Hotel-tech glossary

Mobile Key

A digital room key delivered to a guest phone, replacing or supplementing a key card.

Mobile keys use Bluetooth or NFC to unlock a guest room from a phone instead of a key card. Implementation requires compatible smart locks (Salto, Assa Abloy, OpenKey-compatible) plus a guest app or web wallet pass. Mobile-key adoption is highest at properties with a younger guest skew and on late-night arrivals; key-card retention remains common as a fallback.

Related terms

Contactless Check-in

Online or kiosk-based guest check-in that bypasses the front desk.

Part of the hotel-tech glossary. Maintained by Maciej Dudziak, founder of Guestivo.