The Digital Key is a contact-free and self-service way for your guests to access their rooms. With the Bluetooth Digital Key, guests can access their room key via an app on their smartphone.

 

Guests set up their Digital Key after completing their online check-in, and then use their devices to access their rooms.

 

Guests can also access the Digital Key,

• from the Guest Portal following an After check-in email or text message

• via the Mews Kiosk on their arrival at your property.

The Digital Key provides your guests with a unique experience and helps you save on staff costs, reduce queues in reception, and increase guest satisfaction.

 

In this article you’ll learn about:

• Pre-requisites for setting up the Bluetooth Digital Key

• How to set up the Bluetooth Digital Key in Mews Operations

  • Step 1: Get started

  • Step 2: Complete pre-onboarding

  • Step 3: Complete the Digital Key onboarding checklist

    • Step 3.1: Door lock provider configuration

    • Step 3.2: Mews configuration

    • Step 3.3: Final steps

• How to get the most from the Digital key

 

Pre-requisites for setting up the Bluetooth Digital Key

• For Bluetooth Digital Keys:

  • Bluetooth-enabled door lock hardware from Assa Abloy or Salto Space.

  • Configured key encoding integrations from Mews Marketplace, either Assa Abloy Vostio software, VisiOnline software, or Salto Space.

Note: If you use a door lock system not listed above, Mews Digital Key is not yet supported. You can still submit your provider name in Mews so we can track demand for future support.

 

How to set up the Bluetooth Digital Key in Mews Operations

Step 1: Get started

1. In Mews Operations, go to the main menu > Settings > Property > Guest experience > Digital key.

2. Mews displays the Digital Key landing page with a short description of Digital Keys and their benefits.

   • To set up Digital Key, click Get started.

Note: If you’ve already started onboarding, Mews displays your activation checklist instead.

 

Step 2: Complete pre-onboarding

When you click Get started, Mews guides you through a short request flow to configure your Digital Key checklist.

1. In the Digital keys setup window, under Key type, select Bluetooth keys.

2. Click Next.

3. Under Door lock provider, select the door lock provider you want to use:

   1. Assa Abloy Vingcard

   2. Salto Space

   3. Other (Not supported)

4. Click Next.

Note: If you choose Other (Not supported), you can enter the door lock provider you’d like to use. Mews records your interest and may contact you if support is added in the future.

5. Under Contact information in the Email field, enter the email of your main contact at your door lock provider, such as your account manager or representative, to assist with Mews Digital Key.

6. Click Next.

7. Under Do you consent to passing information?, check the I agree to my information being sent to* box. For example, Assa Abloy or Salto.

Note:

• To initiate the setup process with Assa Abloy, Mews must pass your name, email address, and property details to the Assa Abloy team.

• By ticking the box, you agree to allow Mews to pass your information to them. Mews requires you to confirm to move forward in the process.

• For Salto, this consent is only required if providing the email of your main contact at Salto.

8. Click Next.

After you submit the information, Mews:

• Creates a tailored Digital Key onboarding checklist for your property in the Digital key settings page.

• For Assa Abloy, Mews automatically sends your details to Assa Abloy for them to support processing your digital key activation.

You can now continue to Step 3: Complete the onboarding checklist.

 

Step 3: Complete the Digital Key onboarding checklist

Back on the Digital key page, Mews displays an onboarding checklist with tasks grouped into three sections:

• Door lock provider configuration

• Mews configuration

• Final steps

Each task shows:

• A name and, in some cases, a short description.

• A status. For example, Not started, In review, Completed.

• A way to mark the task as pass, or a Go to task link that opens a configuration screen in a new tab.

The system completes some tasks automatically when Mews or your door lock provider finishes an action; others you complete manually in the checklist.

 

Note: The system locks certain tasks until you complete the prerequisites. This is to help ensure that all dependencies are completed and to prevent issues in future steps caused by a missing setting.

 

Step 3.1: Door lock provider configuration

These tasks make sure your door lock system is ready for Digital Keys. Complete the following tasks and contact your door lock provider for support as needed.

1. Contact your door lock provider to set up Digital Keys (required)

   1. For Vingcard | Assa Abloy, Mews does this automatically based on the details provided in the Step 2: Complete pre-onboarding section of this help article. You can continue to step 2 below.

   2. For Salto, you must contact Salto yourself to ask them to review your system and agreement in preparation for using digital keys with Mews.

      1. Select Mark task as pass once you’ve started the process with your contacts at Salto.

2. Your door lock provider confirms system readiness (required)

   1. You need to confirm with your door lock provider that you have a signed agreement in place, and all the required hardware and software installed at your property or updated to support digital keys.

   2. Your door lock provider confirms to you that your system is ready for Digital Key with Mews.

   3. Select Mark task as pass once the door lock provider has confirmed.

3. Verify that Vingcard | Assa Abloy is connected to Mews (Required)(Assa Abloy only)

   1. This task is set to Review once you complete the previous task and automatically triggers Mews to verify this connection.

   2. Once the system verifies the connection, the system automatically marks this task as completed.

Note: It can take several days to verify the system connection.

