Marriott Hotels & Resorts this summer is expanding
mobile check-in capabilities to 325 hotels in the United States and Canada, which
the brand called "the broadest mobile offering of its kind in the U.S. and
Canada."
Currently available at 31 Marriott-branded hotels, the
feature enables Marriott Rewards members to check in via the Marriott Mobile app
from 4 p.m. on the day before their arrival. When their room is ready, they receive
an automatic notification and can pick up their key at a mobile check-in desk.
"As Marriott developed the app and tested mobile
check-in, we engaged customers, asking for their feedback to perfect the
experience and learn what mattered most to them," according to a statement
attributed to Marriott senior vice president of brand management Paul Cahill.
"Our frequent guests told us they wanted mobile check-in first, using
their smartphones, to be widely available."
Other hotel brands also have been offering online check-in
at select properties. Hyatt, for example, offers mobile check-in at about 100
of its hotels. The company this year began testing at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare
property in Chicago a service through which guests check in and receive their
keys via an iPad-armed agent at the airport shuttle center.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts' Aloft brand a few years ago
began providing some guests a keycard using radio frequency identification
technology for multiple uses. On the day of their stay, those guests receive a
text message with their room number and can go straight to their room upon
arrival. Omni Hotels & Resorts also has online check-in at its properties beginning
48 hours prior to arrival.
Marriott, meanwhile, at select hotels also is testing mobile
check-out and guest service requests. The company said it plans eventually to
expand online check-in and other mobile services to markets beyond the United
States and Canada.