Greece will limit daily visitors to its famous Acropolis next month in an effort to control crowding.
27.07.2023 - 18:38 / smartertravel.com / Tim Winship
When Starwood introduced keyless entry in 10 hotels in 2014, it was hailed as the next logical move in the digitization of travel; the service was expected to quickly roll out across Starwood’s extensive network of hotels.
Yesterday, almost two years later, Starwood issued a news release with an update on keyless entry. After all this time, only around 150 additional hotels have been outfitted with keyless-entry systems.
Related:Delta Discounts CLEAR Memberships for SkyMiles MembersWhile Starwood boasts that it “has been quick to roll out the new functionality around the world to 36,000 doors,” the reality is that just over 10 percent of its 1,300 hotels have adopted the technology. At that rate, keyless entry won’t be a network-wide offering until 2030.
In spite of the notably slow adoption rate by its hotels, Starwood is upbeat about the service’s potential. “Innovation and personalization are at the center of everything we do, and we’re committed to making travel better for every SPG member by creating solutions for pain points that are custom-made for their mobile lifestyles. SPG Keyless is literally opening doors for SPG members.”
Keyless entry is unquestionably a neat technology, that Starwood deserves credit for spearheading. Now, if they could just get more hotels on board, faster …
Reader Reality Check
Have you used keyless entry?
More from SmarterTravel: $35,000 for Unlimited Biz-Class Flights to London, Paris. Deal? Coming to a Chipotle Near You: Free Burritos Alaska Air Might Keep Virgin America Brand, Operations. Really?After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.
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Greece will limit daily visitors to its famous Acropolis next month in an effort to control crowding.
DoubleTree by Hilton is going vegan.
The days of unrestricted privileges for leisure travel across much of Europe are numbered.
Europe recently announced that it will change its entry requirements for U.S. travelers beginning in 2024.
The Starwood Preferred Guest credit card, issued by American Express, has long been the darling of the miles-and-points set. But with the pending merger of Starwood with Marriott, the card’s future is in doubt.
Starwood’s systemwide “Triple Up” bonus-points offer ends on July 31, and to date there’s been no word of a successor campaign for late summer and early fall stays.
“Hey Siri, I’m going to bed. Turn up the air conditioning, close the blinds, and turn off the lights.”
Today, two storied travel brands that are destined for the scrap heap announced a marketing partnership that only serves to make their imminent demise that much sadder.
Yesterday, Marriott’s planned acquisition of Starwood, to create the world’s largest hotel company, was assumed to be a foregone conclusion.
Alaska Airlines is justly lauded for its Mileage Plan loyalty program, which among other features boasts 17 airline partners, allowing program members to earn and redeem miles for flights throughout the world.
Wi-Fi access isn’t free on Alaska Airlines flights. But at least for the next year, the airline’s passengers can use inflight Wi-Fi to send and receive unlimited texts for free.
While JetBlue’s new elite status-match campaign isn’t overtly directed at any single airline, its underlying goal is almost certainly to wean away current Virgin America elites in the run-up to that airline’s merger with Alaska Airlines.