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Benidorm pilots new European wallet system to cut hotel check-in queues
The digital wallet cut the check-time down to a matter of seconds during its trial run at the Michelangelo Hotel in Benidorm
Hotel check-ins across Spain have turned into something of an ordeal since new regulations came into force late last year forcing hotels, travel agents and car rental firms to collect dozens of personal details from every customer.
The rules have been widely criticised for creating long queues and eating up vast amounts of staff time, with some medium-sized establishments now spending up to 10 hours a day just processing registrations.
A trial in Benidorm, though, suggests there might finally be a way out of the mess.
The European Digital Identity Wallet has just completed its first successful pilot test at the Michelangelo Hotel in Benidorm. The system was trialled by Fabián Torres, business development director at SICPA, during a recent stay.
The day before his trip, he downloaded the digital wallet app to his phone and uploaded his documents. When he arrived at the hotel, he simply pointed his phone at a QR code linked to his reservation, and that was it. The entire check-in process took around 10 seconds instead of the usual 10 minutes.
The information transferred instantly to the hotel's system, ready to be passed on to the police as required under the new regulations. That eliminates the need for reception staff to manually enter reams of data, which not only speeds things up but also cuts down on the potential for errors.
Mr Torres was particularly impressed by the privacy aspect of the whole thing, since at no point did hotel staff need to handle his ID or passport. The information went straight through to the authorities without anyone at the front desk seeing it, which means personal data stays confidential throughout the process.
What sets the European wallet apart from the digital wallets people already use is the level of control it gives over personal information. Mr Torres pointed out that with most current apps, users have no real idea what happens to their data once they hand it over. But here, users can decide exactly how their data gets used, whether that's for statistics or something else, and they'll even have the option to monetise it if they choose.
On top of hotel check-ins, the wallet is designed to store boarding passes, museum tickets, event passes and other travel documents, bringing everything together in one place rather than scattered across multiple apps or sitting in email inboxes.
The trial has clearly gone well but widespread use is still some way off. The wallet will become available to everyone in December 2026, with rollout across the entire European Union expected to begin in January 2027.
Image: Freepik
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