October 16, 2018 Owner & Franchise Communications

Mobile Key | Next Steps to Deploy

As one of the most highly-demanded digital guest amenities, Mobile Key is critical for streamlining and personalizing member experiences. In February, we announced Mobile Key will be an auditable brand standard by January 1, 2021, and that all new openings, PIPs, and conversions must install and activate Mobile Key certified locks. All other hotels are required to install and activate Mobile Key certified locks by January 1, 2021. With the standard in place, we now have more than 1,150 hotels offering keyless entry globally.

In August, nearly 230 SPG hotels offering keyless entry migrated to the Marriott Mobile platform, enabling a consistent Mobile Key experience across the portfolio. Now, with the combined power of our loyalty program, we are well positioned to expand Mobile Key, driving guests and associates alike to embrace the seamless arrival experience made possible using Mobile Key.

Deployment Approach

The revised deployment approach for Mobile Key will target communications to hotels based on their planned installation timeframe. As a reminder, and in order to receive deployment communications, hotels must complete the Mobile Key Property Profile to self-report their timeline for replacing or upgrading locks to activate Mobile Key. With this approach, we aim to provide hotels with the right information at the right time, allowing them to complete required iT preparations before installing locks and activating Mobile Key.

Going forward, a new deployment wave will kick-off each quarter for Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards hotels that have self-reported they are planning to install or upgrade locks in the next two quarters. Hotels that already installed RFID BLE locks and did not activate Mobile Key will be included in the next quarterly deployment.

Note: SPG hotels will not be included in Mobile Key deployment until 2019, but those replacing their locks are required to follow the brand standard and install locks compatible with Mobile Key.

Upcoming Deployment Activities

On October 22, the Mobile team will kick-off communications for Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards hotels that have the correct locks installed or are planning to install new locks in the next two quarters.

Hotels will be included in one of the following deployment waves:

Installing or upgrading to RFID BLE locks: Hotels installing locks in Q4 2018 will receive direct communications with guidance on actions required to activate Mobile Key. Hotels able to complete the preparations prior to their installation can activate Mobile Key during the install; otherwise these hotels will be included in a future deployment to activate Mobile Key in 2019. Hotels planning to install locks in Q1 2019 will receive communications and a Land-It task list to complete iT preparations so they can activate Mobile Key during the lock installation. These hotels will be expected to activate Mobile Key when their installation is completed by the end of Q1 2019.
Activating existing RFID BLE locks with Mobile Key: Hotels with the correct locks installed that are not live with Mobile Key have already invested in new locks and need to complete the remaining iT and preparation activities to benefit from Mobile Key. Hotels with RFID BLE locks installed will receive communications and a Land-It task list to complete iT preparations and activate Mobile Key by the end of Q1 2019.
Obtaining a quote for new locks: Hotels planning to install or upgrade locks in Q2 2019 will receive direct communications with guidelines and resources on steps to obtain quotes for lock upgrades and iT preparations.

iT Preparations to Activate Mobile Key

Activating Mobile Key requires significant iT preparations to be completed, including lock server preparation, network configuration, and cabling for servers, encoders, and PMS interfaces. Managed by Marriott hotels are required to have a Marriott-imaged lock server on the Marriott network, while franchised hotels can use any server that meets the minimum requirements off the Marriott network.

The Mobile team has engaged Datatrend, a third-party iT vendor, to support franchised hotels in completing iT preparations to activate Mobile Key. To ensure franchised hotels budget for required iT preparations, the 2019 CapEx instructions now include an additional $2,000 line item for iT remediation for Mobile Key in addition to the existing line item for additional system costs associated with a new lock system (e.g., encoders, lock server, etc.).

To reduce potential operational impact during the lock installation, hotels installing new lock systems must ensure iT preparations are completed before scheduling the lock installation. Hotels upgrading existing lock systems to add Bluetooth capability or hotels that already have RFID BLE locks will need to ensure their current systems meet the iT requirements to activate Mobile Key.

Note: Specific iT requirements vary by hotel and lock vendor.

Planned Enhancements

As we continue scaling Mobile Key, we are also working to enhance both the guest and associate experience. Earlier this year, we developed the ability for associates to initiate Mobile Chat with members and plan to expand this capability to enable associates to deliver a seamless guest arrival experience. We also introduced support for members using Android devices at hotels with locks from Assa Abloy (Ving) and all vendors will be supported by early 2019. In addition, planned app enhancements will continue to streamline the member experience and make it easier to access the Mobile Key from within the app.

On the associate side, efforts are underway to improve the integration of our systems with lock vendor capabilities to reduce the number of steps required to create and send a Mobile Key, strengthening the efficiencies and minimizing the potential for associate error. We expect a series of additional enhancements throughout 2019 to improve the overall experience.

For more information, please refer to the Mobile Key MGS page.