As technology continues propelling the travel industry into the future, it should come as no surprise all you need to open a hotel room door nowadays is a swipe and touch of your smartphone.

At the beginning of 2015, Marriott, Hilton and Starwood properties introduced a new technology allowing guests to use an app on their smartphones to access their hotel rooms via Digital Key technology. At the time, this feature was only available to Hilton Honors members and completely removed the need for guests to check in or even acknowledge the reception desk in the lobby. During the next few years, 2,000 Hilton properties around the world implemented this technology, with a goal to reach 2,500 hotels by the end of 2017.

Executives at OpenKey watched this phenomenon spread among the top-tier hotel chains and now feel the landscape is open to reach out to smaller brands and boutique properties. With OpenKey, guests can download a property’s app, check-in and use the digital lock technology to open their room door. OpenKey secured partnerships with groups of independent hotels including WorldHotels and Preferred Hotels and Resorts.