Nearly two thirds of branded and independent hotels will be offering mobile room keys (64.1%) and more than three quarters will have implemented self-service check-in options including contactless kiosks and mobile check-in (75.4%) by the end of 2022, according to a survey by New York University[1] (NYU).
These projected figures compare with 33.9% of hotels offering mobile keys and 38.3% offering self-service check-in prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the survey, 15.2% of respondents implemented mobile keys during the pandemic and another 15% plan to do so during 2022, while 25.3% introduced self-service check-in during the pandemic and another 11.8% plan to do so during 2022.
“Mobile key technology was created many years ago, but the pandemic helped popularise this tech,” the researchers from NYU’s Jonathan M Tisch Center of Hospitality say.
“People started to see mobile keys as a helpful technology that enabled them to minimise in-person interactions. As a result, this technology saw the second-largest increase during the pandemic after mobile check-in.
“It increased by almost 45% during the pandemic and is projected to increase 31% in 2022.”
The survey also found that mobile key adoption rates varied between different types of hotel with 67.9% of branded hotels currently offering guests a mobile key compared with 33.7% of independent hotels.
Respondents also identified self-service check-in (45%) and mobile keys (31.8%) as the main technologies that helped them serve guests effectively if they are understaffed.
“During the pandemic, over a quarter of hoteliers surveyed implemented mobile check-in,” the researchers add.
“Although this technology ranked fifth prior to the pandemic, it surpassed automation tools and in-room technology to become the third most utilised technology.
“Many hotels felt eliminating or providing an
