Great for Some, Brutal for Others

There is a particular moment at the end of a travel day that tells you everything you need to know about a hotel.

You have landed. You are tired. Your brain is already in pajamas. You walk into the lobby, phone in hand, and the app cheerfully informs you that you can skip the front desk because your room key is ready.

Sometimes, that is magic.

Other times, it is the beginning of a small but exhausting obstacle course involving Bluetooth, unlabeled buttons, staff uncertainty, and a growing sense that the hotel thinks this process is finished when it very much is not.

Hotel digital keys and app-only check-in are a perfect example of a technology that can be empowering and can be isolating, depending entirely on consistency. And for blind and low vision travelers, consistency is not a nice bonus. It is the difference between arriving smoothly and arriving depleted.

This article is not anti-technology. It is not anti-hotel. And it is definitely not anti-staff.

It is pro-reliability.

The Promise of Digital Keys

On paper, digital keys are great.

They reduce lines.
They remove awkward small talk.
They let you go straight to your room after a long day of travel.

For many travelers, blind and sighted alike, this works beautifully. When the app is accessible, the lock infrastructure is in place, and the staff understands the system, digital keys offer real independence.

That part matters, and it deserves to be said clearly.

The problem is not the idea.

The problem is what happens when the promise quietly breaks.

The Real Issue Isn’t the App, It’s Inconsistency

Here is the core truth that often gets lost in marketing language:

Not all hotel properties have rolled out digital key infrastructure.

That is understandable. Hotel brands operate thousands of properties, many of them older. Retrofitting locks, elevators, and backend systems takes time. No one expects every hotel to look the same or have the same physical layout.

But accessibility does not require identical buildings.

It requires predictable systems.

Right now, digital keys exist in an uncomfortable middle space where:

• Some properties fully support them
• Some partially support them
• Some advertise them but cannot deliver them reliably
• Some staff are trained
• Some staff are guessing

And when that inconsistency collides with app-only check-in assumptions, blind and low vision travelers absorb the friction.

The industry is moving fast on technology. Accessibility and staff training are moving slower. That gap is where things become “great for some, brutal for others.”

This does not need to be framed as blame. It needs to be framed as reality.

Accessibility Is About Consistency, Not Novelty

In accessibility conversations, we often focus on features.

Screen readers.
Contrast.
Labels.
Compliance statements.

Those things matter, but they are not enough.

What actually makes travel accessible is knowing that when one method fails, another method works without drama.

Hotels already accept that rooms, hallways, and layouts cannot be unified because of property age and architecture. That reality should make consistent processes even more important.

Check-in should always work.
Room access should always work.
Check-out should always work.

Whether that happens through an app, a physical key, or staff assistance should be flexible. What should not be flexible is whether the traveler can get to their room without friction.

Digital Keys and Physical Keys Fail at Similar Rates

This part surprises people.

In real-world travel, digital keys and physical keys fail at roughly the same rate.

Sometimes the app glitches.
Sometimes Bluetooth refuses to cooperate.
Sometimes the lock does not recognize the phone.

And sometimes, the front desk programs the physical key incorrectly.

Failure happens.

The difference is not the failure. The difference is the recovery cost.

When a physical key fails, the solution is usually straightforward. You return to the desk, explain the issue, and receive a corrected key.

When a digital key fails, the cause is often unclear. Is it the app? The phone? Permissions? The lock? The infrastructure? The traveler is left standing at a door, troubleshooting invisibly, often needing to navigate back through an unfamiliar space to find help.

That uncertainty is exhausting, especially at the end of a long day.

What Actually Matters for Blind and Low Vision Travelers

This is where accessibility stops being theoretical and becomes practical.

For blind and low vision travelers, accessible digital check-in is not about whether an app exists. It is about whether the system behaves predictably.

What matters most:

• Clear check-in paths that do not assume visual confirmation at every step
• Digital keys that are either supported or clearly unavailable, not “maybe”
• Front desks that can immediately issue physical keys without hesitation
• Staff who understand the system well enough to offer solutions, not guesses
• No requirement to justify why an app does not work for you

The responsibility here is not on the traveler to optimize their phone settings or troubleshoot infrastructure. The responsibility is on the hotel to provide a working path to the room.

The Front Desk Should Be the Backup, Not the Obstacle

This is where things often go wrong, and where unnecessary tension enters the interaction.

A blind traveler asks for a physical key.

That request should be routine.

It should not trigger:

• A pause
• A scavenger hunt
• A whispered “I think we have keys somewhere”
• A tone that suggests the traveler is asking for something unusual

A physical key is not a special accommodation. It is a standard access method that hotels have used for decades and still advertise as available.

When a front desk treats a physical key as an inconvenience, it sends a clear message: the system matters more than the guest.

That is not an accessibility failure. That is a process failure.

App-Only Check-In Raises the Stakes

App-only check-in sounds efficient, but it quietly removes choice.

If the app is inaccessible, partially accessible, or simply not functional at that property, the traveler is immediately at a disadvantage.

This is especially true for blind and low vision travelers, because the failure is not always visible or obvious to staff. From their perspective, the system “should work.”

From the traveler’s perspective, they are stuck in a silent dead end.

Choice matters. Redundancy matters. And the front desk needs to remain a valid, respected entry point, not an exception.

Rights and Boundaries, Calmly Stated

This does not need to be aggressive to be clear.

If you are a blind or low vision traveler, you have the right to:

• Request a physical room key
• Complete check-in with staff assistance
• Access your room without relying on an app
• Decline app-only workflows that do not work for you

You do not need to justify these requests. You do not need to educate the hotel in the moment. And you do not need to escalate emotionally to be taken seriously.

If an interaction becomes unproductive, it is reasonable to step away and resolve it later through customer care or management. Preserving your energy is part of traveling well.

A Fair Look at Hotel Brand Ecosystems

Large hotel brands often advertise digital keys as a flagship feature. Some have made visible efforts to improve accessibility and support. Some are still uneven at the property level.

This article is not about ranking winners and losers.

It is about understanding that:

• Brand promises do not always reflect property reality
• Staff training varies widely
• Infrastructure rollout is uneven
• Travelers should not assume consistency based on branding alone

The safest approach is not skepticism. It is preparedness and the expectation that backup options remain available.

Reliability Is the Real Luxury

Digital keys are not the enemy. They are a tool.

For some travelers, they are liberating.
For others, they are an extra layer of uncertainty.

The real measure of accessibility is not how advanced the technology looks, but how boringly reliable the experience feels.

A hotel that lets you check in, access your room, and settle in without friction is doing accessibility right, whether that happens through an app or a plastic card.

At the end of the day, no one is traveling for the technology.

They are traveling to rest, work, explore, or connect.

And the door to the room should never be the hardest part of the journey.

Conclusion

What has your experience been with digital room keys? Have they worked for you? Have you found the infrastructure accessible?  I’d love to hear your thoughts, feel free to drop me a line here on Blind Travels or on any of my social media links below. 

See you at the gate!

-Ted and Fauna