At WWDC 2021 in June, Apple said iOS 15 and watchOS 8 would allow iPhone and Apple Watch owners, respectively, to store digital hotel keys on their devices. Little else has been said about the feature since, but now, it appears to be going live, starting with Hyatt Hotels.
Apple users can now store a digital version of their hotel keycard to the Apple Wallet app, thus enabling them to use their iPhone or Apple Watch to gain entry to their locked hotel rooms. At launch, Hyatt announced it is supporting the feature in six hotels across the US.
You can add a keycard to Apple Wallet directly from a hotel provider’s app.
Once you do so, hold up your iPhone or Apple Watch to your hotel room's NFC-enabled door lock to unlock it. You can add a keycard to Apple Wallet at any point after reserving a room, but it won’t unlock the room until your check-in time. You also still need to check-in at the front desk before you can even use it.
Apple's digital keycard feature also supports Express Mode in Apple Wallet. That means you won’t need to authenticate your identity using Face ID or Touch ID every time to unlock your room. And if your device should ever enter Power Reserve Mode, you can still use your device as a keycard for up to five hours. Apple also said its Wallet app will auto-archive your key once you check out.
The six Hyatt locations where you can now use your iPhone or Apple Watch to store a keycard are:
- Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort in Maui
- Hyatt Centric Key West Resort and Spa in Key West
- Hyatt House Chicago/West Loop-Fulton Market in Chicago
- Hyatt House Dallas/Richardson in Garland, Texas
- Hyatt Place Fremont/Silicon Valley in Silicon Valley
- Hyatt Regency Long Beach in Long beach
Hyatt ultimately plans to roll out support for all locations globally. Plus, next year, Apple Wallet will begin storing government-issued IDs.