Many hotel guests today are security savvy and expect good levels of protection during their stay as a matter of course. So, if it’s been a while since you looked at the security you have on your guest and back of house doors, let’s take a look at what you can do to ensure yours is fit for the task. It should be up to date and provide a convenient, comfortable, safe and secure experience for the guest but it should also be able to streamline and maximise staff management functions too!

Trends in Hotel Access Control

Technology in the world of hospitality access control is always changing and today it is much more than just a guest room lock. It can provide full security control of the entire property, and can integrate with front desk PMS systems, CCTV, alarm, time and attendance or other systems as required. It can cut maintenance costs by removing the need to replace keys and change locks if keys are lost. It can manage access rights to control who can access what, when and where 24/7 and provide a full audit trail for every door.

While many hotels have some form of either contact or contactless access control system installed, insecure older technologies such as Magstripe and early Proximity smart card technologies as well as mechanical keys can still be found in use and these should ideally be replaced with the latest, more secure encrypted smart card technologies as soon as it is practical and affordable to do so.

Rise of the Mobile

While the use of contactless key cards in hotels will continue for a good while yet, 2 out of 3 online hotel bookings are now made from a smart phone and demand is increasing. Business travellers in particular favour a secure experience when it comes to the use of smart technology in their hotel room.

Mobile technology and its associated apps now allow guests to use their smart phone as their room key. Used in conjunction with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) enabled smart locks, it can be used either as a supplement to and/or as a complete replacement for smart key cards.

Easy to use, the intuitive mobile app based solutions let the guest book their room online and receive their key over the air (OTA) anytime and anywhere. When they arrive at the hotel they can choose to go straight up to their room, and the app will automatically send confirmation that their door has been opened down to the front desk, or they can stop and ask for assistance at reception. At the end of their stay the key automatically deletes from their smart phone. For the hotel this means there is no cost for a replacement key card if it is not handed back to reception when the guest departs.

Plus, the technology isn’t limited to hotel rooms; it can also be used on main entrance doors, lifts, car park barriers, meeting rooms, etc. It’s the ideal solution for any door where a hotel needs to conveniently control access.

Conclusion:

Technology is the key to the future, and incorporating new technologies such as mobile can provide many advantages to drive business and thus revenue for a hotel. Such solutions can offer security and usability for guests and reduced operating costs for the hotel. Guests gain convenience without sacrificing security, as all data transmissions sent via the Cloud and the mobile key itself are encrypted and secured, enabling hotels to distinguish their property with the latest cutting edge technology solutions that guests truly value.

For more information visit: www.saltohospitality.com