Someone better check that Tim Cook isn’t busy hollowing out a secret volcano lair. Apple is continuing its quest to be the only company you need by letting Apple Wallet users use the wallet to open their hotel doors. In a limited fashion, for now, but still.
Announced earlier this year, the feature allows for hotel keys to be digitally coded to certain Apple devices. Which, obviously, will allow users to open their doors without needing an easily-lost sliver of plastic. No more getting locked naked in a hotel corridor. Whee! That happens to everyone, right?
The Apple Wallet opens doors
But, as we said, availability is limited for the moment. Apple Wallet support for hotel keys is limited to hotels in the Hyatt chain. Even then, only six locations around the US support the function right now. Those locations are: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, Hyatt Centric Key West, Hyatt House Chicago/West Loop-Fulton Market, Hyatt House Dallas/Richardson, Hyatt Place Fremont/Silicon Valley, and Hyatt Regency Long Beach.
Which is handy, in the event you’re somehow travelling to the States in the next few weeks. The keys can be added to supported iPhone and Apple Watch devices any time after check-in. And you do have to check-in. You can’t load a virtual key en route and wander up to your room. As cool as that would be, it’s not happening.
The feature uses Apple Wallet’s Express Mode, so users don’t have to authenticate every time they want to open a door. It’ll also function for up to five hours after the device it’s loaded on enters Power Reserve mode, in case you’re lax about charging.
Don’t expect to see the feature in South African hotels for a while. We’ve got access to Apple Pay, but Apple Wallet? That might be a slightly longer wait.
