Starwood Hotels has allowed guests to use their iPhone as their room key since last November, and today announced that guests can now use the group’s Apple Watch app to unlock room doors at more than 100 properties. You can also use the app to get directions to the hotel and to check-in.
“We’re committed to mobile and digital innovation and are excited to be the first hotel company to let guests check in and open their hotel room door with their Apple Watch,” said Mark Vondrasek, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Loyalty and Partnership Marketing for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Apple Watch allows us to engage with our guests and give them the information they need instantaneously in a simple yet extremely stylish way. ”
For regular guests, the app offers two additional functions …
It can display details for up to four further bookings – displaying the hotel name, booked dates and photo – and receive alerts when new points are added to their Starwood Preferred Guest account.
Tim Cook said back in March that the Apple Watch would soon unlock doors at “some of the best hotels in the world.”
The Starwood Preferred Guest app is available today in English, with Spanish, Chinese and Japanese localizations coming soon. The app is a free download via the iPhone app on the App Store.
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All you need is an Apple Watch….. Still waiting…. :(
No, it’ll work with a Bluetooth enabled device (so an iPhone would suffice, also believe there’s an Android app too – as long as it’s running the SPG app and has Bluetooth..)
Yeah me too…I feel like I did everything I was supposed to to get my watch on launch day. I stayed up, I got in at 12:02, I ordered my watch and yet Apple still hasn’t even charged my CC. I can’t be upset really, they didn’t promise delivery today, but I feel like I had every reason to expect it up until my pathetic hopes crumbled throughout the week. The first time since I’ve been an Apple fan boy that I won’t get it on launch day…woe is me
Right there with you… I’m pretty sure they’re just not shipping the space grey sport models yet. *sadness*
I’ve heard it’s the Space Gray/Black Band 42mm combination that’s damned. I got in at 3:06; delivery not expected until May 17 :(
I got my 42mm Space Grey Apple Watch Sport yesterday afternoon…
I would love to see this become nearly ubiquitous. Like Anti-Lock brakes and AirBags were first on premium cars. I have had so many plastic cards that need to be replaced necessitating a trip down to the lobby, and it seems wasteful to just toss them (or find them in your wallet).
Another feature that would be nice is just letting you know which room it is. Was it 439 or 437? A problem complicated with multiple family members in the room. If the app could ping like a radar when you get closer to your room would be pretty cool. I want the Das Boot or Red October sonar sound effects, dang it.
Now this is world changing. For years I have wanted to get rid of my wallet and keys, so I am glad to see that this is finally happening. It would be really cool if one day you could use an Apple Watch without having to keep your iPhone close by. Like you could go for a run and just wear the watch (I think right now you should have your iPhone close by in order to pay for things or something – correct me if I’m wrong). I don’t necessarily want to carry my iPhone 6 Plus with me when I’m jogging.
We’re not going to be placing SIM cards in it, as it is not really necessary anymore. They could do without them. It’s just that the technology needs to get cheaper, which it will.
Apple Watch looks very promising to me!