A hotel mobile key is a digital room key with a start and end time. The PMS holds the stay, a key platform such as FLEXIPASS works with the lock software to create access for that room and dates, and the guest receives the key by app, wallet, link or code. At check-out it is revoked.
This guide follows one key from booking to check-out, covers the exceptions (room moves, lost phones, dead batteries) and lists what your hotel needs before guests can use a room key on their phone.
What is a hotel mobile key?
A hotel mobile key is a room key that lives on the guest's phone instead of on a plastic card. It holds access to the doors the hotel has assigned, for the dates of the stay.
The terms get mixed up, so here is how FLEXIPASS uses them. "Digital key" is the umbrella term. Under it sit the four kinds of digital key:
- Mobile Keys run in the FLEXIPASS app or a supported guest app and open the lock over Bluetooth.
- Wallet Keys in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet are tapped at a compatible reader, with no separate key app.
- Webkeys open in the browser from a secure link and work with supported online locks.
- PIN Codes are entered at a compatible keypad.
This guide focuses on FLEXIPASS Mobile Keys, the app-based key. For a wider overview, see How digital keys work and the digital keys page.
How a mobile key works, step by step
Every digital key follows the same six-step lifecycle.
Steps 1–2: the reservation and the key request
- A guest books. The reservation in the PMS holds the room and the stay dates.
- The PMS or guest platform asks FLEXIPASS for a digital key. The request carries the room number and the check-out date and time.
Booking alone should not grant access. Key delivery follows your check-in workflow, including identity checks, payment requirements and room readiness. A digital key does not replace any of those steps.
Step 3: the lock software creates access
FLEXIPASS works with the lock system's software to create access for that room and period. The lock software stays in charge of the doors; FLEXIPASS connects it to the PMS so the key matches the stay.
Step 4: the key is delivered
Once the hotel's check-in conditions are met, the guest receives the key by link, app, wallet or code, through a guest platform or the FLEXIPASS portal. For Mobile Keys, the guest typically gets an email or SMS with a link to the app and the information needed to activate the key. The guest needs a data connection to download or update the key.
Step 5: at the door
What happens at the door depends on the key type:
- Mobile Key: the phone talks to a supported Bluetooth lock through the app.
- Wallet Key: the guest taps a supported phone or watch at a wallet-capable reader (this is where NFC is used).
- Webkey: the guest taps in the browser to open a supported online lock.
- PIN Code: the guest types the code on a compatible keypad.
Step 6: the key is revoked
At check-out the key is revoked. In most cases this happens automatically: the PMS informs FLEXIPASS, which revokes the key. The hotel can also revoke a digital key at any time, including through the FLEXIPASS portal.
What is actually stored on the guest's phone?
For a Mobile Key, the phone holds an encrypted digital key, transferred over a data connection and stored in a secure vault on the phone. For a Wallet Key, the credential sits in the phone's built-in secure element, the same protected area the wallet uses.
In both cases the key only opens the doors assigned to it, for the selected time period. For the security side, see are hotel mobile keys secure?
Which doors can a mobile key open?
The guest room is the obvious one. Depending on how your lock and access software and readers are set up, a key can also cover the entrance door, elevators, gym, spa, meeting areas or parking.
The hotel decides who gets what. A guest on a room-only rate and a guest with spa access can hold different keys. If a key works at the room but not at the elevator, the cause is usually which access points were assigned to it, and staff can check this.
What happens when plans change?
Room move. The key must follow the new room. How a room change reaches the key depends on your PMS integration, so confirm room changes, extensions and revocation with your integration team before launch.
Late check-out. The key's end time comes from the check-out date and time in the PMS. Agree with your providers how an extended stay updates the key, and test it.
Extra guests. More than one person can have a key. The hotel can grant several digital keys for one stay, and digital keys and physical keycards can work at the same time.
Lost phone. The guest tells the hotel. The hotel can issue a new key or a physical keycard that overrides the earlier digital key, and it can revoke a digital key at any time.
Dead battery. The guest asks the front desk for a physical keycard. A keycard stays the fallback for a dead battery or an unsupported phone.
For the guest-facing version of these answers, see when a mobile key is not working.
What your hotel needs before launch (checklist)
- A supported lock configuration. Mobile Keys need a supported Bluetooth-enabled lock and the listed lock software. The lock brand alone is not enough. Check your lock compatibility.
- A PMS integration. The PMS supplies the reservation and stay dates. Connect your PMS and door locks, or manage Mobile Keys in the FLEXIPASS portal and send them by email or text if no PMS is connected.
- An app (Mobile Keys only). Use the FLEXIPASS app, or add key functionality to your own guest app with the Mobile Key SDK.
- Supported phones. FLEXIPASS lists iOS 11 and newer and Android 4.4 and newer with Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 or newer. Tell guests before arrival that Bluetooth and app permissions must be on.
- Connectivity for downloads. Guests need a connection to download or update a key. A downloaded key works without one until it expires.
- A keycard fallback. Keep physical keycards available for dead batteries, unsupported phones or failed downloads.
- A staff briefing. Staff should know how to help with lost phones and unsuccessful downloads.
Some properties also need software changes, licences, readers, connectivity or hardware upgrades. Review the complete setup before committing to a rollout.
What each key type needs
| Key type | What the guest needs | What the door needs |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile Key | The FLEXIPASS app or a supported guest app | Supported Bluetooth locks |
| Wallet Key | Apple Wallet or Google Wallet on a supported device; no separate key app | Wallet-capable readers |
| Webkey | A browser and a connection; no separate key app | Supported online locks |
| PIN Code | The code; no separate key app | Supported online locks with a compatible keypad |
A real example: Mirror Lake Inn
Mirror Lake Inn had a problem many resorts know: peak arrivals put pressure on reception, and an earlier digital-key solution did not work well with the resort's systems.
The resort combined FLEXIPASS Mobile Keys with Vingcard locks, HeyFetch guest communication and Maestro PMS. Guests receive app and key instructions after approved check-in, and traditional check-in stayed available. Guests can choose digital or in-person arrival, and the resort reports less reception workload and positive guest feedback.
The lesson: PMS, locks, guest messaging and fallback have to work together.
FAQ
Do guests need to download an app to use a mobile key? For Mobile Keys, yes: they run in the FLEXIPASS app or a supported guest app. Wallet Keys, Webkeys and PIN Codes work without a separate key app.
Does a mobile key work without internet? A downloaded Mobile Key can be used without a data connection until its validity ends. Downloading or updating the key needs a connection.
What happens to the key when the guest checks out? It is revoked. In most cases the PMS informs FLEXIPASS automatically, and the hotel can also revoke a key at any time.
Can a previous guest still open the door after a new check-in? No. Digital keys are valid only for the time window the hotel defines, and they are revoked at check-out.
Can we keep plastic keycards? Yes. Digital keys and physical keycards can be used at the same time, and a keycard stays the fallback for a dead battery or an unsupported phone.
Do we need new locks? Not necessarily. You may be able to keep your locks when the lock models and access software support the key type you choose. Some properties need software changes, licences, readers, connectivity or hardware upgrades.