Apple Wallet Now Stores Hotel Key Cards, From Hyatt

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(Pocket-lint) – At WWDC 2021 in June, Apple said thatOS 15 and watchOS 8 will allow iPhone and Apple Watch owners, respectively, to store hotel digital keys on their devices. Not much has been said about the feature since, but now it appears to be going live, starting with Hyatt hotels.

Apple users can now store a digital version of their hotel key card in the Apple Wallet app, allowing them to use their iPhone or Apple Watch to access their locked hotel rooms. At launch, Hyatt announced that it supports the feature at six hotels across the United States.

You can add a keycard to Apple Wallet directly from a hotelier’s app.

Once you’re done, place your iPhone or Apple Watch against the NFC-enabled door lock in your hotel room to unlock it. You can add a key card to Apple Wallet at any time after booking a room, but it will not unlock the room until it is time to check-in. You also need to register at reception before you can even use it.

Apple’s digital key card feature also supports express mode in Apple Wallet. This means that you won’t need to authenticate your identity using Face ID or Touch ID every time to unlock your room. And if your device goes into power reserve mode, you can still use your device as a keycard for up to five hours. Apple has also said that its Wallet app will automatically archive your key once you verify.

The six Hyatt branches where you can now use your iPhone or Apple Watch to store a key card are:

• Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort in Maui
• Hyatt Centric Key West Resort and Spa in Key West
• Hyatt House Chicago / West Loop-Fulton Market in Chicago
• Hyatt House Dallas / Richardson in Garland, Texas
• Hyatt Place Fremont / Silicon Valley in Silicon Valley
• Hyatt Regency Long Beach in Long Beach

Hyatt plans to eventually roll out support for all locations around the world. In addition, next year, Apple Wallet will begin to store government-issued credentials.

Written by Maggie Tillman. Originally published on December 9, 2021.