How Will NFC Impact the Hospitality Industry?

Thanks for this excellent inquiry. Converging my knowledge in both the hospitality and social media fields with my acquired experiences with NFC, I am certain that the technology will simplify, streamline and smoothen travel as we know it. No longer will you find yourself having to run down to the lobby for a lost or malfunctioning room key. No longer will it be necessary to wait in the long lines at check-in and in some cases, checkout. Simply close your eyes and envision a world where your mobile device can literally open doors for you during a hotel stay. Imagination is soon becoming a reality, for it is only a matter of time before NFC enters the corridors at establishments and bridges the gap between the physical and digital world at hotels worldwide.

Let’s face it, your mobile phone is generally attached to you at the hip at all times, your keys not so much. From the airport to rental car to the hotel, NFC technology will add ease and convenience into your travel regimen. Whether it be in relation to e-travel documents, accessing a rental car, locating lost baggage, or simply entering a hotel, near field communications entails a secure exchange of data between a traveler’s mobile phone and a reader similar to those offered by Identive.

In an October Tnooz article discussing the influence NFC will have on the travel industry, David Holmes (Identive’s VP of Mobility & NFC Solutions) emphasized, “Nothing will drive contactless infrastructure like mobile phones.”

Most notably, hospitality chains will begin utilizing NFC-enabled mobile devices that embolden their hotel guests to make mobile bookings, check-in, check-out, access their rooms, enjoy amenities, and take part in loyalty programs using a mere smartphone (you can forget your rewards card and number.) By replacing the traditional magnetic stripe key card system, the hotel door locks of tomorrow will enable guests to simply tap their contactless card or smartphone in order to acquire access into their room. For those using their NFC-enabled smartphones, guests will have the ability to check-in remotely and receive an encrypted room key via text message; subsequently, guests can forgo those daunting lobby lines and head right up to their rooms. In the future of hospitality and travel, a smartphone will be the only thing required. Guests will still go about booking their travel and accommodations in typical fashion; however, prior to arrival those staying will receive a welcome message and reminder to check-in via their mobile device. On the day of their stay, their “hotel room key” is sent to their mobile device, thus enabling them to bypass the lobby and access their room.

NFC transactions will allow for speedy payment of items at hotels, gaming establishments and airports. Travelers can receive special discounts and offers via mobile devices as well as purchase with a simple tapping of their phone to contactless PoS devices. Although over the duration of its short existence NFC has been associated with mobile payments, the technology offers an array of other possibilities ranging from social data exchanges to loyalty and marketing. Made possible with Identive’s contactless tags and readers, we will soon see the emergence of smart posters and other forms of NFC-enabled marketing in hotel lobbies, gaming floors and throughout travel terminals.

During a recent business trip to Orlando, Louis Modell stressed the integral role NFC will play in smoothening out the overall travel experience. “NFC will serve as the fundamental shift in how smartphones will be used in bridging that gap between our physical and digital worlds,” claimed the VP & General Manager, Americas for Identive’s ID Infrastructure division.

Mobile technology has already blazed a path for success in the hospitality realm. According to a recent Sabre Travel Network survey on mobile use amongst business travellers, 72% of respondents reported being interested in the ability to view hotels on a map using their mobile devices, 47% reported using their mobile device to view or receive advertisements, and 66% reported interest in the ability to add a hotel reservation to an existing itinerary using their mobile device. Gradually, you can expect to see near field communications facilitate the obsolescence of many common items in the hospitality and travel world – keys, boarding passes, cash, rewards cards, etc.

What other advancements would you like to see take place in the arena of hotels, resorts and entertainment facilities? Share your opinions with us on Twitter.