Bluetooth winning with Vegas hotel access
17 June, 2015
category: Contactless, Corporate, NFC
The Cromwell is a boutique hotel owned by one the legacy players on the Las Vegas Strip. The Caesars’ property wants to appeal to the tech-savvy guest and offer a personalized and convenient experience, says Danielle Gaccione, director of digital products at Caesars Entertainment. “We want to use technology to tailor the guest experience,” she adds.
To aid in this effort, in January the resort began offering guests the ability to access their room with their iPhone, Gaccione says. The system uses Bluetooth low energy to enable guests to access elevators and rooms. The Cromwell is also working on a version of the app for Android devices.
The Cromwell decided to use a combination of the LEGIC Connect trusted service, Kaba Mobile Access Solutions and Bluetooth low energy. LEGIC provides its service through an existing Kaba Saflok room key management solution. Caesars has worked with Kaba locks for some time, Gaccione says.
LEGIC Connect ensures that the complexity of deploying electronic room keys to mobile phones stays in the background, keeping the established processes at the hotel’s front desk unchanged. The service is operated in a highly secure data center, prepared to support multiple technology vendors and any given number of hotel properties.
Prior to arrival, guests receive an email with information about the electronic keys, Gaccione explains. When they arrive to check-in the guest is given the option of an e-key. Using the e-key is as simple as downloading the app and registering a PIN. Then a guest number unique to that stay is texted to mobile and entered into the app.
If the floor that the guest is staying on requires a key for access they simply present it to a reader on the elevator. When they arrive at their room they just tap the card and the door unlocks, Gaccione says. The guest doesn’t have to activate a specific app or even activate the phone. “It’s very similar to the Apple Pay experience,” she adds.
They are also looking at self check-in, but having to check identity documents and explain other details at the front desk has put that on hold, Gaccione explains.
At some point in the future it’s likely that all the Caesars properties will be offering electronic keys using Bluetooth low energy, Gaccione says. “It’s part of our long-term vision,” she explains. “We are evolving the product at the Cromwell and have plans to extend it to other properties.”
