USA Today reports that the InterContinental Hotels Group will be testing a system called OpenWays, which sends a unique and encrypted audio code to users' phones before they arrive to check in. Combined with a text message that informs the guest of his or her room number, the technology could theoretically be used to bypass the guest reception desk altogether -- saving both time and hassle for guests and reducing staff overhead for participating hotels.
For now the OpenWays system is available as a smartphone app on the iPhone, BlackBerry and Android platforms, but it's been designed to work with a fundamentally wider range of phones. Beacuse it operates primarily through audio playback, even lower-end feature phones could eventually make use of the system if the trials go well. In terms of security, OpenWays CEO Pascal Metivier says the system is "at least as secure as a keycard"; audio signature becomes obsolete upon check-out and hotel staff can cancel any problematic keys in real time.
The OpenWays trial will begin in June and run for at least two to three months, but could continue much longer. IHG executive Bryson Koehler said of the experiment, "We're staying very flexible on purpose as we see what the feedback is."
What do you think: Would you like to use your phone as a hotel key?
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, BrianAJackson