The budget-minded brainchild of the sexy Starwood chain, Aloft Hotels has quickly emerged among the industry’s tech-savvy front-runners, offering guests a bevy of in-demand tech amenities (free Wi-Fi in all of its properties; popular social media campaigns; innovative in-room plug-and-play systems that connect guests' gadgets to the hotels' flat-screen TVs). Now, several of the brand's sleek hotels are in the midst of piloting what's proving to be a wildly successful “Smart Check-In” program, which allows on-the-go guests the freedom to automatically check into their hotel rooms without ever having to make a pesky check-in stop at the front desk.

The program works something like this: Powered by radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, participating guests receive a text message on their mobile devices on the day of their stay, which gives them their room number and immediate and direct access to their rooms, via a keycard (the card is sent out to Select Starwood Preferred Guest members who have enrolled in the pilot program). The SPG/Aloft-branded RFID card can also be used for on-site bar, restaurant, or retail purchases, to boot. Participating properties include Aloft Lexington (MA), Aloft Harlem, Aloft Brooklyn, Aloft Dallas, Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park, and Aloft London – check out the program's promotional video over at YouTube for more deets.

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