Starting next week, guests at the Aloft Hotel in downtown Detroit will be able to check into the hotel and access their room by using their smartphones.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., which owns Westin Hotels, W Hotels, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, and Aloft Hotels, among others, announced the SPG Keyless system.
“We are thrilled to roll out this ground-breaking keyless technology at Aloft in Detroit, a city that embodies the innovative spirit of the Aloft brand,” says Brian McGuinness, senior vice president of Starwood’s Specialty Select brands. “Five years ago, Aloft introduced Smart Check-In and forever changed the way our guests check into our hotels around the world. Using learnings from the past five years, we’ve evolved Smart Check-In into what is now called SPG Keyless, giving guests the power to use their smartphone to open their doors at Aloft, Element, and W hotels across the globe.”
After making a reservation at the Aloft Hotel, guests will be able to opt-in to the keyless system and get a room number. About 24 hours before arrival, they can use the app to bypass the front desk, and go directly to the room. When they arrive at the room, guests will open the app, tap the smartphone and unlock the door.
The Aloft Detroit, developed by The Roxbury Group in Detroit, opened in the David Whitney Building in December following a $94.5-million restoration. The hotel offers 136 rooms, with an average price of $180 to $200 per night, along with meeting rooms. In addition, the building offers the WXYZ bar and Re:mix lounge on the first floor. The Grand Cirque Brasserie, a bar and restaurant, is expected to open this year on the first floor, as well.
Plans are for Chef Jacques Van Staden, president of JVS Culinary Group in Madison Heights, who has opened 136 restaurants — including Alize in Las Vegas — to develop and oversee the menu for the new restaurant. The building also includes 108 apartments.
