Exclusive Feature: Apple announced the iPhone 6 and iWatch last week and had everyone buzzing, including hotels;

Now with new technology and a new platform, hotels are planning new apps that work with Apple's new technology, aiming to appeal to a tech-savvier travel crowd.

First up: the app that will unlock hotel room doors.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is behind the app, which will be made available for Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty members.

The app will be rolled out at W Hotels-branded properties around the world in Spring 2015, at the same time the iWatch is scheduled to debut in retail stores.

Starwood guests with the iWatch will be able to open their hotel guest room doors simply by holding the Apple Watch in front of the lock and tapping the watch screen.

Earlier this year, Hilton Worldwide also announced it will debut a service in 2015 that allows guests to unlock their hotel room doors with their smartphone. 

Hilton and Starwood undoubtedly shoot to the front of the line for tech-savvy hotels with the launch of these apps, but we have to wonder: are these apps safe, or just a great marketing ploy?

It's easy to see the attraction: no more deactivated keys when they sit next to your credit cards, and you won't have to worry about lost room keys, but what about security breaches and stolen passwords on computers and apps?

Both Starwood and Hilton have addressed the security issues in press statements, saying their hotel room locks have been tested and the apps require a different security setting than other apps on your smartphone.

I have to admit it does sound appealing and exciting, and I wouldn't mind not having to fumble around for a room key after a long day on the road. 

We'll have to wait until 2015 to see how they work, but it's great to see more hotels investing in technological advances that make them more appealing to the next generation of guests. 

This is strictly an exclusive feature, reprints of this article in any shape or form without prior written approval from 4Hoteliers.com is not permitted.

Melanie Nayer is a hotel reviewer and expert on luxury travel around the world. She has covered all aspects of hotels including corporate restructures, re-branding initiatives, historical aspects and the best of the best in luxury hotels around the world.

Melanie writes a weekly exclusive column for 4Hoteliers.com