Clarion hotel in Stockholm (Sweden) has started the world’s first check-in with the help of a mobile phone. In order to launch this project, the company had to make agreements with such vendors as VingCard Elsafe, Assa Abloy, Venyon, and TeliaSonera. Together they made it possible for guests to check in and out using a mobile phone only. Test usage starts already this week.
During this test period some pre-selected guests of Clarion hotel in Sweden will get Samsung cell phones that have NFC and other software installed. These guests will need to book a hotel room in their usual way and then to check in using a cell phone. The check in process can be done before the actual arrival. Once the process is complete, the system sends to a client a digital key. When a guest arrives to hotel, he/she will not need to waste time at a check-in line and can go directly to a room. The door is opened once the key is entered. The check-out is performed exactly as check-in with the help of a cell phone. Once it’s over, the digital key is deactivated. In case the mobile phone is lost, this key is reissued.
This system uses NFC technology that enables wireless data exchange between different devices. Among the actions supported are ticketing, payments, sending business cards and so on.