Clarion Hotel Post Launches Strawberry Mobile Keys
Strawberry has activated mobile room keys on Google Wallet globally. The Clarion Hotel Post is now using the Strawberry mobile keys in Sweden. Phocus Wire reported that the NFC mobile key was developed through a partnership between Zaplox and Vingcard.
Proof of Concept
Zaplox is a digital guest solutions company. The company commenced a collaboration with Google to create a mobile key proof of concept in Google Wallet. This hotel mobile key in the Google Wallet partnership started in 2023. The mobile room key concept was tested at Bay View Suites in California’s Mountain View area. The suites are owned by Google.
Zaplox CTO, Kim Lood, said, “We are honored to announce the launch of mobile keys in Google Wallet. This launch demonstrates our vision of delivering next-generation technology and proves that when visionary minds unite and work together with the latest technology, we can truly leave a mark on the industry.”
Zaplox leveraged the BLE technology to develop Strawberry mobile keys.
First in the World
Clarion Hotel Post becomes the first hotel to launch Strawberry mobile keys in Google Wallet.
“Becoming the first hotel in the world to offer mobile keys in both Google Wallet and Apple Wallet is a testament to our commitment to enhancing the guest experience at every touchpoint and underscores the importance of collaborating with industry-leading technology partners,” Strawberry Strategic Growth VP Christian Lundén said.
The NFC mobile keys allow guests to place their room keys on Google Wallet. This allows them to access hotel facilities and unlock their rooms with digital keys.
Exceptional Experiences
Development of the Strawberry NFC mobile key comes after the announcement of mobile keys via Apple Wallet was made last summer. According to Strawberry’s Strategic Growth VP, Christian Lundén, hotel guests are always looking for positive experiences.
“We are constantly striving to deliver exceptional experiences and a seamless guest journey, and the launch of hotel keys in Google Wallet is an important step on that journey. This is exactly what hotel guests are looking for and expect, and we are thrilled to be able to offer this next-generation mobile key solution through our strong partnerships. The initial response from the hotel guests has been very positive,” he said.
HTEC Conference
The launch of the Strawberry mobile keys Google wallet comes at a time when the HITEC conference is going on in North Carolina. Conversations on how technology can be used to humanize the hospitality industry took center-stage in the conference.
Mews founder, Richard Valtr, says the focus should be on providing positive experiences to guests. Not just giving them a place to sleep. The greatest obstacle to achieving this is the cold first impression guests receive.
“A check-in is a process. You give me the [credit] card. You give me your ID, and I give you a key card so you can access the room. One of the things we’ve thought very, very passionately about was that we wanted the experience of coming to a hotel not to be a check-in, but a welcoming, because that’s what’s human and natural,” Valtr said.
Technological solutions like Strawberry mobile keys address this problem. With digital keys, guests can bypass front desks and access their rooms directly.
