Hilton to Adopt Digital Check-In, Smartphone-Based Room Keys Worldwide

[Weaselboy]

I'm currently staying at a Hilton and did the online checkin through my app. My client is direct billed for the room and I pay for any incidentals. When you check in I was able to select my card for the incidentals. The room was already appropriately billed. Now that may be that I stay at the same Hilton every week so it is on file but it was a smooth process for me.

Does that give you the option to select a room, or do you just get whatever they give you as long as it is the type room you reserved?

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This is nice and all, but is this Apple news? Is all tech/smartphone news considered fair game here now?

It is an app that allows you to use your iPhone as a room key, so yes it is Apple news. Very easy to just scroll on by if it does not interest you.

 

[billnye97]

Does that give you the option to select a room, or do you just get whatever they give you as long as it is the type room you reserved?

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It is an app that allows you to use your iPhone as a room key, so yes it is Apple news. Very easy to just scroll on by if it does not interest you.

The weird thing for me was that it suggests a room but wouldn't let me choose another. I assumed that they were full (it usually is on Mondays), however, I didn't complete the check in because I didn't like the room but when I went in again later on Sunday I noticed that a different room was suggested and it was one that I was happy with so I completed the check in.

 

[TheSlush]

It is an app that allows you to use your iPhone as a room key, so yes it is Apple news. Very easy to just scroll on by if it does not interest you.

So anything news that's vaguely app-related is relevant on MacRumors just because apps can be run on iPhones? Seriously? This post equally relates to Android too.

 

[kingtj]

This was done before by Hilton, right?

http://www.t3.com/news/paris-hilton-launches-worst-iphone-app-ever

Hope it works better this time around!

 

[KdParker]

It is the most practical way, and in environments like hotels probably the safest as well.

If you would have a not connected lock you would have to rely on a security feature inside the lock itself. Similar like your regular house key, where you rely on the pattern on the key. Or better you rely that only you are in possession of this pattern.
Without a connected lock, the guest that was in the room yesterday could easily copy the key and gain access tomorrow. Like it is possible with your regular house key.

If you have a lock that is connected to the network you just remove the access keys from yesterdays guest and he won't be able to get access to the room anymore.

Makes it easier and safer when you lost your key card as well. The hotel staff deletes the access code of the key card you have lost and replaces it with the code of the new card they will give you. The lost key card becomes useless immediately.

Sure, connected locks have their problems as well. They can be hacked (and they were hacked in the passed), and they most likely will violate your privacy by logging each access on the server.

But "regular" keys can be hacked as well. It's called lock-picking. For the standard house-key this is most likely easier than hacking a server or the connected lock.

Well said, but we are moving into a new world where hacking a localized server at hotel doesn't involve having expert knowledge of how to hack.

We have all seen the security at hotels and 'hacking' can be a simple as getting the passwords from an underpaid staffer to just simple guessing 'admin' or the famous 'abc123'.

With our society getting more and more tech savvy by the minute, I am not convinced that hotel chains (who are in the business of lowering cost) will be inclined to keep up with the security measures that this society demands.

 

[Weaselboy]

So anything news that's vaguely app-related is relevant on MacRumors just because apps can be run on iPhones? Seriously? This post equally relates to Android too.

It allows one to checkin to a hotel and use their iPhone as the room key. Who cares if it is Android related also.

Sounds like you just like to complain about what is posted here.

Many if us here are interested in this as you can see from the thread activity. Like I said, if you are not interested, just scroll on by.

 

[iOSaddict]

How does it work? Through Bluetooth? I feel like this would be a good use for NFC.

iBeacon. Or at least a combination of BL 4.0 and NFC. NFC per se is grossly overstated.

 

[laurim]

I'm currently staying at a Hilton and did the online checkin through my app. My client is direct billed for the room and I pay for any incidentals. When you check in I was able to select my card for the incidentals. The room was already appropriately billed. Now that may be that I stay at the same Hilton every week so it is on file but it was a smooth process for me.

Hope it works that way, although I can't remember the last time I actually stayed at a Hilton. Marriott, Westin, Mandalay Bay, Four Seasons, Venetian and a bunch of others but never a Hilton.

 

[CFreymarc]

Whatever developers can imagine! Hopefuly, it will mean some great things are on the horizon. Primarily, the ability to control many home functions from your iPhone and iPad which woudl free you from having a mess of separate devices, remotes, etc.. The opportunities with HomeKit are boundless!

The one big thing I'm running into with HomeKit adoption is the lack of interest in BLE from many big name consumer electronics houses. Their margins of many of these outfits are tight where an infrared remote is very cheap and being line of sight, more secure.

