[NewsPoster]

A hotel in London is using the Samsung Galaxy S III as a combined keycard and remote control system for rooms. Holidy Inn London Stafford City, next to the Olympic Park, teamed with Samsung and Enterprise Alliance Program partner Fingi Inc, to make an app for the handset that provides what has been dubbed an "end-to-end hotel hospitality solution."

A specially created app for the Galaxy S III will act as the key for the 40 rooms at the hotel, and will allow users to order room service, laundry services, and book the hotel's facilities. Inside the room, it will control the TV, lighting, air conditioning and other devices, while also providing localized content and updates for the Olympic Games. It will also be usable as the in-room phone extension. A similar project took place at the Aloft Hotel in Bangkok, which used the Galaxy S II. The Opus Hotel in Vancouver is handing iPhones to its guests for use in the city, although in-room iPads are used for concierge services. [via Samsung Tomorrow]

[HeartMan]

Seriously? When I leave the hotel I now have to carry a second cell phone as my "key" instead of the nice credit card key that fits nicely in my billfold? This is an improvement? How?
I can understand using it for the in-room stuff, but as a key?