Biometric check-in

Checking into a hotel using facial recognition, a fingerprint or an iris scan, replacing paper forms and physical keys. Sofitel Singapore City Centre rolled out face recognition in 2019, followed by Hyatt Place properties in China and several Marriotts in the UAE. The system pairs an identity check (the passport scanned at booking) with a biometric capture on arrival, then sends a digital key to the guest's phone. GDPR in Europe and CCPA in California require explicit consent, and biometric data must be deleted within 24 hours to 30 days after the stay depending on the jurisdiction. Guest acceptance is the bigger hurdle: not everyone wants the hotel to scan their face.