Stockholm hotel replaces keys with mobile phones

A Stockholm hotel has launched a new pilot security system enabling guests to open their rooms, and even check in and out, with the help of their mobile phones, the participating companies said Tuesday.

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Starting this week the Clarion Hotel Stockholm provide a number of guests with telephones equipped with Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

The chosen clients will not only be able to reserve their rooms and receive confirmation on the devices, they will have the option of checking in even before arriving at the hotel and have their electronic room key ready in the phone when they get there.

No need to stop by the reception. Guests can go straight to their room and place their phone in front of the lock and the door opens.

When they leave, they check out using their phone, and the electronic key is automatically cancelled.

"At TeliaSonera, we are looking at many ways of using the mobile phone to make our customers' lives easier," Johan Wickman, who heads up the Nordic telecom giant's research and innovation division, said in a statement.

"The NFC technology, along with other in-built technologies, brings a new dimension to the mobile device which opens new growth opportunities," he added.

TeliaSonera, which partnered with among others the Clarion hotel and Swedish lock maker Assa Abloy on the project, said the pilot test began on November 1st and would last for four months.

Over time, the telecom company said it aimed for the technology to be deployed at other hotels, as well as at commercial and residential buildings.

Meanwhile, Assa Abloy said the project was a world first and the goal was "to get feedback from guests and employees using the NFC phones for a variety of services."

NFC is a short-range wireless communication technology standard that enables the exchange of data between devices over up to a distance of 10 centimetres (3.9 inches).