Google Wallet now works as a hotel key

Google has introduced a much-awaited functionality for the Google Wallet service. The popular digital wallet on Android devices now works as a hotel key. Google Wallet has gained support for hotel keys just in time for the summertime. The new feature makes the hotel experience of travelers a bit less of a hassle. They can now directly use their phones to open their hotel rooms, without requiring a physical hotel key.

Google Wallet finally gets support for hotel key functionality

Google has quietly added the support for the hotel keys functionality for Google Wallet. First spotted by 9to5google, the company has updated the support pages for Google Wallet with details of the new feature. You can now save and store keys at hotels that support this functionality in your Google Wallet. Notably, Apple Wallet already launched this feature way back in 2021 for the iPhone and Apple Watch.

Users can save and use their keys at hotels where the new feature is supported

According to Google Wallet’s support pages, users can now save and use their keys at hotels where the new feature is supported. Once keys are stored in your Google Wallet on your Android phone, you can “safely and securely use your keys to access your Hotels, guestrooms and key card-protected common areas like gyms, pools, and elevators throughout the duration of your stay”, mention the support pages.

Registering a key to your Google Wallet is quite similar to adding a credit or debit card. You can first visit your hotel’s website, or app, or follow email instructions. Then click on the “Add to Google Wallet” option, which should be next to the reservation confirmation page on the aforementioned options. If the “Add to Google Wallet” option isn’t visible, then the hotel may not have support for this feature.

Once the hotel key is added, you can wake up and unlock your smartphone first. Then, proceed to hold the back of your phone near the door handles to open rooms or other allocated areas of the hotel premises. The support pages also mention that some hotels may allow you to use your digital hotel key without unlocking your phone.

As of now, only a very few hotels support Google Wallet’s new hotel key feature. The Clarion Hotel Post in Gothenburg, Sweden is one of the first hotels to support this functionality. Hopefully, Google is collaborating with major hotel chains to expand the availability of the new feature in the coming weeks.