Hyatt room key in Apple Wallet on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 in Chicago. (Jean-Marc Giboux/AP Images for Hyatt)
Apple has started to roll out one of the new features available on iOS 15. The company partnered with Hyatt Hotel to turn iPhone or Apple Watch devices into room keys. The rollout started with six of the hotelier's properties: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa, Hyatt House Chicago/West Loop-Fulton Market, Hyatt House Dallas/Richardson, Hyatt Place Fremont/Silicon Valley, and Hyatt Regency Long Beach.
The feature works similar to adding a cinema ticket with your Apple device. When you book a reservation, you can add your key to the Wallet app, and it's ready when you arrive. You then have to hold up your iPhone or Apple Watch to the NFC-enabled door lock to gain access. Of course, the Wallet key won't unlock the door until you check in. You can see the room number on the digital key card. And if you need to change rooms or extend your stay, you can update the key card digitally. You don't need to visit the front desk to do so.
The Apple Wallet key cards also support Express Mode, so you aren't required to authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID to access your key. All you need to do is hold up your device to the reader. The key card will also work if your iPhone's battery runs low and is in Power Reserve Mode. It will do so for up to five hours.
Apple assures that it isn't informed when or where a room key is used to keep your privacy in mind. While it rolls out to six hotels, Hyatt plans to deploy the system to all its hotels over time.
Source: 9to5Mac