A hotel in downtown Springfield announced yesterday that guests can now use their smartphones to check in and access their rooms without a separate key.
The President Abraham Lincoln Springfield - A Double Tree by Hilton announced its initiative Nov. 30, saying it's the first hotel in Springfield to offer such services. It's a commercial spin on the burgeoning world of home automation enabled by increasingly interconnected mobile devices.
At the President Abraham Lincoln Springfield, 701 East Adams St., guests can download the Hilton HHonors app to choose a room, check in without stopping at the front desk and open the room using their smartphone as a "Digital Key."
“We are committed to continuously improving the guest experience and utilizing cutting edge technology” said general manager Robert Sabin. “Digital check-in and Digital Key are great ways for us to continue to offer our guests the best service in the Springfield area.”
Once a guest chooses a check-in time with the app, the hotel makes sure a warm cookie is waiting in the room prior to the guest's arrival.
As the power and connectivity of smartphones grows, so has the range of applications - both commercial and residential. One common use of the technology is security, which allows users to view surveillance cameras while away from their home or business and even turn lights on and off. There are Internet-enabled thermostats, coffee-makers, ovens, stereos, and the list continues to grow. Hilton's use of the technology for check-in and room access uses Bluetooth-enabled locks which open when a paired smartphone is placed within range.
According to a press release from Hilton, guests at the company's 4,700-plus properties have used the app more than 20 million times since it was first introduced in 2014.
Contact Patrick Yeagle at [email protected].
