We’ve all been there – standing impatiently in line at the hotel lobby as we wait for the front desk staff to check us in. We can just about make out the hotel pool in the distance and the bar already has a cocktail with our name on it. Why are they taking so long? This is a universal problem shared by many travellers and one that Singapore-based startup founder Maxim Tint is hoping to solve.
Frustrated with having one too many tedious check-in processes, Tint tells SilverKris in an interview that he got fed up with paper forms and registration cards. “We believe people should be able to travel without physical documents,” Tint says. “This was our inspiration to create a solution around digital identity.”
Enter GTRIIP, a platform that uses your smartphone selfie to automatically process hotel check-ins. GTRIIP seamlessly verifies and sends guest information from their smartphones to the property management system (PMS) of the hotel they will be staying at. Given the current climate we’re living in, this “has the added benefit of no physical documents or forms changing hands nor prolonged face-to-face contact between hotel staff and guests”, says Tint, who is the founder and CEO of GTRIIP.
Here’s how it works
First, all guests have to do is to click on a web link (no app-downloading necessary), type in their particulars, and take a selfie. The guests’ profiles are verified instantly via the selfie which is matched against their passport image. GTRIIP then uses your smartphone selfie to automatically process hotel check-ins using a Photo ID verification engine powered by computer vision and machine learning algorithms.
Next, for properties that have the latest smartphone compatible door locks, GTRIIP also provides a mobile key module to send the room key to your smartphone. You’ll not need to visit the front desk at all, ensuring safe distancing measures are not compromised.
Third, all the necessary check-in information is sent directly from the guests’ smartphones to the hotel’s PMS via a prebuilt interface, eliminating the need for any paperwork.
But is it safe?
Naturally, the biggest concern is how your data is kept safe from a data breach during a completely contactless check-in process. At GTRIIP, all guests’ data sent from the guests’ mobile phone to the hotel’s PMS is protected with end-to-end encryption. This is similar to how online e-commerce payments are conducted by companies such as Alibaba and Amazon. GTRIIP also takes care to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Where to use GTRIIP
After successful implementation at Grand Park City Hall, the Park Hotel Group has made plans to roll out GTRIIP’s contactless check-in solution to the rest of the group. Amara Singapore is already using the GTRIIP solution at their Tanjong Pagar property and plans are underway to implement the solution at Amara Sanctuary Sentosa.
Apart from contactless check-in and a mobile key system, you can also use GTRIIP to make in-room orders, communicate with the hotel staff using chat, or even control room lights and TV using your mobile devices.
With plans to expand across the city-state, GTRIIP also hopes to enter expand in places such as Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia by the end of 2020. A casino group in Macau has already implemented its solution in five properties, so watch this space!
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