local micro-fulfillment centers, adding an individualized convenience for travelers.
- Together by Hyatt: Earlier this year, Hyatt launched Together by Hyatt, a suite of events offerings for the reimagined approach to meetings, building on Hyatt’s expertise in meetings and events to advance care for planners as they navigate the new normal.
- Hyatt Together: Hyatt introduced the Hyatt Together digital platform featuring streaming content for guests, members, and colleagues. The content is inspired by Hyatt experiences from around the globe and designed to inspire wellbeing while traveling, or at home.
- Connect with Chromecast: In-room Chromecast enables guests to pair a personal device to the guestroom TV to stream their shows and movies using apps like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and thousands more. Available at participating hotels.
The room key in Apple Wallet feature is now available at the six participating U.S. properties. Looking ahead, this technology is expected to be rolled out across Hyatt’s global portfolio.
