Apple and Google wallets aim to replace hotel room key cards.

• Hotel room keys can now be stored on phones using Google Wallet and Apple Wallet.
• So far, only 14% of guests at branded hotels have utilized digital keys.
• While experts believe phone apps are more secure and convenient than plastic keys, hotel key card technology is also advancing.

Hotel chains are quickly moving away from plastic room keys and towards digital alternatives, such as Apple Wallet and Google Wallet apps. The pandemic has accelerated the trend towards touchless technology, and cybersecurity concerns have also emerged around hotel key technology. Earlier this year, researchers discovered a vulnerability in plastic hotel keys that could put up to three million keys at risk of being hacked, and it could take years to fix.

Many hotel chains are speeding up their plans to modernize hotel room door locks due to cybersecurity and safety concerns. While major U.S. chains have had digital key capabilities for some time, Google Wallet and Apple Wallet are now offering hotels the ability to save guests' room keys to their wallets, allowing them to access their rooms by simply tapping the back of their phones against a reader near the door handle.

Guests of the 119-room Harpeth Hotel in Franklin, Tennessee, can check in digitally and store keys in their Google or Apple wallet app through Hilton Hotels' Honors app.

According to Kimberly Elder, director of sales for the Harpeth Hotel, the advantage of digital check-in is that your phone serves as the key, although many guests still opt for plastic key cards.

Valor Hospitality Partners' regional director of operations, Eli Fuchs, predicts that digital technology will be the future of hotel room door keys.

Fuchs predicts that traditional hotel room keys will soon become obsolete.

RH-ISAC's cyber threat intelligence production manager, Lee Clark, stated that keyless systems can pose new threat vectors for hotel security operations to manage.

Clark suggests that security control policies and configurations, such as multifactor authentication (MFA), can reduce these threats. However, these additional steps may not always be desired by harried guests.

Clark believes that it is unlikely that all hotels will switch to digital keys immediately, as some guests might prefer physical keys and not all devices are compatible with digital lock systems, in addition to the cost.

Hotel chains begin to require digital key systems

And human habits keep getting in the way, too.

While many hotels have digital entry locks, others have not.

Stokes stated that guests who used digital keys gave significantly more positive ratings for the hotel's safety compared to those who did not use digital keys.

Allthenticate CEO Chad Spensky views plastic key cards as outdated and low-tech, similar to the way cybersecurity specialists see passwords.

He argues that the true advantage of digital cards lies in convenience rather than security.

"Although card implementations are not more secure than their plastic counterparts, their user experience is significantly better. If given a choice between shuffling around a bunch of plastic cards or having a smartphone, the phone is the clear winner, according to Spensky."

Don't count out the plastic key card yet

Professor Mehmet Erdem, head of the department of resort, gaming, and golf management at the University of Las Vegas's William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, cautions that no system is foolproof and that individuals should not rely on digital entry for a false sense of security.

""If someone intends to hack, it will happen," Erdem stated."

Erdem stated that RFID is not outdated and allows individuals to download the app, obtain the key, activate it, and enter the room without requiring interaction.

"Erdem stated that hotels will prioritize mobile apps for sustainability and cost reasons, but some individuals will still prefer physical plastic keys. He explained that the digital version of a plastic key is advantageous due to human nature, as people often forget their wallets and ID but rarely forget their phones."

In Las Vegas, where people often return to their hotel rooms with winnings from the blackjack tables and slots, there is an outdated, low-tech solution that eliminates the need for door discussions.

Erdem advised the guests to use the safe in the room if they had something valuable.