Technology continues to reshape entire industries and for the hospitality sector, one of the most pressing issues has been the need to balance enhanced services and convenience with a sufficient level of security. Until more recently, hoteliers often felt required to make sacrifices to the speed and quality of services to ensure a safe environment.
Yet thanks to the rise of digitalized ID and a growing increase in deployment options, hoteliers are gaining the ability to boost both property security and guest experiences. From electronic travel documents to biometric verification, digitalized ID represents a new era for hotels where convenience and security aren’t mutually exclusive, but instead are at the forefront of meeting modern guest stay expectations.
Hospitality’s Growing Need for Digital ID Options
With mobile check-in, keyless room entry, and contactless payments now viewed as standard hotel offerings, digitalized solutions have already achieved widespread adoption throughout hotel environments. Digital ID is the next logical step in enhancing these contactless experiences while closing any potential security loopholes. A digital ID is essentially an electronic version of a government-issued identification document, such as a passport or driver’s license. These can be stored securely on a mobile device or through a cloud-based service, with instant retrieval consisting of a few screen swipes and advanced encryption protecting against any unauthorized access.
By bypassing the need for physical documents, guest wait times can be significantly reduced while staff can minimize the risk of being tricked by a counterfeit ID. When it comes to anything travel-related, more than three quarters of consumers are already indicating a preference for digitalized ID verification. This growing expectation highlights the need for hotels to consider how digital IDs can enhance guest services and maintain a competitive edge.
Reviewing the Benefits of Digital ID for Hotels and Guests
Like many other types of new technology, digital ID-enabled solutions feature a wide variety of advantages over more traditional methods. These include:
The Role of Biometrics in Digitalized ID
As one of the more secure and convenient means of providing digital ID, services, biometric verification has been experiencing a steady increase in adoption across the hospitality sector. Biometric IDs use unique physical characteristics such as fingerprints, facial recognition, or iris scans to verify identity. While not yet widespread in the hotel industry, the use of biometrics is on the rise, particularly among luxury and more tech-savvy locations.
Hotels that are adopting biometrics into their guest-facing services are also better equipped to provide a fully touchless experience that has become a priority for many guests post-pandemic. For travelers desiring the ultimate in convenience, biometric-enabled services remove the additional step of pulling up documents which for some, is a step too many. Thanks to its added layer of convenience and the ability to offer unmatched security, it’s easy to understand why some analysts expect the global biometrics market to exceed $31billion in growth by 2030.
Things to Consider Prior to Adoption
Although there are clear benefits and advantages for hotels aiming to implement digital ID-based services, the fact that sensitive identifying information is involved means that considering and protecting a guest’s privacy is absolutely critical. With digital IDs often listing full names, addresses, places of birth and more, hotels first need to ensure that they have the appropriate data protection measures in place. This importantly includes maintaining compliance with GDPR and other privacy laws, and ensuring transparent communication with guests about how their data will be used. To avoid complications and delays, hotels should also consider the costs of implementing digital ID verification systems, including potential updates needed to their PMS and access management systems.
A Glimpse into the Future on What's Next for Digital IDs
Hospitality’s use of digital IDs is undoubtably set to expand as more properties adopt mobile-first technologies and embrace digital transformation. Industry professionals should expect further integration with biometric verification systems, as well as increased use of innovations such as blockchain technology for more secure ID management.
Voice recognition is another technology that could soon become commonplace within hotels. With AI-driven virtual assistants already gaining in popularity, incorporating voice recognition for check-in and verification purposes seems like a next logical step that will drive security and personalization to new and exciting heights.
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