EVT Hotels and Resorts plans to ditch plastic keycards across its portfolio, adopting mobile wallet keys instead.

The move makes EVT the first multi-brand hotel group to launch mobile wallet hotel keys and follows similar technology rollouts at Leura Gardens Resort and across YHA Australia’s network.

EVT will roll out the mobile wallet keys across its QT, Rydges, Atura and LyLo properties over the next year, the largest scale introduction of the technology by any Australian hotel group to date.

The group confirmed to Wayfarer the technology will be supplied by industry-leading building access control specialist Vingcard, which also applied its digital key access to Leura Gardens Resort and YHA properties.

Guests checking into QT Sydney are already using the technology, which allows them to check in and receive their room key on their iPhone, Apple Watch or Android device.

The launch builds on EVT Hotels and Resorts’ recent innovation initiatives, including becoming the first hotel group in Australia and New Zealand to launch its app in ChatGPT, allowing travellers to discover hotels, explore room options, access property information and begin their booking journey through AI-powered conversations.

By placing room access directly into Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, EVT is ensuring no plastic keycards are required, with everything now stored digitally within Apple Wallet or Google Wallet for faster access and reducing the chance of losing keys.

“Technology should make travel easier. Mobile wallet hotel keys remove another point of friction from the hotel experience and give guests a simple, seamless way to access their stay from arrival through to departure,” said EVT Group General Manager of Technology and Digital, Andrew Turner said.

“Beyond convenience, moving to digital keys also reduces our reliance on plastic cards across the portfolio, supporting the Group’s broader waste reduction focus,”