 

Step 3.2: Mews configuration

These tasks ensure Mews is configured correctly for Digital Keys:

1. Connect and configure door lock integration in Mews Marketplace (Required)

   1. Click Go to task.

   2. Click Connect integration.

   3. To configure your door lock system, follow the steps in the following help articles :

      1. Vostio Access Management

      2. Visionline

      3. Salto Space

2. Configure auto check-in (Recommended)

   1. Click Go to task

      1. Select Do not activate auto check-in if you only want Digital Keys to be activated based on a Kiosk or member of staff checking in the reservation in Mews

      2. Select Activate auto check-in to enable Mews to automatically check in and activate digital keys of reservations that meet your configured pre-conditions

   2. Space categories to exclude for auto check-in: If you prefer to greet guests in person before granting access to certain space categories. Click to select a space category from the dropdown menu. Note: You can leave this field empty if not required.

   3. Check in grace period: Enter the amount of time in Hours and Minutes before the reservation check-in time when guests can check in early to get their digital keys.

   4. Guests can only receive their key once their balance has been paid: Check the box to allow guests to receive the Digital Key only once they pay their balance.

   5. Click Save.

Important: This Digital Key automatic check‑in is separate from the generic “Enable automatic check‑in” setting in Bookable services. Do not use the generic auto check‑in with Digital Keys; always configure Digital Key automatic check‑in from the Digital key settings screen instead.

 

Note: In addition to the above conditions, all reservations must also meet the below mandatory conditions to be eligible for automatic check-in:

• Reservation is in Confirmed state

• One or more guests have completed their online check in

• One or more guests on the reservation have prepared a Digital Key

• The assigned spaces is Inspected

 

3. Connect the Digital Key from the Mews Marketplace (Required)

   1. Click Go to task.

   2. Click Start free trial now.

   3. Select With purchase you accept all Terms and conditions.

   4. Click Purchase. Note: If Digital Key is included in your subscription Mews does not charge you anything extra.

 

4. Complete the Mews University Digital Key course for all staff

   1. Click Go to task to open the Mews University course.

   2. Make sure you and your relevant teams who support guests with access issues complete the course.

   3. Once all relevant staff have completed the course, click Mark task as pass on the checklist.

5. Add a cover image for Digital Keys by uploading a sign-in image (Recommended)

   1. Click Go to task.

   2. Scroll down to the Sign-in image field.

   3. Click Choose file to upload an image to Mews. This image is used in the Digital Key app as your card art and in the Apple App clip to represent your property. Note: it can take several days before the Apple app clip shows your uploaded image.

 

Step 3.3: Final steps

The last group of tasks gets your Digital Key experience ready for guests:

1. Test digital keys (Recommended)

a. You can manually test the digital key experience and do not need to submit test results. To do this you can:

• Temporarily change check in type to Digital key in your bookable service.

• Create a test reservation in the system.

• Complete online check in and setup a Digital key from the success screen.

• Activate the Key by checking in the reservation (automatically or manually).

• Use the key on any door lock associated with the space the reservation is assigned to.

Note: If you’re not ready to enable Digital Keys for your guests, revert the check in type value to the previous setting.

 

2. Configure Digital Key issuing from Kiosk (Recommended)

   1. Click Go to task.

   2. Mews displayed the Kiosk configurations for you Stay service. Select a Kiosk configuration to update.

   3. In the Key issuing field, choose Digital keys to offer this during Kiosk check in.

   4. Click Save.

   5. Repeat for other Kiosk configurations as needed.

 

3. Update email templates (Recommended)
   To get the most out of Digital Keys it is best to inform guests in your pre-arrival emails (Confirmation, Online check in, Online check in reminder & After check in) that they can get a Digital Key. Mews provides prepared content to support with this.

   1. Click Go to task.

   2. Click Edit on your chosen the pre-arrival email.

   3. On the right hand side panel, click Rows.

   4. In the dropdown, select Mews.

   5. Scroll to the bottom to see the Bluetooth Digital Key pre-made content block.

   6. Drag and drop the content for your Digital Key type into your email template.

   7. Click Save and exit once you’re happy with the edits.

   8. Repeat for additional emails as needed.

 

4. Launch Digital Keys for guests (Required)

   1. Click Go to task.

   2. Scroll to the Check in type field.

   3. Click the dropdown and select Digital key.

   4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

You’ve now enabled Digital Keys for your guests and completed the setup process.

 

How to get the most from the Digital Key

To maximise adoption and value:

• Encourage online check‑in in your pre-arrival communications so guests can prepare their key before arrival.

• Update pre-arrival emails to clearly inform guests that they can get a Digital Key by completing some steps pre-arrival. If you're using automatic check in you can inform them that they can skip the reception on arrival by doing this preparation.

• Use automatic check‑in where possible so the system checks in eligible reservations and activates Digital Keys without staff intervention. This frees your staff to focus on providing excellent hospitality and less on arrival administration.

• Configure Space directions in Mews so guests can see directions to their room.

• Use Kiosk where applicable to complement Online check‑in and reduce queues while still supporting guests who arrive without a prepared Digital Key.

• Update your check in instructions to explain what guests experience on the day of arrival after they prepare their Digital Key. For example, automatic key activation at check-in time or a greeting from a member of staff on arrival.