In the wake of the pandemic, contactless technology has become de rigueur at every stage of the traveller's journey. With this in mind, Accor is announcing the roll-out of the "Accor Key" digital key in all its hotels. By downloading the dedicated application onto their smartphone, travellers will be able to receive their room key in virtual form on arrival, with their mobile phone also giving them access to lifts and meeting rooms. This virtual keydeveloped in partnership with the European company STAYmyway, will be automatically deactivated as soon as guests leave the hotel. " Offering our customers a highly functional contactless experience is a priority for Accor." said Patrick Mendes, Accor's Chief Commercial Officer in charge of Sales, Marketing, Distribution and Loyalty.
The French group is thus joining a movement that began in the middle of the last decade with the former Starwood group, followed by Hilton, before the virtual room key was offered by other players such as Marriott, Hyatt and others. Louvre Hotels. For Accor, following the success of pilot programmes in North America, Europe and Asia, the roll-out of this digital solution will begin in the second half of 2010. in all new hotels opening in 2021. It will also be extended to existing establishments, with the Group aiming to equip 500 hotels this year, and at least 50 % rooms of its network over the next five years.
While reducing the amount of plastic used for traditional key cards and cardboard for card holders, this development also meets travellers' expectations. " A study recently published by Deloitte shows that 60 % of travellers are more likely to stay in a hotel offering contactless check-in and the possibility of using a smartphone as a room key. This is even an essential element for 16 % of them and a particularly high expectation among frequent travellers" said Faustino Fernandez, founder and CEO of STAYmyway.