Typically in this business, someone moves in with a standard and then everyone else comes aboard. Some senior to me talked about how, in the 80's, it was like pulling teeth to get manufactures to go from ultrasonic remotes (classic clickers) to infrared based on part purchases for as much as ten years of product builds.

Ironically, back in the Palm days, all of their devices had infrared IO. However, due to very short sighted hardware design at Palm, the modulation of the IR signal was not third party programmable for the latter generations allowing for "universal remote apps" that would have really helped out Palm's sales. Some say the hardware incompatibility was done intentionally.

I doubt if we will ever see an iPhone with an infrared port. You could hack the flash and camera or use a third party connection like iRed Transmitter but aftermarket and hacks keeps it from mainstream.

 

[TheSlush]

It allows one to checkin to a hotel and use their iPhone as the room key. Who cares if it is Android related also.

Sounds like you just like to complain about what is posted here.

Many if us here are interested in this as you can see from the thread activity. Like I said, if you are not interested, just scroll on by.

Apparently this concept is rocket science so let me explain more slowly:

1.) General tech news about nifty things that app developers are doing is not automatically relevant to a site focused on Apple news. If this story were about iOS-exclusive functionality or Hilton partnering with Apple, then it becomes relevant to a site focused on Apple news.

2.) I only complain about what's posted here when it (only occasionally) goes beyond the site's focus.

3.) "Many of us being interested" is really beside the point. I think you'd agree that MacRumors pursuing whatever people are interested in would indeed be too broad for this site's focus.

 

[Weaselboy]

Apparently this concept is rocket science so let me explain more slowly:

Ah... condescension now. Very nice.

Use this to contact the site admins rather then moaning in the thread.

https://forums.macrumors.com/misc/contact/

 

[laurim]

Apparently this concept is rocket science so let me explain more slowly:

1.) General tech news about nifty things that app developers are doing is not automatically relevant to a site focused on Apple news. If this story were about iOS-exclusive functionality or Hilton partnering with Apple, then it becomes relevant to a site focused on Apple news.

2.) I only complain about what's posted here when it (only occasionally) goes beyond the site's focus.

3.) "Many of us being interested" is really beside the point. I think you'd agree that MacRumors pursuing whatever people are interested in would indeed be too broad for this site's focus.

Do you feel like you missed out on some other, more important Apple news when they posted this article? That would be the only valid reason to complain. Surely you understand the value of continually adding fresh content to this site to drive traffic back (and view the ads that fund its existence). And surely you understand that there isn't a continuous supply of earth-shattering Apple news, right? Run your own site and get back to us about it.

 

[TheSlush]

Ah... condescension now. Very nice.

Glad you caught that. I was convinced it would go unappreciated.

Surely you understand the value of continually adding fresh content to this site to drive traffic back (and view the ads that fund its existence). And surely you understand that there isn't a continuous supply of earth-shattering Apple news, right? Run your own site and get back to us about it.

See, now I guess I deserved that condescension. Touché.

But are you suggesting that on slow Apple news days MacRumors should expand into non-Apple tech news (like Gizmodo or Engadget) just to meet their ad sales quotas? Because I respectfully disagree.

Big Deal! Not!!! What does tis have to do with Apple innovation. Nothing. This will work on Android also. it's an app. And a boring app at that. This article is all fluff. Good advertisement for Hilton, though.....

Agreed. This post almost has the feel of a sponsored post.

 

[laurim]

Glad you caught that. I was convinced it would go unappreciated.

See, now I guess I deserved that condescension. Touché.

But are you suggesting that on slow Apple news days MacRumors should expand into non-Apple tech news (like Gizmodo or Engadget) just to meet their ad sales quotas? Because I respectfully disagree.

Agreed. This post almost has the feel of a sponsored post.

This article discusses an Apple-related rumor and it was interesting to many people who come here for information. AFAIC, it belongs on MacRumors. If they ever post a random article about Dyson vacuum cleaners or whatever, feel free to whine, although why you think the rest of us want to hear it is a mystery. Maybe you just want to start an argument. Congrats!

 

[TheSlush]

If they ever post a random article about Dyson vacuum cleaners or whatever, feel free to whine

Well, if MacRumors posted that Dyson announced a new app that pings your (iOS or non-iOS) smartphone when the vacuum cannister is full, it would probably interest a few people and I guess you would consider that "Apple-related" too. But it's not really Apple-related. So I would whine.

I'm not trying to start any fights, I'm just making what I consider to be valid points. Unfortunately some commenters are hypersensitive and unnecessarily combative when disagreed with.

 

[mtneer]

Android and feature phone users and foreigners without roaming data plans sleep in their cars in the parking lot!