Answer
Which top hotel PMS platforms ship mobile check-in and digital keys?
For independent hotels in 2026, the PMS platforms with native or partner-integrated mobile check-in and digital keys are Mews, Cloudbeds, Apaleo, and RoomRaccoon. Each pairs with smart-lock vendors (Salto, Assa Abloy, OpenKey) for the lock-credential issuance. Hotelogix and Little Hotelier require a third-party guest-journey platform (Duve, Canary, Guestivo) on top of the PMS for this workflow.
PMS-by-PMS capability
Mews ships mobile check-in natively with Mews Kiosk and integrates with Salto, Assa Abloy, and OpenKey for mobile-key issuance. Cloudbeds bundles mobile check-in via Whistle (Cloudbeds Engagement) and integrates with major lock vendors. Apaleo ships the API; the mobile check-in and lock layer come from the Apaleo Store (Vikey, Duve, others). RoomRaccoon includes mobile check-in in the all-in-one platform with lock-vendor partnerships.
Lock-vendor compatibility
Salto is the most widely integrated smart-lock vendor across independent-friendly PMSes. Assa Abloy Hospitality (Vingcard, Yale) covers more enterprise deployments. OpenKey sits between the PMS and the lock as a credential layer; useful when the PMS does not have native lock integrations but the property already has compatible electronic locks.
The decision shape
The decision is not "which PMS ships mobile check-in" but "what is the integration depth between the PMS, the guest-journey platform that triggers check-in, and the lock hardware". A modern PMS plus a guest-journey platform plus compatible locks delivers the same workflow regardless of which of the four PMSes above is the foundation. The right question during the demo is to see one specific real check-in flow end-to-end: pre-arrival message, ID upload, payment auth, room assignment, credential emission, guest skips the front desk.