Holiday Inn to Test Smartphones as Room-Keys

[JMcEntegart]

No more visiting the front desk to check-in or ask for new room-keys.

Holiday Inn to Test Smartphones as Room-Keys : Read more

 

[amnotanoobie]

Great, now if someone takes your phone, they could access your room as well. Though the ease of use might be a big driving factor for people to get it anyway.

 

[sliem]

Lose your phone, also lose your room.
Great.

 

[scione]

I don't know about you guys but it sounds awesome. I frequently lose my card but I always have my phone on me lol.

 

[Azriel4444]

Rather have a bar code scanner. Front desk sends you the image and you forward it to anyone who needs a key. Probably cheaper to install and maintain. Works with any network. Also, anyone who gets a hold of your phone, probably could get your keycard too. They still have to figure out the room number in any case.

 

[carlhenry]

lose your phone, put a password on your room. it's as simple as that. that way you won't lose your phone AND your room. GREAT and CONVENIENT.

 

[twisted politiks]

it will be pretty easy to pick up the wireless signal your phone is transmitting, and copy it to go into the room.

 

[Pyroflea]

[citation][nom]sliem[/nom]Lose your phone, also lose your room.Great.[/citation]

Because if somebody finds a random cell phone they instantly know which room of which hotel you're staying in...?

 

[efeat]

A

 

[totheshed]

[citation][nom]sliem[/nom]Lose your phone, also lose your room.Great.[/citation]

How often do you stay at a hotel?

 

[jitpublisher]

"If an experiment by the Holiday Inn spreads to other hotels, we may find ourselves living in a world where all you need to open your door is your mobile phone."
All I ever needed to open my room door is a little 15 cent plastic card, certainly did not seem like that big of a deal to me.

 

[wave84]

[citation][nom]twisted politiks[/nom]it will be pretty easy to pick up the wireless signal your phone is transmitting, and copy it to go into the room.[/citation]

Actually, not so at all. The connection will most likely be encrypted, and "that signal" would only work once, in a handshake context. The idea is not bad at all, probably someday all your keys, money, IDs etc. will pe stored on some electronic device, be it smartphone or something else. The biggest problem wouldn't be security, but simply making all the checkpoints and devices that can read the stuff everywhere. So prolly still 20-30 years away.

 

[wave84]

Oh, and privacy does becomes a sensitive issue. Everything gets recorded, basically. But that trend is developing already, and there's nothing we can do to stop it...

 

[klavis]

I've never lost my card, I just put it in my wallet after I open the door. I'd rather the cost of the room not go up for something I won't use. What if my battery on my phone dies, then I'll just have to go and get some one to open the door for me. I have had my phone die on my more than I've lost a key or a key card.

 

[Guest]

You do know that now your phone is your room card you're going to lose it? It doesn't matter what form the room card takes, you're destined to lose it

 

[gemmakaru]

I won't buy a new phone to use a hotel, I'll just ask for a card at the desk thanks and get some directions and local info while I am at it.

 

[jitpublisher]

What it boils down to is everyone who thinks they cannot live without a smartphone will have yet 1 more useless thing they can do with it.

 

[Guest]

Last thing I want is bloat my computing device with all kinds of apps I never really need

 

[NapoleonDK]

[citation][nom]Solarium[/nom]You do know that now your phone is your room card you're going to lose it? It doesn't matter what form the room card takes, you're destined to lose it[/citation]Exactly. If they decided to have our room keys take the form of Volkswagen-sized rocks, we would still lose them.

 

[ethanolson]

I am so gonna find a way to get into the room next door to leave a friendly note about the lack of security.