PCs, Web-enabled Devices Help Guests Check in at Aloft Harlem

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.’s Aloft Harlem has integrated a combination of VingCard Elsafe’s proprietary technology solutions as critical components of a revolutionary Smart Check-In program. VISIONLINE RF-online, VingCard’s wireless Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) communication platform, and Signature RFID door locks are making it possible for Aloft Harlem guests to check in remotely through their PC or web-enabled mobile devices and completely bypass the front desk upon arrival.

 

Aloft Hotels recently selected VingCard to provide the advanced RFID technology behind its groundbreaking Smart Check-In program. Through the new program, select Starwood Preferred Guest members who choose to participate receive an enhanced SPG/Aloft-branded RFID keycard. On the day of a planned stay at Aloft Harlem, a text message is sent directly to the guest’s mobile device that indicates their room number at the property. Upon arrival, guests can proceed straight to their guestroom, where their encrypted SPG/Aloft-enabled keycard will unlock the door, providing unprecedented convenience, security and ease-of-operation for hoteliers and hotel guests alike.

 

“The Smart Check-In program, which we have begun rolling out across the Aloft brand, is specifically designed to meet the changing needs of today’s busy, tech-savvy travelers,” says Brian McGuinness, senior vice president of specialty select brands for Starwood. “Based on the positive feedback we have received from guests using the system so far, the ability to bypass the front desk is expected to become a valuable new amenity for guests at Aloft. As the hotel industry continues to adopt more innovative self-service solutions, VingCard’s RFID technology is providing a way to not only increase the efficiency of the check-in process, but provide added convenience for our guests.”

 

Featuring 124 loft-like guestrooms, Aloft Harlem is part of a mixed-use project that also includes Apex, 44 contemporary condominium residences, and retail space. The hotel offers easy access to Columbia University, as well as Harlem's most buzzed about destinations, from the iconic Apollo Theater to the cutting-edge Studio Museum. The location is just steps away from the 125th Street subway station and a quick and convenient ride to anywhere in Manhattan.